[henkster]

Paterno knew. I believe there was evidence that the guy who saw Sandusky in the shower with the little boy told Joe Pa. In any event, yes, Paterno knew. As to how long he knew, I don't know.

I believe everyone in college football knew. Sandusky was the architect of one of college football's finest defenses. After he walked away from Penn State, his name never seriously came up for many of the open positions in Division 1 college football. I think every Division 1 AD knew Sandusky was radioactive and stayed away. The reason it wasn't publicly discussed is that Paterno was an icon and nobody wanted to be an iconoclast.

Everyone knew. Nobody talked.

[abb]

Yup. He knew.

To some, It Never Happened, and Penn State Football is simply Too Big To Fail. No matter how many kids got molested.

[tenger]

I grew up in Happy Valley and knew the power that JoePa had over the university. The thing is, when Joe spoke, people jumped fairly quickly. All Joe had to do was to talk to someone about Sandusky, and the perv would be gone that day, and no one would've questioned that decision.

Could he have gotten a replacement Defensive Coordinator? Of course, it's Joe Paterno and Penn State you're talking about. He would have had 20 highly qualified applicants the next day.

So, why didn't he turn Sandusky in when he knew (if Joe in fact knew) about the abuses. No one would have questioned his decision to fire Sandusky. No one. Is it because he didn't want to believe it or that it wouldn't eventually come out? Who really knows?

[IrishBrigade]

‘I believe there was evidence that the guy who saw Sandusky in the shower with the little boy told Joe Pa.... ‘

yes, McQueary told Paterno; at that point in time, Sandusky no longer reported to Paterno...

‘As to how long he knew, I don’t know.’

he was clearly aware of rumors concerning Sandusky’s predilictions, and from McQueary’s description of Paterno’s reaction, I suspect he then realized that the rumors were evidently true...

[nickcarraway]

Paterno knew, but I am not sure all of college football knew. There were plenty of teams that wanted to hire him as Head Coach in 1999. (He had been interviewed as early as 1991 for Maryland head coaching job)

In 2000, he was actually almost hired as Head Coach at Virginia. I think somehow Penn State officials put the kibosh on it, possibly by threatening Sandusky. Current Detroit Lions Head Coach, and their Tight Ends coach, who was the Miami Head Coach, had already committed to Sandusky's staff at Virginia.

[Maine Mariner]

Excellent observations. I also wondered why Sandusky was not picked up by Division I contenders. You explained the reason. I think AD in their respective conferences and division talk with one another a lot.