Joe Paterno is gone, but the loyalty of his former players hasn't wavered.
A group Penn State football alumni, including Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris, came to the late coach's defense Tuesday in response to former Wisconsin linebacker DeAndre Levy saying breaking Paterno's leg was his proudest college moment.
"We find the recent statement by DeAndre Levy about Coach Paterno appalling, along with the silence that has accompanied it," the players said in a statement to the Detroit Free Press . "To joyfully and proudly take credit for hurting a defenseless human being is sad, in and of itself."
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The letter was signed by more than 20 former Penn State players, including Harris, the legendary Steelers running back.
"But, to couple this gleeful statement with a willful ignorance of the facts and circumstances surrounding our coach speaks to a complete lack of character and moral integrity on the part of Mr. Levy," the statement continued. "Mr. Levy's comments reflect poorly on him, his university, the Detroit Lions and the NFL, and are certainly deserving of vocal condemnation."
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Now a member of the Lions, Levy is an outspoken advocate against domestic violence and sexual abuse. In a 2006 game between Wisconsin and Penn State, he ran into Paterno on the sidelines, breaking the coach's leg. Levy recently called the late Penn State coach a "dirtbag" due to his alleged role in covering up the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
"That dirtbag, man," Levy told Men's Journal . "We've gotta stop prioritizing sports over humanity. Just because somebody can throw a football or coach football, they're excluded from their wicked acts."