Fortunately, my only contact with Sandusky came on these practice fields, while fully dressed (Photo: psu.edu)
Up until now, we’ve remained silent on the whole Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State. Mainly because we’re an NFL blog and it’s not professional football news, but also because the troubling subject matter is a little bit outside of our normally light-hearted sphere.
And there’s simply no way to avoid just how ugly and disgusting the whole affair is, especially as more and more details come to light. If you haven’t seen it already, the full 23-page Grand Jury report is available online, and it’s worth the disturbing read to get a full understanding of the exact nature & scope of the allegations against Sandusky by his victims. Of all the reprehensible details, it’s the idea that someone would utilize the very foundation he founded to help troubled youth (The Second Mile) as a feeding ground for his sexual perversions that truly makes the blood boil. And as despicable as Sandusky’s behavior was, it’s almost equally disturbing to see how the members of the Penn State University staff and football program seemingly helped to sweep it under the rug since at least 1998.
The guys at Deadspin have been all over this story, and one of the more troubling facts to come to light is that, as recently as 2009, Sandusky was running overnight football camps on university campuses. Which means that even though he had retired from coaching in 1999, and had previously been prohibited from bringing young boys onto the main Penn State campus (due to being caught showering with – and possibly sodomizing – a 10-year-old in an athletic building in 2002), he still managed to not only stay around the program, but create scenarios within the university where he would have unsupervised access to young boys.
Which brings us to the point of our story: During the summer of 1990, as a fresh-faced 16-year-old from Connecticut, I attended football camp at Penn State University, where I was coached by Jerry Sandusky himself.
It was the summer before my junior year, about eight years before the first known incident of sexual abuse is alleged to have taken place. I was a slow, undersized linebacker for a mediocre high school squad, but I had an instinctive head for the game and found myself consistently around the ball, which garnered a few nibbles from college scouts. That spring, I (along with three other juniors) had already been named as a captain of the varsity squad for the next season, as our team would be woefully devoid of senior leadership. Looking to further my football education and hopefully increase my chances of getting a scholarship, I planned to attend camp at a nearby college to learn from coaches at the next level. And being in the northeast, there were plenty of powerhouses to choose from.
Mike McQueary - the current QB coach and former graduate assistant at the center of the Sandusky controversy - at PSU football camp (Photo: PSU.edu)
Ultimately, I decided to go with the program I had most looked up to as a youth: Penn State.
The Nittany Lions’ national championships in 1982 and 1986 were some of my earliest memories watching the game, and I had long dreamed of attending “Linebacker U”. As part of the week-long session, the camp’s pamphlet (which I studied endlessly during the months leading up to camp) promised that those of us attending would receive hands-on tutelage from the Lions’ varsity coaching staff, including none other than head coach Joe Paterno and defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. The program was legendary, and even though my teammates elected to go elsewhere, I was determined to experience Happy Valley first hand.
Upon arriving at State College and settling into my dorm room, we went right to work under the watchful eyes of Paterno’s assistant coaches. It was a no-contact, no pads scenario, so we mainly worked on agility drills, technique and game theory. Dressed in shorts and t-shirts, we were led through the same drills as the varsity players, providing a preview of what to expect at the collegiate level. I remember being asked what position we played on offense, and even though I normally lined up as a lineman, I chose fullback, wanting to follow in the footsteps of PSU legend D.J. Dozier. But my real focus was on the defensive side of the ball, and becoming a better linebacker.
Paterno showed up on the practice field only once during camp, delivered an unmemorable speech, and we never saw him again. But Sandusky didn’t disappoint.
Sandusky immediately stood out with his booming voice and obvious passion for the game. He had this bigger-than-life persona, and a smile almost as big that you could spot from across the practice fields. This was the man who had built Penn State’s reputation as a defensive powerhouse with guys like Shane Conlan, Andre Collins and Walker Lee Ashley. On the field, Sandusky was clearly the leader of the program, and the rest of the coaches invariably deferred to his authority. He was a living, breathing football God.
So, when I broke my thumb while tackling a dummy on the fourth day of camp, sidelining me for the rest of the week, I was disheartened to say the least. It meant I wouldn’t get to participate in the remainder of camp or the big camp-ending flag football tournament. And worst of all, I wouldn’t get to learn any more at the feet of Sandusky. And that’s how my camp experience ended at Penn State. With a cast on my right arm, and missing the last three days to injury.
My closest contact with Sandusky that summer came on the field, fully dressed, in the context of football drills.
No scandal. No stories of bear hugs in the shower. No deep, dark secret.
Sandusky demonstrates "technique" with a young player (Image via aangirfan.com)
But even back then, with extremely limited exposure to the man, I can recall being in awe of Sandusky. Hell, most of us just wanted to be near the guy, to soak up as much football knowledge as we possibly could during our minimal time in his presence. In retrospect, this fact is more than unsettling, and speaks to the power this man held over so many boys who have admired and trusted him over the years. To think of just how many kids Sandusky has come in contact with over the years through camps like this and the Second Mile Program – and the levels of faith & reverence they all had for him – is absolutely horrifying.
So, with Paterno now out at PSU and Sandusky facing 40 charges of sexual abuse (with more victims coming forward daily), we are left to wonder, “How?”. How could this not only have happened, but gone unreported and unpunished for so long?!? Especially under the man who, until recently, was the most highly respected head coach in college football history?
Ultimately, it speaks to the culture at Penn State, which has deified Paterno and his football program for so long. Only in a culture like this, where JoePa was essentially given unchallenged dictatorial rule over the campus, would the reputation of the program be elevated over the safety of their own children. Only in a culture like this would students and alumni still be defending their head coach, which goes to show just how their blind devotion is/was, and how long overdue Paterno’s dismissal has been.
Make no mistake, Sandusky is the real monster here, but it’s become painfully clear that Paterno could and should have done more to put a stop to the abuse. As a man entrusted with the safety of thousands children over the years, there is simply no excuse for not doing more.
And now, Penn State’s longtime motto, “Success With Honor” suddenly rings wildly hollow.
