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LaVar Arrington On Joe Paterno: “I Didn’t Know The Person I Thought I Did” [Video]

Posted: July 14, 2012
LaVar Arrington On Joe Paterno: “I Didn’t Know The Person I Thought I Did” [Video]

LaVar Arrington said he never really knew Joe Paterno

LaVar Arrington was an acclaimed linebacker at Penn State and has defended the college’s culture in the wake of the Joe Paterno scandal, but even he had no answer to the scathing report released this week that showed Paterno actively covered up child sexual abuse taking place under his watch.

Speaking on the “Wetzel to Forde” radio show, Arrington said looking back he never really knew Paterno as a person, Yahoo Sports reported.

“If you really think about it, how much do I really know [coach Joe Paterno]?” LaVar Arrington told the show’s hosts. “How much do we really know him? I know the coaching figure – just like with Jerry Sandusky, I knew the coaching figure. I mean, there’s obvious ways of looking at this right now with 20-20 hindsight, but I didn’t know the person I thought I did.”

Arrington’s reaction came after the release of the Freeh report, an eight-month investigation into exactly how assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was able to repeatedly sexually abuse young boys in and around the Penn State campus. The report showed that Joe Paterno and other high-ranking Penn State officials were part of an active cover-up that allowed Sandusky to remain in contact with young boys even after allegations of abuse surfaced.

Arrington had vehemently defended Penn State’s culture and remained so until the trial of Jerry Sandusky, when he learned that he was used to help lure victims to campus. One of the victims testified that Sandusky knew that Arrington was his favorite player, and used the prospect of meeting Arrington to get the boy to the campus. In an op-ed piece to the Washington Post, Arrington said he wished he could have noticed the warning signs to stop the abuse.

“I didn’t know that there’s words to describe the amount of disappointment that I’m feeling at this point,” said Arrington, a two-time All-American for Penn State. “I mean, that was a low moment when I heard and knew exactly who the kid was, but it got even lower to know that no one was trying to help these kids.”

LaVar Arrington said the scandal did not erase all of the good Paterno had done at the university, but did represent a “big mark, a bad mark on his resume. It certainly does tarnish his reputation.”



Comments


12 Archived Responses to “ LaVar Arrington On Joe Paterno: “I Didn’t Know The Person I Thought I Did” [Video] ”

  1. Just Waldron
    Jul 14, 2012

    His reputation was all that he had.

  2. Lenny Coleman
    Jul 14, 2012

    He sound like he's backpedaling.

  3. Anonymous
    Jul 14, 2012

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  4. Allen Johnson
    Jul 14, 2012

    Paterno went from legend to goat to the grave all in the span of a year.

  5. Leonard Stiles
    Jul 14, 2012

    Its sad that we see it in all sports how the game or the dumb A&& players put the game and protect scum bags. I am an will always be a huge Penn State fan. I would think a person like Joepa would have done more but hey when you are making that much money and the program is more important to keep out of the media then that is very sad and wrong. LaVar is now turning his words around. Bottom line is to many people new and there was to many incidents that was reported and ignored and the school, football program saw Sandusky time and time again with little boys after being accused and no one did nothing. Wrong.

  6. Larry Crick
    Jul 15, 2012

    Joe Pa was a creepy old man in my opinion. Damn obvious he knew what was going on and did nothing about it. That equals condoning it. Would not doubt that he was in on some of the crap. CREEEEEEEPY OLD MAN.

  7. Sam Yo
    Jul 15, 2012

    I mean lavar was a kid how can u expect him to notice grown raping boys and covering it up backpedaling he trusted joe and penn state.

  8. John Amos
    Jul 15, 2012

    All LaVar can do is reflect. It has to be such a confusing time for him, being a lure for SANDUSKY .

  9. Dan Isenberg
    Jul 16, 2012

    It's not the Joe Paterno Scandal. It's the Jerry Sandusky Scandal, he's the one who committed those horrific crimes. I'm not defending JVP, Curley, Shultz, or Spanier or their actions, but please do not label this as the Joe Scandal.

  10. Lois Torres
    Jul 16, 2012

    wow babe!

  11. Harry L. Defina
    Jul 17, 2012

    There is still no hard evidence that Joe participated in an active cover up.Freeh report was political ass covering.

  12. Joe Stewart
    Jul 17, 2012

    The Freeh report was done without bias…The facts were gathered…Paterno and the others covered up for Sandusky…The football program and the money had to be protected at all costs even including the rape of little boys. The football program and the university should both be penalized. What happened at SMU back in the 80's is nothing compared to what the heads at Penn State are guilty of. SMU got the death penalty and so should Penn State because there has been an injustice done to these kids so that the football program would stay free of the taint this scandal would cause. What makes this so bad is that nobody involved wants to take responsibility for the wrongdoings they were involved in. Impose the penalty and move on. Prosecute all of the coaches, janitors, and other officials who didn't inform the police about Sandusky. There is no other way to handle this.