Paterno Sculpture Musings

I’m back from my Pennsylvania vacation, having spent one afternoon and evening in State College, first walking around the Penn State campus and then later, wining and dining downtown. I returned with a little Nittany Lion football quiz for you.

I visited the All-Sports Museum, making a couple of purchases in the obligatory gift shop. At one point in the football section of the museum I had to laugh out loud when the PA system blared out a recording of Paterno addressing the troops in the locker room with the Hamlet’s “To Be or Not To Be” soliloquy, Joe’s all-time favorite. The old coach was, of course, a contemporary of William Shakespeare. But I digress.

Around the corner from the All-Sports Musem, on the east side of Beaver Stadium, is the famous Paterno sculpture by Angelo di Maria. I spent some time examining it and photographing its nuances. In this connection, I have some questions for you savvy Nittany Lions fans.

Joe is captured in bronze, jogging off the field, attired in typical Paterno coaching garb, his index finger raised in the “We’re Number One!” gesture (see below). Behind him on a wall, the bronze effigies of four football players depict them running behind Joe. Their numbers are 82, 22, 43, and 86.

Here are my questions:

1. Do these jersey numbers represent real former Penn State players?
2. If so, who are they? (I am reasonably certain that #22 is John Cappeletti. Who are the others?)
3. Were these players chosen for any specific reason?
4. Where else on campus is there a similar bronze statue by the same sculptor and who or what is it depicting? (I know the answer to this one.)

Please leave your comments here and I’ll summarize them in a subsequent post. I’ll post some more detailed pictures for you then, too. In the meanwhile, I look forward to your responses.

For now, here’s another sculpture that we all know and love.