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For years, Joe Paterno - Penn State's iconic football coach - has stood to the right.
So when Joseph "Jay" Paterno Jr. publicly backed Democrat Barack Obama, there was some confusion among Penn State supporters. Could the son of Joe possibly lean to the left?
Some were supportive. Some were not. Others were all too ready to pounce on the Nittany Lions' quarterbacks coach and the whipping boy for fan discontent.
"I get e-mails both ways," Jay Paterno said. "Some that were, 'You did the right thing,' and others that were, 'What are you thinking?' "
Some of the names attached to the e-mails were as familiar as their oft-repeated charges of nepotism. One suggested that Jay Paterno was using his support of Obama as a ploy for recruiting.
"I deleted that one," he said.
Perhaps most surprising was the sheer number of responses - almost as many as the 39-year-old receives during the season.
They started in mid-March, after he was asked to speak at the opening of Obama's regional campaign office in State College, Pa. The reaction reached a peak at the end of the month, when Obama, in front of 22,000 Obama-maniacs on Penn State's Old Main lawn, thanked Jay Paterno for his support.
Apparently, Obama didn't miss the memo when it comes to politically invoking the Paterno name in Happy Valley. Though the salute to Jay drew a smattering of applause, when the senator from Illinois mentioned his cell-phone conversation with the elder Paterno, the crowd erupted - for an 81-year-old Republican.
For Jay Paterno, whose popularity is at Dennis Kucinich levels, this was no time to sit out. In February, he switched his registration from independent to Democrat so he could vote in today's presidential primary. And since then, he's done everything from registering voters to blogging on Obama's behalf - all on his own time.
"Joe Sarra [a former assistant coach] once said to me, 'A turtle can't cross the road unless he sticks his neck out,' " Paterno said. "This is too important to worry about whether people are going to take shots at me. And they will."
For Paterno, the future of the country in which his five children and their grandchildren will live is why he has gone outside his shell. And Obama, he said, is a politician capable of transforming the nation and bettering the prospects for our youth.
"I have young kids [ages 1 to 7], and I'm looking forward to the future of the country and the world," Paterno said. "I think we need to get someone in the office that can restore faith in government, someone that can talk to both sides. Obama is that one-in-a-generation type figure."
Even his father has taken a few arrows. In 2004, Joe Paterno endorsed George W. Bush and spoke at a rally for the president just days before the general election. It was perhaps the first time his politics had come under fire in State College. Of course, the team's 27-31 record over the previous 4 1/2 years didn't help.
"The only thing I have for Jay is admiration," Joe said, "because he's willing to do what he thinks is right, even though he's been under a lot of pressure from a lot of people for different things he's been blamed for that aren't rightfully so."
Ever since Jay was named quarterbacks coach in 2000, much of the ire caused by the team's performance has been directed toward the middle son of Joe's five children. Coincidentally or not, the team's fortunes dipped that same year.
The Lions produced losing campaigns in four of the next five seasons as Jay became more involved in the offensive play-calling. In 2005, though, Penn State went 11-1 and Michael Robinson had one of the best seasons ever for a Lions quarterback. Two 9-4 seasons since then, fans still question whether Jay has his father's football acumen, let alone his politics.
"I brought my kids up to think for themselves," said Joe, whose father, Angelo, was an FDR Democrat. "I've got a son who's a Republican who ran for Congress - Scott. I'm a Republican. I've got a son, Jay, who's for Obama. I've got a daughter who I'm pretty sure she's going to be for Hillary [Clinton]. God bless America."
Jay voted for George H.W. Bush, a close friend of his father, in 1988. Joe seconded the elder Bush's nomination during the Republican convention in New Orleans and brought a 20-year-old Jay along when the informing committee notified Bush. Jay, however, was more excited about meeting a certain childhood hero.
"Roger Staubach was also on the committee," Jay said. "That was a thrill for me."
Today's 20-year-olds are drawn to Obama in the same way. A good number of the current crop of Lions have immersed themselves in the campaign.
Senior cornerback Lydell Sargeant handed Obama a No. 1 Penn State jersey at the rally, registered more than two dozen teammates, and wrote editorials in local newspapers. Senior tackle Gerald Cadogen, who already voted for Obama in the Ohio primary, sang the national anthem at the Old Main gathering.
"It's definitely a risk you take," Sargeant said. "There's definitely a fine line when you talk about politics. I think Jay really believes in Sen. Obama and has taken a stand. He's his own person, and people have to respect that."
His father certainly does. Whether that translates to an Obama vote, well . . .
"Joe has not endorsed anybody, and I don't know if he will," Jay said. "But I've been working on him."
Said Joe: "When it comes down to it, when they finally get a Republican vs. a Democrat . . . we'll see."
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