Posted on Sat, Jul. 19, 2008
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - In the seven months since Joe Paterno was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, the Penn State legend has coached exactly one game.
That's not much football.
But during that span, Paterno consistently has found his way into the news. That's what happens when you're an 81-year-old icon still doing the very thing that gained you your acclaim.
Since the Nittany Lions' 24-17 Alamo Bowl win over Texas A&M in late December - the 372d victory of his career - Paterno has dealt with illness, the continuing off-the-field troubles of several players, and public concerns about his contract, which expires after the coming season.
It hasn't left much time for rest, and certainly not a moment for reflection. But now comes tonight's actual enshrinement. Last month, Paterno was asked whether he had thought ahead to today's Hall of Fame ceremony. The Nittany Lions coach admitted that he hadn't thought much about the honor. As far as he was concerned, December's induction in his home city of New York was enough to satisfy himself and his obligations.
"Absolutely, but I'm getting a little pressure to go out [to South Bend]," Paterno said at a Nittany Lions Club fund-raiser in Camp Hill, Pa. "And they have a parade, I guess, and the whole bit. I'm not sure what I can do there. It's been a long year for me."
Originally, the 20 members of the 2008 class were expected to meet with the media yesterday to kick off the weekend festivities. But Paterno and several others had not planned to arrive until this afternoon, so the news conference was moved to just before the enshrinement.
Perhaps Paterno's eagerness to attend the event has grown in the last month, one spent partly at his beach house in Avalon, N.J. If there's further motivation, today's occasion unofficially signals the start of Paterno's record 43d year as Penn State's head coach.
Next week, he will be in Chicago for the annual Big Ten media conference that starts the 2008 season. And less than two weeks later, on Aug. 4, the Lions will begin preseason practice. Their home opener is set for Aug. 30 against Coastal Carolina.
Paterno has been uncharacteristically enthusiastic about his team's prospects, having said as far back as December that he thinks his squad has the ingredients to be a national champion. And, of course, he's still motivated to teach the game to young men and watch the fruits of his labor ripen.
"People say to me, 'Why do you keep coaching?' And that's one of the things I enjoy," Paterno said. "I'm looking forward to this season and I'm looking forward to this team."
And yet, there could be added significance to this season, aside from wins and losses. There are no assurances that Paterno - who has said he wants to coach for at least three more years - will be back next season. In April, after two university trustees told The Inquirer that contract discussions among Paterno, university president Graham Spanier, and director of athletics Tim Curley had reached an impasse, Spanier announced that the coach would not be given another contract and that his future would not be determined until after the season.
Last week, at the bi-monthly board of trustees symposium in Erie, Spanier said the sides had not met recently. Paterno, for his part, has said that he prefers to work without a contract.
"It's never been a problem for me," he said. "I'm not going to make it one now."
There also have been concerns about Paterno's health. In January, he was bed-ridden with a three-week flu. And in May, he was treated for dehydration after he was taken by ambulance to Mount Nittany Medical Center after complaining of fatigue.
"I've been drinking G2 till it comes out my ears," Paterno said. "I've been a good boy. I've done what the doctors have told me."
Surely, a recharged Paterno, who delivered the last and best speech at December's induction, can summon up an anecdote or two when he's finally enshrined. Last month, however, even the forward-looking coach wasn't peeking that far ahead.
"I hate to sound self-serving," Paterno said, "but I have never been a guy that worries about anything until I've got to worry about it."
Hall of Famers
Here are the men being enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame tonight.
email this
print this
reprint or license this
REGIONAL SCOREBOARD
today's