Joe Paternoโs last quarterback at Penn State wants his Alma Mater to rename the field at Beaver Stadium in honor of the legendary coach.
This will not be happening anytime soon, since the Penn State Board of Trustees voted to rename the place โWest Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadiumโ Monday morning.
The deal will run through 2039 and pay Penn State more than $3 million annually, totaling more than $50.
But plenty of Penn State alumni have wanted PSUs home to have Paternoโs name on it for years, and McGloin made it clear during Mondayโs meeting that heโs one of them.
WHAT MCGLOIN SAID
Matt McGloin
Hereโs what McGloin said about naming the field after Paterno.
He started by pointing out that Alabama named its field after Nick Saban and Florida State name its after Bobby Bowden.
Then, he got into specifics.
“Here we sit 14 years later (after Paternoโs firing amid the Jerry Sandusky scandal) and the field at Beaver Stadium has not been named Paterno field at Beaver Stadium.โ
“Is this because we’re fearful that we might receive criticism for it? Personally, in my career, if I listened to criticism, I would not have set foot on Penn State’s campus in 2008. If we listened to criticism, this University would not have gotten through the 2012 year, which we all know, is the darkest period any university has ever faced. Without 2012, the year in which we essentially faced the death penalty, this University would look a lot different than it does today. And believe it or not, even without Joe in that year, it was still a major part of Joe Paterno’s legacy. How, you ask? Without his teachings, we all don’t get through it. Without the impact he had on us, we all don’t rally together. Without the things he instilled in us: Dedication, teamwork, honor, commitment. Being part of something bigger than yourself, we all don’t get through it. There’s a great amount of us that still carry on Joe’s legacy and will continue to do so. But by not giving him the honor he deserves, you’re trying to eliminate the past and everything he stood for. Every player that played for him, every player that walked through that tunnel, every player who graduated. Every player who may not have made it. Every player whose life may not have been changed for the better. You’re trying to erase 46 years as a head coach.โ
McGloin ended by quoting one of Paternoโs most famous lines โSuccess without honor is an unseasoned dish. It will satisfy your hunger, but it wonโt taste good.โ
MCGLOIN ISNโT ALONE
McGloin isnโt alone in wanting Penn State to name its field after Joe Pa. Trustee and noted Paterno supporter Anthony Lubrano stated during Mondayโs meeting that many see naming the field after sponsor as โthe day the music died.โ
It will be an issue Penn State fans will debate until the end of time.
