HARRISBURG, Pa. —
A high-ranking state senator choked up with emotion as he praised the accomplishments of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno.
Sen. Jake Corman, the Appropriations Committee chairman, spoke for nearly a half-hour at the end of Tuesday’s Senate session.
The 85-year-old Paterno is being treated for lung cancer two months after university trustees fired him in the wake of allegations that former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky molested children on school property. During his 46-year career, Paterno achieved the Division I coaching record with 409 career victories.
Corman, a Penn State alumnus who lives in State College, says Paterno is fighting for his life while trapped in an unfair situation. The Republican says he just wanted to remind fellow senators about Paterno’s many contributions to the university.
