"80" Fun Facts About JoePa

EIGHTY FACTS ABOUT JOE PATERNO

1. Born Dec. 21, 1926, in Brooklyn, N.Y.

2. Ranks second all-time in career wins among Division I-A coaches with 362, three behind Florida State's Bobby Bowden.

3. Has a 362-121-3 record and ranks fifth in winning percentage (74.8) among active coaches with at least 10 years at the Division I-A level.

4. Missed Penn State's 47-0 win over Temple Nov. 12, 2006, while recovering from surgery on his left leg after a sideline collision a week earlier at Wisconsin. It was the first home game he missed in his 57 seasons on the Penn State staff and only the third he missed in 642 games.

5. Leads all coaches in bowl wins (21) and appearances (32). His 67.2 winning percentage is tied for third-best all-time among coaches with more than 10 bowl appearances.

6. Is the only coach to win the four traditional New Year's Day bowl games Rose, Sugar, Orange and Cotton as well as the Fiesta.

7. Has been selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, which was postponed from earlier this month to December 2007 because of his leg injuries.

8. Has become the second major college football coach to serve as head coach at one institution for at least 41 years. This season he joined Amos Alonzo Stagg, who coached at the University of Chicago from 1892-1932.

9. Ranks second all-time in games among major college coaches. Stagg is first with 548 games, followed by Paterno, 486; Bowden and Pop Warner, both at 481; Paul “Bear” Bryant, 425; and Hayden Fry, 420.

10. Ranks fourth in wins among coaches from all NCAA divisions, trailing John Gagliardi (443), coach of Division III St. John's (Minn.), Eddie Robinson (408) of Grambling and Bowden.

11. Since he became Penn State head coach in 1966, there have been 792 head coaching changes in Division I-A, an average of more than six per school.

12. Became one of just 12 coaches in Big Ten history to win at least 100 games at one school. The Nittany Lions are 115-54 overall since starting conference play in 1993.

13. Became the only Division I-A coach with 300 wins at one school.

14. Has coached Penn State to five unbeaten seasons (1968-69-73-86-94) and two national championships (1982-86).

15. Became the only five-time winner of the AFCA Coach of the Year award (1968, '78, '82, '86, 2005).
16. Has coached 73 first-team All-Americans, including two in 2006 (Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor).

17. During his tenure, Penn State has produced 26 first-team and 11 second-team Academic All-Americans, including three this season (Posluszny, Tim Shaw and Wyomissing product Nolan McCready).

18. His teams have finished in the Top 10 in the national rankings 21 times and in the Top 20 30 times.

19. His teams have posted 11 or more wins in a season 13 times and 10 or more 19 times.

20. Has coached more than 250 players who have made it to the NFL, including 30 first-round draft picks.

21. Seven of his former players have been enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame: John Cappelletti, Keith Dorney, Jack Ham, Ted Kwalick, Lydell Mitchell, Dennis Onkotz and Mike Reid.

22. Three of his former players have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Jack Ham, Franco Harris and Mike Munchak.

23. Has received the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award, the American Football Coaches Association's highest honor.

24. Honored with his image printed on Wheaties boxes in 2003.

25. Named the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1986, the first football coach so honored.

26. Became the first active coach to receive the Distinguished American Award from the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.

27. Married Suzanne Pohland shortly after her graduation from Penn State in 1962.

28. He and Sue have five children, all of whom are Penn State graduates: Diana, Mary Kay, David, Jay and Scott.

29.They have 15 grandchildren, ranging in age from 11 years to 11 months.

30. He and his wife have contributed more than $4 million to Penn State.

31. Penn State's Paterno Library, dedicated in 1999, is named after him and his wife. They also have made significant contributions to help build Penn State's Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, dedicated in 2003.

32. His team has an 83 percent graduation rate, the highest in the Big Ten, according to the most recent NCAA report.

33. Has coached 944 lettermen at Penn State.

34. Has led Penn State to seven perfect regular seasons: 1968, '69, '73, '78, '85, '86, '94.

35. Has 15 New Year's Day bowl wins.

36. Wore No. 36 as a quarterback and defensive back at Brown.

37. He made 14 career interceptions at Brown, which still stands as a school record.

38. Had a 69-yard game-winning punt return against Holy Cross in 1948, his junior year.

39. He and his brother, George, led Brown to an 8-1 record as seniors in 1949.

40. Shortly after his graduation from Brown in May 1950, he followed Rip Engle, his coach with the Bears, to Penn State as an assistant coach.

