Blue White Illustrated

Sandusky receives 30-year sentence JURISPRUDENCE BELLEFONTE, Pa. – At 10:22 a.m. Oct. 9, the record closed on Jerry Sandusky. In a packed courtroom, the former Penn State defensive co- ordinator was sentenced to a term of no less than 30 years and no more than 60, essentially assuring that he will spend the rest of his life in prison. Judge John Cleland noted before his decision that a sentence of centuries behind bars wouldn't apply for a 68-year old man. After 10 more days in the Centre County Correctional Facility, San- dusky was set to be transferred to the State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill. Before being sentenced to a life be- hind bars, Sandusky was given an opportunity to speak on his own be- Amid the heartache, signs of healing BELLEFONTE, Pa. - Convicted on 45 of 48 counts of child sexual abuse in June, former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry San- dusky had the horrified attention of the entire nation. The Freeh report, released in mid- July, prompted the same response, with Penn State's leaders coming under fire for their failure to pre- vent Sandusky's crimes. In late July, severe NCAA sanc- tions against Penn State gave rise to rampant speculation about the program's potentially dismal future. The consensus was that head coach Bill O'Brien would have to salvage victories using whatever ragtag group of players remained after the inevitable wave of defections. The defections occurred, Penn State's recruiting took some seri- ous steps backward, and the team opened with back-to-back losses against Ohio of the Mid-American Conference and a weak Virginia squad. The damage had been done, some said. O'Brien and the Nittany Lions were heading into the abyss – four years of bad football, and po- tentially many more. But on the morning of Oct. 9, with attention once again focused squarely on Sandusky, the conver- sation was headed in a different di- rection. Waiting in line to enter the Centre County Courthouse, nation- al sports pundits talked among themselves not about Sandusky, but rather, about the impressive feat O'Brien had achieved through Penn State's first six games. In the wake of four consecutive victories, the massive shadow over the program had, at least temporar- ily, lifted. Following the Lions' 39- 28 comeback win over No. 24 Northwestern, O'Brien talked about the small part his football program has played in the rehabilitation of a community that has been badly scarred by the Sandusky scandal. "We have a bunch of great kids here who love to go to school and take pride in playing football for Penn State," he said. "They have a little part in the community and helping the community. We do the same thing as a coaching staff; we try to get out in the community. We enjoy living here. There are some great people here. "Those things that happened over the summer and in the past are a lot bigger than football. These kids are just having fun playing football half. Rambling and at times emo- tional, he maintained his innocence, cited the strength and support of his family, compared his own struggles to those he had read about in books, mentioned the inspiration he took from the movie "Seabiscuit," and even made note of his football expe- riences, describing them as parallel to his current predicament. right now and going to school." Given all that has happened in the past year, any positives can and should be met with enthusiasm by supporters of the program and the university as a whole. But the ongo- ing conversation is certain to con- tain many more peaks and valleys. As positive Penn State's four-game winning streak was, Sandusky's sentencing hearing once again turned the country's attention to his horrific crimes. And while the hearing ended one chapter, the rest of this story is still unfolding. The upcoming trial of Tim Curley and Gary Schultz opens the door to more damaging news. There are go- ing to be wins and losses, small and large, on and off the football field, in the months and years ahead. O'Brien's words about looking forward can be taken to heart by Penn State fans amid the cautious optimism that has surrounded the program. "I do think there's a cer- tain amount you can learn from every game," he said. "I do really try to preach to these kids about playing 12 one-game seasons, and we have six one-game seasons left. "I'm not too much into omens. I'm not into a lot of gray area. Who do we play next and how do we game-plan for that one? Get the team focused on that." On an arduous journey that has yet to run its course, Penn State fans can and should do the same.

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