Football Legend Joe Paterno Dies At 85

By Caitlin Corsetti

This morning, Joe Paterno was pronounced dead at the age of 85 after losing his battle with lung cancer. He was in the hospital since January 13th, and reports yesterday were swirling that he was in serious condition. CBS falsely reported last night that he had died, but Paterno’s sons took to Twitter to deny the reports. Today, the Twittersphere is mourning the loss of not only a coach, but a legend.

His family released this statement: ”He died as he lived. He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community.”

Joe Paterno had been the head coach at Penn State since 1966, and his legacy as the winningest coach in football history with 409 victories lives on despite the past few months. The Penn State family has been through a lot regarding the Jerry Sandusky scandal and continue to face it everyday. Paterno said in an interview with The Washington Post that ”I didn’t know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was. So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn’t work out that way.” It’s truly devastating what happened, and there are many unanswered questions regarding it. But take a moment to remember his legacy in football.

I remember two years ago when Penn State came to Bryant-Denny Stadium to play. There were no boos when that man stepped out on the field, but instead the entire stadium was chanting “JOE PA!” It was a pretty cool sight seeing that little old man walk across our field and shake Nick Saban’s hand. That’s what I’m going to remember about him.

Caitlin is a senior at the University of Alabama who has an obsession with cupcakes, coffee, and Harry Potter. She always has random fun facts on reserve and aspires to be a professional blogger,social media bug, and/or James Franco’s assistant. Follow her fabulous life @caitlincorsetti. You’re welcome!