The Knox Student

It is truly shocking to see what is happening to Penn State.

As a die-hard college football fan it was very difficult to watch one of the sports’ most historic figures go down the way Joe Paterno has gone down. Not only was it difficult to see one person go down, but potentially an entire program. Penn State has become one of the most prized possessions in major college football, and that is mainly because of Joe Paterno, but what about the players?

The players from the past are the people who built the program up. The players of today are continuing on with the traditions that were laid before them. And then there are the future players. Will there be any players that will still want to continue the tradition of wearing the white helmets with the blue stripe down the middle? That is a larger question that will be answered farther down the road when there is a successor in place.

But this brings me back to the current players. They were recruited by Joe Pa, but now their leader is leaving them. Now what are they supposed to do? What can they make of their season if anything? There remain a lot of unanswered questions in University Park, Penn.

It wasn’t even until late last week that word of an investigation was brewing around Happy Valley, now Joe Paterno is fired.It will be interesting to see how players will respond.

The news of Paterno’s firing undoubtedly will impact them. When being recruited you are buying into a piece of that person. If they tell you something, you will trust them and expect them to deliver on their part of the bargain. It is never an easy decision when choosing one school. That is why it can be so devastating to a player if a coach resigns or is fired. A million questions race through their minds, but one question reigns supreme: Do I still want to be here? For some that answer might be easy, others might have to find their way through the fog to get the answer that is best for them.