JoePa recruited me

No, JoePa did not recruit me for football.  I didn't come to Penn State because of the football (before coming here I didn't even like football).  I didn't know who he was or much about him or even know him personally.  What I do know is that through interviews, books, friends, and yes, football, that JoePa was a man of great integrity.

Was he perfect? Certainly not.  Recent events should show that no one is perfect.  Imperfect people in an imperfect world make imperfect decisions.  If you can claim to have known exactly what to do in a situation that is foreign to you then good on you, not everyone does.

I know that his heart was in the right place, and still is.  The thousands of people that have flocked to his image outside the stadium should show that he was much more then just football.  He was his ideals, a symbol to be someone better; he was what so many people have tried to be, a good, decent man.

So no, he didn't recruit me for football.  His example of what we should try and strive to be in a coach recruited me to try and do the same for my players when I coached.  No, the National Championship Roller Hockey B team I coached to a championship (2010) is not on the same level as a D1 football championship; I know that. But to say he had no impact on me and my players would also be naive.

Often times it isn't the change we make but the change we make in others that is the real impact of a man.  I know Joe changed football around here, but the change in others is what I hope he will be remembered for.

Godspeed Joe, thank you for everything you gave to our community.