Some comments on Joe Paterno by those who coached against him. A few i find particularly interesting are these by Steve Spurrier and Tom Osborne:
“I’ve coached around 300 college games and
only once when I’ve met the other coach at midfield prior to the game have I asked a photographer to take a picture of me with the other coach. That happened in the Citrus Bowl after the `97 season when we were playing Penn State.”—
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier.
“Whenever you recruited or played against Joe, you knew how he operated and that he always stood for the right things. Of course, his longevity over time and his impact on college football is remarkable.
Anybody who knew Joe feels badly about the circumstances. I suspect the emotional turmoil of the last few weeks might have played into it.”—
Nebraska athletic director and former coach Tom Osborne.
And this from a player Joe recruited but who when to Michigan State instead.
“(During recruiting,) Paterno was the only coach that didn’t talk about football. He talked about life and what life had to offer at State College.
While I did not go there and went to Michigan State, he was the only coach to call me and wish me luck.”—former Michigan State wide receiver Nigea Carter.