Joe Paterno Essay

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Joseph Vincent Paterno born December 21, 1926 in Brooklyn New York & is nicknamed JoePa, is the head coach of Pennsylvania State University’s colege football team a position he has held since 1966. Paterno has won more football games against teams currently in NCAA Division I -FBS or Division I-A than any other coach in history. He also has the most bowl game wins and more FBS undefeated seasons than any other coach in college football history. Paterno's thick glasses, rolled-up pants legs and white athletic socks have become signatures every bit as familiar to the Penn State faithful as the McDonald's golden arches or the Nike swoosh. So, too, are the Nittany Lions' conservative uniforms, with the high-top black shoes, white helmets bereft of logos, and plain jerseys without the players' names on the back. At age 80, Paterno is coaching his 58th season at Penn State as an assistant or head coach in 2007, holding the record for any football coach at any university. The 2007 season marks Joe Paterno’s 42nd season pacing the sidelines as head coach of the Nittany Lions, passing Amos Alonzo Stagg[2] for the most years at a single institution. Under Joe Paterno, Penn State has never been under NCAA probation and has never been under any serious investigation for wrongdoing. With Penn State's latest win over Temple, Joe Paterno has a career record of 371 wins, 126 losses, and 3 ties. Paterno holds more bowl victories (22) than any coach in history. He also tops the list of bowl appearances with 33.[5] He has a bowl record of 22 wins, 10 losses, and 1 tie. Paterno is the only coach with the distinction of having won each of the current four major bowls—Rose, Orange, Fiesta, and Sugar—as well as the Cotton Bowl, at least once. Paterno grew up during the Depression. He nearly had to leave high school because the tuition of $20 a month was such a burden for his

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