I remember being a young man and watching Charles Barkley play professional basketball and then him telling the world he was not a role model! Never understood that but as an adult I totally reject that notion and I suspect he does also. I think at the point we crossover into adulthood, we are all role models to someone (and looking at some of you all, this is a very scary thought) and we should be cognizant of that fact.
JoePa understood this, said this, and lived this notion. He wanted to use college football as a vehicle to teach young men about the most important virtues in life: honest, integrity, family, service, dedication and education. I am sure there were more but he was literally changing the lives of young boys and making them men. He dedicated his life to Penn State and help create a program that was near flawless when it came to recruiting scandals while maintaining a high graduation rate.
Current and former coaches and players have provided the utmost praise for a man they said changed the way college football was played and how it operated. One former player said that when you would go back to visit him, he would ask you about your life and remember specific things about you. He would remember things like your Mother's name, where she lived, where your family was from. JoePa had to have coached thousands of players and he would remember the little things about each and every player. JoePa gave over $4 million dollars to Penn State, while practically helping the University gain the moniker "Happy Valley." Students from all walks of life have stated the one and only reason to attend Happy Valley was because of JoePa.
His presence was, for lack of a better term, godly and it was evident when he was fired (the students rioted) and when he died. When was the last time a coach was fired and the students rioted? Here is a better question, when was the last time a coach stayed at one job for longer than 5 years, 10 years, 25 years, or how about 45 years?
Collegiate and professional sports, in particular basketball and football, are a cesspool of men who do not care about the school and his players but moreso about their own legacy and the bottom line. JoePa was on the opposite end of that spectrum. He had opportunities to coach in the NFL but passed on them because he felt he could make the biggest difference on the collegiate level. He only coached at one school and never had a thought of coaching anywhere else. For years, officials at Penn State tried to force JoePa to retire, but why? They started to succumb to the pressure of the bottom line when JoePa's teams were not winning instead of focusing on what was more important which was the graduation of young men who would go on to be great citizens and do great things. Penn State forgot that the players were students FIRST and athletes second and their mission was to graduate the student. JoePa represented everything that was right about collegiate sports.
My birthday was this past Saturday, 21st, JoePa died the 22nd; I turned 34, he died at the age of 85. He coached 46 years, I have not even lived that long! I can only hope I have the kind of impact he has had on so many. He died a man's man...
Bravo! Great article!
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