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Photograph by Ronald C. Modra

"In an era of college football in which it seems everybody's hand is in the till or balled up in a fist, Paterno sticks out like a clean thumb. His standard of excellence is so season-in, season-out consistent it borders on the monotonous: win 10, 11; send off another bunch of future doctors, lawyers and accountants."

Text by Rick Reilly
Issue Date: December 22, 1986

In 1986 Joe Paterno led the Penn State Nittany Lions to an undefeated college football season (12-0), his sixth in 21 years as head coach. Paterno's team also had a perfect record off the field: 100 percent of the seniors graduated on time.