Jerry Sandusky

Jerry Sandusky

Biographical details
Born	(1944-01-26) January 26, 1944 Washington, Pennsylvania
Playing career
Position(s)	Defensive end

Gerald Arthur "Jerry" Sandusky (born January 26, 1944) is a retired American football coach. He served as an assistant coach for his entire career, mostly at Pennsylvania State University under Joe Paterno, and was one of the most notable major college football coaches to never have held a head coaching position. He was honored with Assistant Coach of the Year awards in 1986 and 1999.

In November 2011, Sandusky was arrested for 40 counts related to allegations of sexual abuse of young boys over a 15-year period.

Football career

Sandusky played for Paterno at Penn State, starting at defensive end from 1963 to 1965. After graduating first in his class with a B.S. in health and physical education, Sandusky served as a graduate assistant under Paterno at Penn State in 1966, and then held assistant coaching positions at Juniata College (1967) and Boston University (1968). He returned to Penn State in 1969 and remained there as an assistant coach until his retirement at the end of the 1999 season. Sandusky served as defensive line coach in 1969, became linebacker coach in 1970, and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1977, holding that position until his retirement. In his years as a linebacker coach and defensive coordinator he coached many outstanding defensive squads, and Penn State gained a reputation for outstanding linebacker play, producing 10 first-team All-Americans at that position, and acquiring the nickname "Linebacker U".

Sandusky spurned opportunities for head coaching positions, including one with the University of Maryland in 1991, in the hope of succeeding Paterno as head coach at Penn State. But Paterno outlasted Sandusky, and is active as of the 2011 season at the age of 84.

His final game coaching at Penn State was a notable game for Sandusky. Penn State faced Texas A&M in the 1999 Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. Inspired to honor Sandusky, the defense produced an outstanding effort and the Nittany Lions shut out Texas A&M, 24–0, the only bowl game shutout victory for Penn State under Paterno. Sandusky was recognized in ways usually reserved for the head coach. He was doused with a water bucket and carried to the center of the field on the shoulders of his players.

Since retirement, Sandusky has hosted many summer football camps and remains involved in The Second Mile, a children's charity he founded in State College, Pennsylvania in 1977.

Sandusky wrote an autobiography titled "Touched: The Jerry Sandusky Story", which was published in 2001. The book includes a quote from ex-Eagles head coach Dick Vermeil about Sandusky: "He could very well be the Will Rogers of the coaching profession."

Sexual assault charges

Main article: Penn State sex abuse scandal

On November 4, 2011 Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly indicted Sandusky on 40 counts of sex crimes against young boys, following a three-year investigation into allegations that he had inappropriate contact with a 15-year-old boy over the course of four years, beginning when the boy was ten years old. The boy's parents reported the incident to police in 2009. A grand jury identified eight boys singled out for sexual advances or sexual assaults by Sandusky from 1994 through 2009. At least 20 of the incidents allegedly took place while Sandusky was still employed at Penn State.

On November 5, 2011 Sandusky was arrested and charged with seven counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse; eight counts of corruption of minors, eight counts of endangering the welfare of a child, seven counts of indecent assault and other offenses. Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and senior vice president for finance and business Gary Schultz (who oversaw the Penn State police department) were charged with perjury and failure to report suspected child abuse by Sandusky.

According to the indictment, in 2002 assistant coach Mike McQueary, then a Penn State graduate assistant , walked in on Sandusky having anal intercourse with a ten-year-old boy. The next day, he reported the incident to Paterno, who informed Curley. Ultimately, the only action Curley and Schultz took was to order Sandusky not to bring any children from Second Mile to the football building, an action that was approved by school president Graham Spanier. The indictment accused Curley and Schultz not only of failing to tell the police, but also of falsely telling the grand jury that McQueary never informed them of sexual activity.

Sandusky is currently free on $100,000 bail pending trial. He could face life in prison if convicted of the charges.

On November 6, Penn State banned Sandusky from campus.

Family

Sandusky is married and has six adopted children. He also took in foster children.

His son, Jon Sandusky, serves as Director of Player Personnel for the Cleveland Browns. Another son, E.J., is an assistant football coach at West Chester University.

External links

• Jerry Sandusky (Author). Touched: The Jerry Sandusky Story. Sports Publishing LLC, ISBN 978-1582613574.
• http://www.thesecondmile.org/
• Centre County, Penn. Grand Jury Findings of Facts