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Book: Paterno Sobbed After Penn State Firing

New biography out Tuesday

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 16, 2012 6:24 AM CDT

(Newser) – Joe Paterno spent the day after he was fired from his position as Penn State's legendary football coach crying "continually," writes Joe Posnanski in his new biography of the coach, Paterno. "He sobbed uncontrollably" in a meeting with his coaches at his home. Later, speaking to a former captain, Paterno again started crying and said, "I don't know what I'm going to do with myself." He told his son Jay, "My name. I have spent my whole life trying to make that name mean something. And now it's gone."

Last summer, Paterno gave Posnanski the OK to write his biography and follow him throughout the next season in the process. That gave the Sports Illustrated writer a front-row seat to the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal as it broke. GQ features a brief excerpt of Posnanski's book, out Tuesday, with a full excerpt coming to GQ.com Monday. The currently posted selection also reveals that Paterno's son Scott was the first person to realize that the Sandusky scandal could end his father's career. "Dad, you have to face the possibility that you will never coach another game," he said after reading the grand jury case against Sandusky. Click for more.

This Aug. 2, 2010 file photo shows Penn State football coach Joe Paterno speaking during the Big Ten media days in Chicago.
This Aug. 2, 2010 file photo shows Penn State football coach Joe Paterno speaking during the Big Ten media days in Chicago.   (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)
In this Nov. 6, 2004, file photo, Penn State coach Joe Paterno pauses on the sidelines during the fourth quarter of his team's 14-7 loss to Northwestern in State College, Pa.
In this Nov. 6, 2004, file photo, Penn State coach Joe Paterno pauses on the sidelines during the fourth quarter of his team's 14-7 loss to Northwestern in State College, Pa.   (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster,file)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 25 comments
shaboom
Aug 18, 2012 4:05 PM CDT
If only we could have overlooked 20 years of child-raping, to value sports instead.
midget_farmers
Aug 18, 2012 9:48 AM CDT
don't even need to write my pithy remark as I am sure it has already been covered... I shall not throw stones for who knows if there have not been times in my life that my lack of response to a given situation might have led to suffering of others... but I have no pity for this man or his tarnished legacy 
HANKHILL
Aug 16, 2012 9:35 PM CDT
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
 

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