Joe Peterno - Still has something to teach!

By: Joe Posnanski (Sports Illustrated; Oct. 26, 2009 pg. 61)

"I'm not going to embarrass this university," he says, not angrily but with an edge in his voice, as if he could not imagine how anyone could miss the point: He still has something left to teach these kids. Times have not changed that much. "I think kids today, they are confused," Joe says. "They long for some kind of discipline. They want something bigger than themselves, something bigger to be a part of. We can still offer that here [at Penn State University]."

Coach Brown's Thoughts: Joe Peterno is a coaching icon! At 82 years old and about to turn 83 around x-mas time, his coaching legacy has long been secured & established.

Young scholar-athletes today want to show-out as soon as possible. I went to two (2) recreation football Super Bowls last weekend and these young men were in the sixth (6th) to eighth (8th) grades. I actually saw them doing the same celebratory things that I see in college & in the pros. Now, I am the 1st person to celebrate and get pumped up, but I don't remember jumping around and showing out during my recreation, junior high & high school playing days; and trust me, I made a lot of plays during my career. I started show-boat celebrating when I got to college. Joe Peterno's teams are usually classy, respectful and play a hard-nosed brand of football. His teams usually exemplify a very disciplined group of young men that win in the classroom as well as on the field! That's why he is the winningest coach in the history of Division I-A College Football with 389 wins and counting.

Coaches, let's strive to be men of integrity & instill discipline in our players and let's continue to make a positive difference in the lives of young people that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives and start a positive cycle that will continue for a very long time!!!

Happy Holidays!!!