ERICA THOMAS & BRITTANY
CRUICKSHANK :
On January 7% 2012
USA today announced that Bill
O’Brien has agreed to contribute
his coaching skills to the Penn
State football team
O’Brien is an accom-
plished collegiate coach who has
worked with Brown, Maryland
and Duke Universities. He is also
a former coach for the New Eng-
land Patriots. He started his NFL
coaching career in 2008 as a wide
receiver coach. During his second
year of coaching for the Patriots,
O’Brien then served as the quar-
terback’s coach for the 2009 and
2010 seasons, and iri 2011 he was
appointed the offensive coordina-
tor.
“There’s only one Joe
Paterno,” O’Brien stated follow-
ing the announcement. “What I’m
going to try to do is be Bill O’Bri-
en, and we’re going to do the best
we can to continue the success
that he’s had here for many, many
years. Again, we’re going to show
respect for Coach Paterno and
what he did here and we’re going
to move forward to a new era of
Penn State football.”
Showing mutual respect
to O’Brien, the late Joe Paterno
expressed his feelings on his suc-
cessor. According to the Huffing-
ton Post, Paterno said: “I under-
stand Bill O’Brien has been
named head coach and I want to
congratulate him.” He continued
by saying, “I don’t know Bill, but
I respect his coaching record, and
I am particularly pleased we share
a connection to my alma mater,
Brown.”
(Continued on page two)
os
LACEY LAPP
Former Head-Coach of
the Penn State Football team,
Joe Paterno, died at 9:25 am on
Sunday, January 22", at the age
of 85.
In November, Joe Pater-
no's son announced that his fa-
ther had been diagnosed with
lung cancer during a follow-up
appointment for a bronchial ill-
ness. According to a statement
from Mount Nittany Medical
Center, Paterno died of
"metastatic small cell carcinoma
of the lung."
“We grieve for the loss
of Joe Paterno, a great man who
made us a greater university,”
said Penn State University Presi-
dent Rodney Erickson and the
Board of Trustees in an official
statement. “His dedication to
ensuring his players were suc-
cessful both on the field and in
life is legendary and his commit-
ment to education is unmatched
in college football. His life,
work, and generosity will be
remembered always.”
The University is also
making plans to honor Joe Pater-
no for, as Penn State Live states,
“his many contributions and to
remember his remarkable life
and legacy.”
The Paterno family also
presented a statement saying
Paterno’s death “leaves a void in
filled” and that he “died as he
“His ambitions were far
reaching, but he never believed
he had to leave this Happy Val-
ley to achieve them. He was a
man devoted to his family, his
university, his players and his
community,” continued the Pat-
erno family’s statement. “As the
last 61 years have shown, Joe
made an incredible impact. That
impact has been felt and appreci-
ated by our family... It is evident
also in the thousands of success-
ful student athletes who have
gone on to multiply that impact
as they spread out across the
country.”
This impact can also be
seen in the form of his 409 game
wins, twenty-four winning bowl
games out a total of thirty-seven
played, his title of five-time na-
tional coach of the year, and
Penn State Football’s achieve-
ment as the number one ranking
school in 1982 and 1986 with
Paterno as coach.
Penn State alumni, stu-
dents and fans gathered in State
College on January 25™ for Pat-
erno’s funeral. = Thousands
watched as a bright blue hearse
drove by. The Paterno family
followed behind, riding in the
blue Penn State buses used by
Paterno and his team to ride to
home games.
A memorial service was
held at the Bryce Jordan Center
the day following the funeral,
where 12,000 mourners showed
their respect to the former coach.
Kenny Jackson, a former wide
receiver for the Philadelphia
Eagles and two time collegiate
All-American at Penn State,
spoke at the memorial service.
“[Joe Paterno] never took a com-
pliment, he always deflected
praise, never thought he was the
show, but today my teacher, you
have no choice,” Jackson said.
“Today we are going to show
you how much we love you.”
Paterno’s death impact-
ed many students. "I am filled
with shock, grief, and disbelief. I
can't believe the man I thought
could never die is gone," com-
mented student Tia Singer.
McCartney also re-
called a dream he had the night
before Paterno’s viewing: “Joe
Paterno, pant legs rolled up,
walking the white sidelines in
heaven, is still coaching. He is
watching, not a football game,
but our lives, trying to see if
the sayings, memories, teach-
ings that he left behind guide
us in the direction to do the
right thing and to make an im-
pact in others’ lives the same
way he did. When the time
comes for him to recruit us to
come be on his team, we will
be met by Joe at the gates of
heaven so that we can be on his
field, in a place that is just blue
and white. We will be remind-
ed... We are Penn State!"