As the Penn State football team prepares for its upcoming season, a new book will hit shelves giving us an inside look at the scandal that devastated that community.
The new authorized biography is called, “Paterno,” and it’s written by a former Sports Illustrated journalist as news of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal became public.
For the first time, we're getting a preview of the book that's said to take the reader into Joe Paterno's inner circle.
The book will hit shelves in late August. “Paterno" is written by Joe Posnanski, a former writer for Sports Illustrated.
Posnanski was given access to the late Penn State head football coach in the summer of 2011, months before former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was indicted, accused of sexually abusing ten boys over a 15 year period.
The book is set to be released on August 21, but people are already reading excerpts published in the September issue of GQ magazine, which is on sale now.
One passage about one of Paterno's sons reads: “Scott Paterno was the first in the family to understand that the Pennsylvania grand jury presentment that indicted Jerry Sandusky could end his father's career. When Scott read the presentment, he called his father and said, 'dad, you have to face the possibility that you will never coach another game.'"
Another excerpt describes the atmosphere in the Paterno house just after the legendary head coach was fired last November.
Posnanski writes: “Later, one of his former captains, Brandon Short, stopped by the house. When Brandon asked, ‘how are you doing, coach?’ Paterno answered, ‘I'm okay,’ but the last syllable was shaky, muffled by crying, and then he broke down and said, ‘I don't know what I'm going to do with myself.’"
You can read more excerpts on the magazine's website.