I don’t care what anyone has to say, to me he is the greatest figure in all of collegiate athletics. Football was his entire life. Whatever happened off the field did not interest at all unless it involved stopping the run or time of possession. He was as old school as it came. His job was to lead his team week in an week out onto that football field and be better than the opposing team. That whole child molestation case should not be connected with Joe Pa and his legacy. He did what he was supposed to do, but the proper authorities didn’t take the initiative to do the right thing. Everyone knows how much of a public figure Joe Pa is, but the only person that didn’t know that was Joe Pa himself. He never saw himself as being greater than college football, let alone Penn State football. He saw himself as their head coach and that was it. The guy never had an ego, he never let the long tenure get to his head, and he never let the wins make him feel he was greater than the next guy. He was just Joe Paterno, and Joe Paterno was college football.

R.I.P.