Remembering Joe Paterno for the Good He Did

Joe Paterno, long-time coach at Penn State University, passed away on Jan. 22. Paterno walked the sidelines of Beaver stadium in Happy Valley, Pa. for 46 years. He was a legend in college football.

But last fall, Paterno was fired by the Penn State board of trustees in the wake of the child abuse scandal involving Jerry Sandusky, former defensive coordinator of the Nittany Lions. Paterno had been told by a graduate assistant about the scandal and Paterno reported that information to pertinent administrators at Penn State but left it at that. It was felt that possibly he should have followed up on the incident.

After his firing, Paterno admitted he made a mistake and should have done more. He called the incident "one of the greatest sorrows of my life..."

So, how will he be remembered? Upon being told about his death, Charles Dumas, a professor at Penn State said of Paterno, "You can't have your life defined by a minute or an hour. Your life is defined by the years of commitment and the work that you do. That's the way it should be with Joe."

I agree. We have all had moments that would like to "do over." In golf, it's called "taking a mulligan." That means you get second shot.

Joe Paterno made a mistake. He admitted it. But over 46 years, he did lots of good things. His life shouldn't be remembered by a minute or an hour but by the work he did.