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Penn State president: Decision not imminent on restoring Paterno statue
Penn State president Eric Barron said no decision has been made about whether to put a statue of legendary coach Joe Paterno back in front of Beaver Stadium.
The statue was taken down in 2012 after a report by former FBI director Louis J. Freeh said that Paterno along with university administrators covered up sexual abuse allegations against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.
Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse and sentenced to 30-to-60 years in state prison.
“A decision is not imminent," Barron said about the statue to USA Today. "I will follow a process of deliberation and discussion that will take time, and until then, I don't plan to speak publicly about it."
• NCAA agrees to restore Joe Paterno's vacated Penn State wins
Sports Figures With Their Own Statues
John Chaney
Former Temple basketball coach John Chaney, who led his Owls to five Elite Eight appearances, was honored with a statue in his image in February 2014. Here are some others who've been so honored, along with a link here and on the last frame to a related gallery of college football icons with statues.
Carl Yastrzemski
Willie Stargell
Mario Lemieux
Michael Jordan
Babe Ruth
Willie Mays
Ted Williams
Magic Johnson
Bobby Orr
Gordie Howe
Stan Musial
Johnny Unitas
Larry Bird
Jerry West
Honus Wagner
Ty Cobb
Wilt Chamberlain
Walter Johnson
Warren Spahn
Dale Earnhardt
Nolan Ryan
Hank Aaron
Dan Marino
Don Shula
Karl Malone
John Stockton
Mike Schmidt
Wayne Gretzky
Scottie Pippen
Earl Campbell
Bob Feller
Ernie Lombardi and Frank Robinson
Al Kaline
Jeff Bagwell
Tiger and Earl Woods
Roberto Clemente
Ernie Banks
Rod Carew
Harmon Killebrew
Tom Landry
Ozzie Smith
Arnold Palmer
Bob Cousy
Maurice "Rocket" Richard
Pictured with brother Henri Richard.
George Mikan
Art Rooney Sr.
Willie McCovey
Bear Bryant
Bobby Bowden
Arnold "Red" Auerbach
Kirby Puckett
Pictured with Kirby Puckett, Jr.
Ben Hogan
Payne Stewart
Pictured with wife Tracy.
Ernie Harwell
Harold "Red" Grange
Nick Saban
RELATED GALLERY: More college football icons with statues.
Arthur Ashe
Vince Lombardi and Curly Lambeau
Zinedine Zidane
Pat Tillman
Ernie Davis
Tim Tebow, Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel
RELATED GALLERY: More college football icons with statues.
Doug Flutie
Rocky Balboa
Oscar De La Hoya
Tony Gwynn
Enos Slaughter
Harold Baines
Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky, and Dom DiMaggio
Diego Maradona
George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton
George Steinbrenner
Allan H. "Bud" Selig
Chick Hearn
Harry Caray
Lou Holtz
RELATED GALLERY: More college football icons with statues.
The NCAA stripped 112 wins from Paterno's records, fined the school $60 million, placed a bowl ban on the football program and took scholarships away. The NCAA agreed to restore Paterno’s victories last month and gave the school its full complement of scholarships.
Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour says she doesn’t know where the statue is, only saying that “it’s safe and protected.”
“Look, the statue was not about Joe Paterno," Angelo DiMaria, who sculpted the statue, said. "It really was not, in a big way. It was about Penn State. It was about the team, the students, the legacy that Penn State has built. That was what the statue was about."
The statue debate continues as Penn State, the NCAA and Paterno’s family head to court on Friday to resolve issues concerning the family’s lawsuit against the university and the NCAA over a consent decree made in 2012.
- Scooby Axson
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