The Life, Death, and Legacy of Joe Paterno

The Takeaway

Joe Paterno, the most successful coach in major college football history, the face of Penn State University, and at one point, among the most admired figures in the entire sporting world, is dead at the age of 85. News of Paterno’s death from lung cancer came early Sunday morning. At the center of one of the worst scandals to ever hit the sports world, what JoePa’s legacy will be, once the dust clears, is up to more people than just Lions fans. Ibrahim Abdul Matin, Takeaway Sports Contributor talks about the life, death, and legacy of Joe Paterno.
Also joining the program is Michael Weinreb, staff writer for Grantland and a native of State College, Pennsylvania. Michael has written a number of essays on Penn State amidst the abuse scandal and those can be found at Grantland.com.  

Invest in independent global news

The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!