Speaking publicly for the first time since the death of her husband, Sue Paterno sat down with Katie Couric for an interview that aired on Monday. Joined for portions of the interview by her children, Sue expressed horror at the crimes of Jerry Sandusky while remaining steadfast in her defense of her late husband, Joe Paterno.
“What you saw is what you got,” Sue answered when asked by Couric how she would like Joe to be remembered. “He was real. Everything that he believed in and taught, that’s who he was.”
The “Katie” interview aired shortly after the Paterno family released its rebuttal to the July 2012 report issued by former FBI Director Louis Freeh that indicated Joe “was an integral part of this active decision to conceal” the crimes of Sandusky. The Freeh report was commissioned by Penn State and was followed quickly by severe NCAA sanctions.
“I can tell you unequivocally now — based on our report, based on our independent experts — that Joe Paterno never hindered any investigation,” Paterno family attorney Wick Sollers told Couric.
Joe Paterno was one the most revered and accomplished college football figures of all time before the sexual abuse committed by his longtime assistant coach was uncovered in November 2011. Paterno was fired by Penn State not long after Sandusky was charged. Sandusky, the former Penn State defensive coordinator and one-time heir apparent to Paterno, was found guilty last June of 45 criminal counts related to the assault of 10 boys over a 15-year period.
To read what other family members had to say about Joe, click here: huffingtonpost.com
Article and Picture Courtesy of The Huffington Post
