Players, coaches, students react to Paterno news
A sampling of reaction from Penn State players, coaches, alumni and others after Joe Paterno, who had said earlier Wednesday he would retire as coach at the end of the season, was ousted by university trustees along with President Graham Spanier following child sex-abuse charges against former assistant Jerry Sandusky:
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"Let's see what's going to happen, OK? Right now I'm not the coach. And I've got to get used to that. After 61 years, I've got to get used to it." — Joe Paterno speaking to a small group of students that clustered around his house after he was pushed out of his job.
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"I think he certainly understood maybe more than anyone else, given his role as attorney general in this investigation, he understood the magnitude of this case, obviously before anybody else would have and he believes, as he said this morning, that what he was looking for was for the board to take swift and decisive action to restore the trust and integrity of the university." — Kevin Harley, spokesman for Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett who participated in a phone conference with trustees Wednesday night.
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"After all he's done for this school he didn't deserve to go out like this. As students, we respect him so much. We deserve to send him off in the last game." — Penn State junior Ariel Chavarria from Houston, Texas.
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"This university is a large and complex institution, and although I have always acted honorably and in the best interests of the university, the buck stops here. In this situation, I believe it is in the best interests of the university to give my successor a clear path for resolving the issues before us." — Former Penn State President Graham Spanier who was ousted by the board of trustees.
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"You're all so sweet. And I guess we have to go beat Nebraska without being there. We love you all, go Penn State." — Sue Paterno, Joe Paterno's wife, to a crowd of students gathered by their house after his firing was announced.
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". ... I love Penn State. I went to school there, it was such an important part of my life. It's part of me. I will never say, 'Oh, I regret going there now because of it. That's just now the case. ... But this situation is just an unbelievable black eye for the program and it's going to be tough because whenever anybody says Penn State or you see Penn State, sexual assault of young kids is what's going to come to mind, and that's such an unfortunate thing." — Jacksonville Jaguars and former Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny.
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"I've certainly been in prayer for the young people that are involved in this, young men as they are now. I certainly feel for them. I don't know a whole lot about all the details. I haven't read through all the transcripts and things of that nature. ... I'm also very close to coach Paterno. It's tough to see his legacy ending in this way." — Indianapolis Colts coach and former Penn State assistant Jim Caldwell.
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"This one moment in time, this one decision, is going to tarnish his reputation and put a big black eye on Penn State and what he stood for. I can't imagine what it will be like to live with, knowing you knew this nine years ago and you did the bare minimum. How many more lives were affected by that decision not to go to police? How could he betray all of us like that?" — Penn State graduate Kathy Schmouder, 39, Selinsgrove, Pa.
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"I've known Coach Paterno since I started coaching. I know nothing of the circumstances, but college football will miss him greatly on the field. He has done much for the game, and for Penn State." — Texas coach Mack Brown.