41. Was named Penn State's 14th head coach Feb. 19, 1966, one day after Rip Engle, his mentor, announced his retirement.

42. Led Penn State to a 31-game unbeaten streak (30-0-1) from 1967-70.

43. Since he joined the Penn State staff in 1950, the Nittany Lions have the nation's fourth-best record (466-169-7, 73.1 percent), trailing Oklahoma (75.8), Ohio State (75.4) and Nebraska (73.5).

44. Has coached 19 father-son combinations during his 41 seasons as head coach, including six this year: Fran Ganter and safety Jason Ganter; Kevin Hart and quarterback Mike Hart; Rich Mauti and wide receiver Patrick Mauti; Mickey Shuler and tight end Mickey Shuler Jr.; Terry Smith and cornerback Justin King; Paul Suhey and quarterback Kevin Suhey.

45. Received the National Football Foundation's Gold Medal, the organization's highest honor, earlier this month.

46. Penn State's greatest home comeback during his tenure came when the Nittany Lions rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat Ohio State 29-27 in 2001. It was his 324th win, moving him past Paul “Bear” Bryant as major college football's all-time leader in wins.

47. His 1994 team became the first Big Ten team to post a 12-0 record.

48. Three of his unbeaten teams finished second in the polls.

49. Graduated from Brown with a degree in English literature.

50. Seconded George H.W. Bush's nomination for president at the Republican National Convention in 1988.

51. Selected as the second-best college football coach of all time in 2004 by a panel of more than 300 media members, current and former college coaches, Heisman Trophy winners and members of the College Football Hall of Fame.

52. Delivered the Penn State spring commencement address in 1973 at Beaver Stadium.

53. Has received three honorary degrees Doctor of Laws from Brown, Doctor of Humane Letters from Gettysburg College and Doctor of Laws from Allegheny College.

54. Inducted as an honorary member of the Penn State chapter of Eta Sigma Phi, the national classics society, which honors excellence in the study of ancient Greeks and Romans.

55. Became the first coach to receive the Ernie Davis Award, presented by the Leukemia Society of America and named in honor of the late Heisman Trophy winner from Syracuse.

56. Received the Duffy Daugherty Memorial Award from Michigan State in 1997, named after the Spartans' legendary head coach in recognition of outstanding contributions to college football.

57. He and his wife have been heavily involved with the Pennsylvania Special Olympics, held annually in June on the Penn State campus.

58. Attended the dedication of the Joe Paterno Child Development Center on the Beaverton, Ore., campus of Nike Inc.

59. His reputation has spawned a line of products, including coffee mugs (Cup of Joe), life-size cardboard cutouts (Stand-up Joe), Paterno bean bag buddy, Christmas ornaments and golf balls.

60. Has written two books, “Football My Way,” with Gordon White and Merv Hyman, and “Paterno: By the Book,” with Bernie Asbell.

61. Attended Brooklyn Prep and lost only one football game in 1944, his senior season, to St. Cecilia of Englewood, N.J., coached by the legendary Vince Lombardi.

62. Served the final year of World War II in the U.S. Army.

63. Rolls up his cuffs and wears athletic shoes and white socks on game days to keep his pants and dress shoes clean.

64. Returned punts and kickoffs at Brown, posting career averages of 8.8 and 20.1 yards, respectively.

65. Played two seasons of basketball at Brown, where his freshman coach was Pro Football Hall of Fame member Weeb Ewbank.

66. Brown named one of its major athletic awards in his honor in 1993: Joe Paterno Outstanding Male Freshman Athlete Award.

67. Was accepted into the Boston University law school.

68. Turned down an offer to become the general manager and coach of the New England Patriots in 1973.

69. Served an usher at Ebbets Field as a teenager and became a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

70. Had a brother, George, and a sister, Florence. Another brother, Frank, died in infancy.

71. An ice cream flavor (Peachy Paterno) has been named after him at the University Creamery.

72. Received a $20,000 salary in his first year as Penn State head coach.

73. He and his wife have lived in the same house, located three blocks from the northern end of campus, since 1969.

74. His phone number is listed.

75. Received a $3,600 salary in 1950, his first season as a Penn State assistant coach.

76. Thirty-five of his former players are coaching in pro and college football; 28 of his former players are coaching high school football.

77. Made all the calls on offense and defense until the late 1970s.

78. His tenure at Penn State has spanned the administrations of 11 U.S. presidents.

79. Turned down a chance to leave Penn State to become head coach at Yale when he was an assistant coach in the 1960s.

80. Signed a four-year contract extension in May 2004 that extends through the 2008 season, when he will turn 82.