Sue Paterno sends a letter to Penn State lettermen, says Paterno report will be released Sunday
**Here is the entirety of Sue Paterno's letter to Penn State lettermen. Excerpt is below**
Sue Paterno hasn’t publicly said much since her husband, late former Penn State coach Joe Paterno, passed away more than a year ago, but on Friday she sent a letter to Penn State lettermen (which was reposted on the personal website of former Penn State player Michael Robinson) revealing her thoughts about Penn State’s Board of Trustees, the Freeh Report, and Joe Paterno’s legacy.
For the past fourteen months I have refrained from commenting publicly about the Jerry Sandusky scandal and the related actions by the Board of Trustees, Louis Freeh, the President of Penn State and the NCAA. There have been many times, of course, when I wanted to speak out, but I needed time to deal with the loss of Joe and I believed also that this was a situation that demanded careful, thoughtful, objective analysis. The last thing Joe would have wanted is for me to become just one more voice making claims and assertions that were unsupported by the facts.
Paterno disputed the Freeh report, which claimed her husband was complicit in the coverup of child sex abuse perpetrated by former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. She defended her family’s decision to do its own investigation and said the findings would be released on paterno.com this Sunday.
When the Freeh report was released last July, I was as shocked as anyone by the findings and by Mr. Freeh's extraordinary attack on Joe's character and integrity. I did not recognize the man Mr. Freeh described. I am here to tell you as definitively and forcefully as I know how that Mr. Freeh could not have been more wrong in his assessment of Joe.
I will not attempt in this letter to summarize the Report of the experts except to say that they unreservedly and forcefully confirm my beliefs about Joe's conduct. In addition, they present a passionate and persuasive critique of the Freeh report as a total disservice to the victims of Sandusky and the cause of preventing child sex offenses. I hope you can take the time to review the report and share it with friends and family.
Paterno closed the letter defining what she believed to be Joe Paterno’s legacy and by asking his former players not to lose faith in him.
Joe Paterno's legacy wasn't a statue, a winning record or public adulation. He was grateful for the many accolades he received but he never believed they defined his life. His legacy is his family and you his players. How you live your life speaks louder than any report. The great fathers, husbands and citizens you have become fulfill the dreams Joe had. All that we want - and what I believe we owe the victims, Joe Paterno and everyone who cares about Penn State - is the full record of what happened. On this point, I know the advice Joe would give. Don't give up. Don't be afraid. Do the right thing. And make sure your actions serve the greater good. This is the path I will continue to follow.
Obviously, the Paterno’s investigation into Jerry Sandusky’s misdeeds will paint a very different picture than the Freeh Report did, but to what end? Other than making the family feel better that it got to tell its version of the truth, will it change anything? Will the NCAA have a change of heart and reduce or even do away with the imposed sanctions? Probably not.
But perhaps – perhaps – it will make some of Joe Paterno’s harshest critics change their thinking. At the very least, Paterno seems to hope it will make some of Joe Paterno's former players change their thinking.
Want to join the conversation? Hit us up on Twitter @YahooDrSaturday and be sure to "Like" Dr. Saturday on Facebook for football conversations and stuff you won't see on the blog.
More sports news from the Yahoo! Sports Minute:
Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
• Former murder suspect heads to spring training
• Stan Van Gundy still doesn't think John Wall's a franchise player
• Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer calls out colleagues for poor recruiting efforts
• Condoleezza Rice hits spectator in head at Pebble Beach Pro-Am
