Matt Millen, the retired NFL linebacker who played for both legendary coach Joe Paterno and ex-defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky when he attended Penn State between 1976 and 1979, broke down in tears during his appearance at ESPN yesterday.
Jerry Sandusky was arrested over the weekend on charges that he sexually abused numerous boys he allegedly met through the Second Mile charity he founded.
The scandal is forcing now Joe Paterno into early retirement and he is expected to leave at the end of this season.
Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley and vice president for finance and business Gary Schultz were charged on Saturday after a grand jury investigation of Jerry Sandusky, who was slapped with a 40-count indictment of child sex abuse charges.
The arrest brought shame to the Penn State football program, and left Joe Paterno clinging to his job, which he has held for 45 years, although last night thousands of students marched in support of their beloved coach.
Both Matt Millen and Joe Paterno serve as honorary board members for the charity, which Jerry Sandusky founded in the late 1970s.
During his appearance on ESPN yesterday, an emotional Matt Millen weighed in on the scandal, saying that the legendary Penn State coach would not go down without a fight.
Matt Millen said: “The simple answer is that he needs to go, and last I checked this is the United States of America. We need to divorce ourselves from the emotion of the moment.”
“I get mad,” Matt Millen said as he broke down in tears.
“It’s pretty disturbing. It makes you sick to see that this could happen to this level.”
Describing Jery Sandusky, Matt Millen said: “He’s your next door neighbour. He’s the guy you know your whole life. He’s everything you want. I’ve known the guy since 1976. I’ve been to meetings with him. He’s been in my home.”
Meanwhile, the number of accusers in Penn State scandal has more than doubled as Pennsylvania opened up hotlines for potential victims to call.
Sources told Fox 29 News that as many as 17 people have said they were victimized by Jerry Sandusky, up from the 8 victims listed in a grand jury indictment Monday.
Tim Curley and Gary Schultz stepped down Monday night after an emergency meeting of the university’s Board of Trustees – and now Joe Paterno is facing calls to follow them out.
Tim Curley requested to be placed on administrative leave so he could devote the time needed to defend himself against perjury and other charges, university President Graham Spanier said.
Gary Schultz will step down and go back into retirement, Graham Spanier said. He declined to comment to reporters after the meeting.
Legendary head football coach Joe Paterno, who last week became the coach with the most wins in Division I football history, wasn’t charged, and the grand jury report didn’t appear to implicate him in wrongdoing.
However, at a press conference Monday, Pennsylvania’s top cop wasn’t ready to let him off the hook yet.
Joe Paterno told university officials when a graduate assistant reported to the 84-year-old coach seeing Jerry Sandusky in the shower, reportedly abusing a boy as young as 10.
Joe Paterno might have done what was legally required, “but somebody has to question about what I would consider the moral requirements for a human being that knows of sexual things that are taking place with a child,” state police Commissioner Frank Noonan said in a press conference Monday.
Frank Noonan added: “I think you have the moral responsibility, anyone. Not whether you’re a football coach or a university president or the guy sweeping the building. I think you have a moral responsibility to call us.”
Joe Paterno has long had an image as a leader who does things by the book and runs a program that has seen far fewer off-field troubles than other major college football teams. Doubts about his judgment in handling the Jerry Sandusky matter quickly began to emerge.
Jerry Sandusky, once considered Joe Paterno’s heir apparent, retired in 1999 but continued to use the school’s facilities for his work with The Second Mile, a foundation he established to help at-risk kids.
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