The Mail

THEY ARE...

... stunned, rocked, incensed, moved, defiant, numb. Every range of emotion is reflected in readers' responses to last week's Penn State piece.

LETTERS

Since Jerry Sandusky's arrest for sexual abuse last fall and subsequent conviction, members of the Penn State community have all sought to understand what happened, how it was allowed to happen and how we can ensure that it will never happen again. We are committed to learning from the past in order to be a brighter light for the future. While the NCAA's sanctions were unprecedented and harsh, we will move forward with a renewed sense of commitment to excellence and integrity in every aspect, both on and off the field. Is this the end for Penn State? Hardly. We aren't going anywhere. We are, and always will be, Penn State.

Rodney Erickson, Penn State president David Joyner, acting athletic director Bill O'Brien, football coach

Does SI know the history of "We Are Penn State?" Its origins date to 1946, when the Nittany Lions voted unanimously to cancel a game against a then segregated Miami Hurricanes team because it wanted PSU to abandon its African-American players. A similar situation happened in '48, when SMU allegedly discouraged Penn State from bringing its African-Americans players to the Cotton Bowl. The team refused to meet with SMU regarding the matter, instead declaring, "We are Penn State. There will be no meetings." The game was played and ended in a 13--13 tie, and Dennie Hoggard and Wally Triplett became the first African-Americans to play in the Cotton Bowl.

Jason Mullen, Philadelphia

Contact

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

Letters