Political Quotes

“I rise tonight to honor the achievements of a Pennsylvania icon, Joseph Vincent Paterno. Coach Paterno, or JoePa, as he is affectionately known, became part of the Penn State football family in 1950 as an assistant coach. In 1966 he was promoted to the position of head coach, a title he has held for 35 years and counting. His success at Penn State is unparalleled: 325 career victories, 20 victories in bowl games, two national championships, four-time Coach of the Year, and six undefeated seasons. While Joe Paterno has unquestionably set the standard of excellence on the football field, it is his accomplishments off the field that truly make him a cut above the rest. Among the hundreds and thousands of Penn State players Joe Paterno has coached are an astounding 21 first-team Academic All-Americans. Penn State football players concentrate on academics first and football second. The proof of this is that while the average graduation rate for NCAA college football schools is 48 percent, Penn State players have a remarkable 4-year graduation rate of 76.5 percent.”