Former Penn State Players Back Paterno Lawsuit
Around 325 former Penn State players released a statement on Monday in support of a lawsuit filed against the NCAA by the family of former Penn State coach Joe Paterno. On May 30, the Paterno family filed the lawsuit in an attempt to overturn the NCAA sanctionsagainst Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
The group of Penn State players is led by Brian Masella, who graduated from Penn State in 1975 after playing both tight end and punter for the Nittany Lions. Of the names on the statement, the most recognizable would be current Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Paul Posluszny, former quarterback Kerry Collins and current ESPN analyst Todd Blackledge.
“In speaking with a couple former players, we wanted to do something to support the (others) involved in the lawsuit,” Masella told the Associated Press in a phone interview. “We had to start somewhere. It basically started to snowball.”
The suit challenges the NCAA penalties from the Jerry Sandusky scandal, including a $60 million fine, a postseason bowl ban, and the vacating of many of Paterno’s wins; he had previously been NCAA football’s all-time wins leader.
