'Outside The Lines' on ESPN has obtained a copy of the statement (PDF) that former Penn St. Nittany Lions football coach Joe Paterno was going to read at his final press conference. The statement was never read, as the conference wound up being canceled. In the statement, Paterno offers prayers for those that were affected by these allegations. More importantly, he explains what his role was when informed of Jerry Sandusky's wrongdoings by then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary.
The coach in question came to my house on a Saturday morning and informed me that he witnessed former coach Jerry Sandusky in a shower with a young boy. The coach made it clear that he felt strongly that there was something inappropriate going on and that he was very upset by what he saw. The coach made no specific allegations of any identified sexual act, nor did he use any graphic terms - just the idea that what he saw was wrong and that he did not know what to do next.
Paterno would have gone on to say that he had no authority to act directly upon these allegations, given that no specifics were given by McQueary, so he reported the matter to Tim Curley and that was the last that the matter was brought up to him prior to the grand jury hearing.
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