STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Anguished by an unthinkable scandal that shook a university and tarnished the proud football program, many in the Penn State community rallied around a common cause.
They mourned coach Joe Paterno’s dismissal and questioned the motives and tactics of school leaders who pushed out the Hall of Famer in November in the wake of child sex abuse charges against a retired assistant coach.
Alumni, fans and students already racked by emotions were jolted by a much greater loss when Paterno died Sunday of lung cancer at age 85 — and the grieving process again could be complicated following two tense months that often had the Paterno family and the school at odds.
“I feel like from the inside looking out that most people forget that he donated his whole life to the program. … And everything that he donated to that school, people tend to look over that,” defensive end Jack Crawford, who just completed his senior season with the Nittany Lions, said Sunday from Senior Bowl practice in Mobile, Ala.
“It was tough to swallow. It was harder to swallow when he first got fired. It was a sad moment for the whole Penn State family.”
A family seemingly torn
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