Ten Years After: Key Figures Remember Moments and Lessons from the Sandusky Scandal
It was quiet at the beginning of the week that changed everything for Penn State.
The morning of Nov. 5, 2011, came with a chill in the air, and a football bye week meant Penn State’s campus was unusually low key for an autumn Saturday.
By the time the Nittany Lions walked off the field of Beaver Stadium after a loss to Nebraska the following weekend, that serenity would be a memory.
A prominent, retired defensive coordinator had been arrested on charges of sexually abusing boys, dominating the national news.
A football coach with more than 60 years of service to Penn State had been terminated over the phone. A highly regarded university president no longer held his position.
A throng of media had overrun State College, chasing the dual stories of the Jerry Sandusky criminal case and the fall of the winningest major college football coach in America, Joe Paterno. The student body reacted to it all by rioting.
As the 10th anniversary of the Sandusky scandal passes, it’s a moment to look back and examine what stands out from Penn State’s worst moment. This is the story of those infamous November days, told through the memories of key individuals in and around the university who were directly impacted.
Preston Shoemaker sits down in a collection of exclusive one-on-one interviews with more.
