Political Quotes

“I appreciate this opportunity to join you here today. Mr. Speaker, I'm joining my colleagues from Pennsylvania in recognizing Coach Joe Paterno and the legacy he forged during more than 60 years at Penn State University. Most major college football programs measure success solely on what happens on a hundred-yard patch of grass on Saturday afternoons in the fall. If you measured a career only in wins and losses, what Coach Paterno achieved is historic: 409 times he walked off the field victorious, the most wins of any coach in Division I college football. However, what set Coach Paterno apart was that he demanded excellence from his players every day of the week. Success with honor was what Coach Paterno expected, whether his players were performing in front of a hundred thousand fans in Beaver Stadium or taking an exam in a classroom. As someone who played football through youth league all the way through college, I fully appreciate the special role that a football coach can play in the lives of his players. A coach is, above all, a teacher, and one who can build his players' character and instill the values of hard work, persistence, and teamwork--lessons that last a lifetime. Coach Paterno did just that. Football was the means by which he molded players into leaders and forever transformed a university. He prepared his players to be winners in life, not just on Saturday afternoons.…”