The following is an excerpt provided by by Mike Prince, of Montgomery Media. If you would like to submit your own thoughts for a guest post, please contact us.
Joe Paterno didn’t just touch the lives and hearts of Penn State football players and coaching staff. He devoted most of his time to his football program, his wife, his five children and his 17 grandchildren, but he also made sure to save time for his fans, for the people who have looked up to him for so many years.
When a student wanted to take a picture with him, Paterno made time. When a prospective college student needed a few minutes of his time to talk about their future, Paterno made time. When students and alumni came to his front door to pay their respects to the legendary coach, Paterno made time.
Despite the reports which have been recently been made public regarding the tragic events which transpired years ago, there is one thing which is hard to deny: Joseph Vincent Paterno is as selfless a man as they come.
Jeffrey Licht, a 1981 Penn State graduate, knows firsthand that this could not be any more accurate.
Licht graduated from Cheltenham High School in 1977, before moving to State College for four years. At Penn State, Licht earned a degree in marketing, while his love for Paterno and the Penn State football program grew more and more every year.
Licht, 52, wanted to attend Penn State since his early teen years. He loved John Cappelletti. He loves the no-name uniforms, the black cleats and the “three yards and a cloud of dust” offense. But most of all, he loved the man he grew up knowing as “JoePa.”
“I never played football for JoePa, but I sure wish I did,” Licht said. “Nevertheless, I still love the man for all that he has done for the university and for me. I bled blue before I got to Penn State, I bled blue in school and 30 years later, I still have the same passion for my school.”
But this is not a story about Licht and his love for his alma mater and a man he’s looked up to for so many years. This is a story about what Paterno did for Licht. This is just one of literally countless examples of Paterno taking time of his life to help out or honor a person who he’d never met before.
Back in 1988, Licht received the B’nai B’rith’s award for his fundraising efforts in his respective area. It was an honor for him, but it was not nearly as big of an honor as what would come soon after receiving the award.
On May 9, 1998, Paterno personally took the time to write Licht a letter, congratulating him on receiving his award. Paterno thanked Licht for his efforts and personally signed the letter, which Licht received in the mail one day, much to his surprise.
“Oh my god. I was in awe. I couldn’t wait to call and tell everybody that I was being commended for my fundraising efforts from my idol,” Licht said. “I talked to Joe several times and it was at various philanthropic events and I’d always say, ‘Hey, I was the guy who was always bothering you about different charity events.’ Joe would always ask me if I was raising money for Penn State. He always said, ‘You should raise money for Penn State!’”
In fact, he mentioned raising money for Penn State to Licht in the letter.
“Your efforts will benefit many people and you should be proud of what you have accomplished,” Paterno wrote in his letter to Licht. “Maybe we should get you involved in Penn State’s fundraising efforts! Seriously, Jeff, congratulations and keep up the good work.”
Licht was, to say the least, excited. A man who he had looked up to for many years – a man who he idolized since he was a kid – had taken the time out of his day to personally commend him for his endeavors in the community.
Receiving this letter was a once in a lifetime moment for Licht, but it was just another day at the office for Paterno. JoePa always made time for others. He and his wife, Sue, have donated more than $4 million to Penn State and Joe, himself, as given every minute of his life to Penn State.
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