"Believe deep down in your heart that you're destined to do great things." This quote spoken by the late Joe Paterno says it all. It embodies how a man can work his way to the top and not only bring others along with him but make sure that everybody has an equal opportunity to realize their true greatness and make it to the top as well. See, what made Joe Paterno so special were not only the accomplishments that he achieved over his storied lifetime but the achievements that he helped so many others reach and how he put the betterment of so many others before that of himself. Joe Paterno was not only a football coach, but a mentor, a teacher, a humanitarian, a father to some, and so many other things that cannot be put into words. 

How much Joe Paterno really meant to the people who knew him best and the true impact that he left on the lives of those people, can only be expressed by the extreme grief and admiration that they have expressed in his passing. "His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled. 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." This statement was released by the Paterno family on Sunday morning announcing Joe's passing. Many others including colleagues, former players, rival coaches, and simply other admirers had nothing but support for the Paterno family and nothing but good things to say about Joe in his passing. 


The legacy left behind by Joseph Vincent Paterno is one of a man who strived to make everyone around him better, one who did not seek to make his football players better athletes, but to make them into better men. His goal, was for each young man who entered his school as a freshman, to leave as a better man upon commencement. This is exactly what Paterno should be remembered for, not the heinous acts of another man that had absolutely nothing to do with him. No matter what negativity has come out of the Jerry Sandusky sex-scandal at Penn State University, none of it should alter the legacy of Joe Paterno because he was more than a coach at Penn State, in fact he really was Penn State. His passing this weekend not only means the end of an era for the University but it also symbolizes the loss of a true American hero.