Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/730644
F O O T B A L L Players are focus of Paterno salute On the 50th anniversary of his first game as head coach, Penn State saluted Joe Paterno by emphasizing his impact on student-athletes. Prior to the Nittany Lions' nonconfer- ence finale against Temple on Sept. 17, two co-captains from Paterno's first team in 1966, Mike Irwin and John Run- nells, stepped onto the field for the coin toss. There were video presentations during several breaks in the action, the first of which prompted a standing ova- tion, and a number of fans left memen- tos in honor of Paterno at the spot outside the stadium on Porter Road where the coach's statue once stood. In the five years since the Sandusky scandal brought an abrupt end to his 46-year head coaching career at Penn State, Paterno's legacy has been debated at length. Many of his former players have come to his defense, and several hundred gathered at Lubrano Park the night before the game for an invitation- only reunion event. In honoring Paterno, the university put the spotlight on those players, citing them as examples of his commitment to the ideals of higher education. "Coach Paterno wanted academic success not only for his players but also for every student who came through Penn State," athletic director Sandy Bar- bour said. "Together with his wife, Sue, they helped countless students become leaders and earn a Penn State diploma." But the commemoration showed that Paterno's legacy remains a polarizing issue, even within the university com- munity. The Daily Collegian caught flak from some fans for editorializing against Penn State's plans, and a number of na- NEWS NOTES & PREGAME CEREMONY Runnells (far left) and Irwin (far right) join PSU captains Von Walker and Brian Gaia for the coin toss. Photo cour- tesy of Penn State Athletics