The family of Joe Paterno turned down an offer by Penn State to rename Beaver Stadium after the late football coach, according to the Patriot News.
The Patriot News reports the university made the offer in exchange for a full release from the family, preventing them from suing or speaking negatively about Penn State. Penn State also included an apology for how Paterno was fired by phone and honoring Paterno’s contract as part of the proposal, according to the Patriot News.
The Paterno family rejected the proposal, claiming the legendary coach never wanted the stadium to be named after him.
Despite the rejection, Penn State still announced last Thursday they provided Paterno’s estate with more than $5.5 million in payments and benefits to settle his employment contract.
Paterno was fired in November in the wake of former assistant Jerry Sandusky’s arrest on child sexual abuse charges. The move sparked a great deal of criticism from Paterno’s family, fans and Penn State students as well as alumni. Paterno died of lung cancer on January 22 at the age of 85.
Last Friday, the Paterno family released a statement claiming they had been “subjected to a series of false and misleading statements that seek to justify the board’s actions by denigrating Joe Paterno’s reputation.”
The Patriot News reports in addition to never wanting the stadium named after him, Paterno was also uncomfortable with the statue outside of Beaver Stadium which depicts Paterno running with his index finger making the “number one” sign. A source told the Patriot News the following regarding the statue.
He never did that. The idea he’d be out in front of that stadium with a No. 1 finger is crazy. He always showed a closed fist.
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While the family rejected Penn State’s offer, Joe’s son, Jay Paterno, signed a different petition to rename the field in honor of his father, according to the Patriot News. The effort is being led by Penn State fan Blake Tobias Jr. and his father Blake Tobias Sr. Under their plan, the Beaver name would remain on the stadium while Paterno’s name would be on the field. Tobias Sr. tells the Patriot News the petition has the support of the coach’s son Scott Paterno as well as the family of James A. Beaver.
