Joe Paterno, one of the Paterno Fellows main inspirations, the greatest coach in the history of American sports, and an educator who devoted his life to bringing out the very best in young people, died Sunday morning as he had lived: courageous, generous of heart, committed to living an an exemplary life. “He died as he lived,” the Paterno family said in a written statement. “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.”

Here is what I said at the Paterno Fellows Recognition Event on January 9:

Many of you have read The Aeneid, I know–it’s a poem about struggle. That’s why it’s a Paterno family favorite. Aeneas, the hero of the poem, spends his life struggling in a seemingly never-ending voyage to find a home after the fall of his beloved Troy. He is a tremendously capable man, full of ability and virtue, admired by his compatriots, devoted to his family, crew and community, driven to make a difference, who nevertheless undergoes all kinds of hardships–some of them caused by others or by the elements, some of them brought on by human weaknesses. He escapes from Troy with his son, but fails to protect his beloved wife; he makes some bad navigational moves; he shows his temper; most famously, he has an affair with a woman, abandons her, and drives her to suicide. Aeneas isn’t out to avoid trouble; he knows the world is imperfect, fallen; he can’t avoid trouble and isn’t na�ve about his own shortcomings.  But he believes that in the face of that imperfection, it’s our job to persevere, to struggle, to excel to the best of our ability anyhow. Life is nothing but trouble, it sometimes seems: get used to it because you can’t avoid it.

What matters is how you deal with it, how you respond to trouble. Aeneas in the end learns from all the challenges, perseveres in the face of all of them, and ultimately founds a City on a Hill (seven of them, actually), the city of Rome–a new and better Troy, a better (if still imperfect) community. For that we rightly regard him as a hero.  

And here is what Joepa said to all of us a year ago, at the first Paterno Fellows Recognition Event: http://youtu.be/lgxTpk0JMY0

In the coming days there will be many tributes to Joe Paterno.  I will do my best to let you know about them.  And of course in April there will be opportunities to support Sue Paterno’s 5K Stadium Run in support of Special Olympics.  It will be a massive event this year, and your help will be critical.  Watch for announcements about how to get involved.