No. 500 arrives for Paterno

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SAN ANTONIO -- Baseball has former Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr., its all-time iron man, who played 2,632 consecutive games.The National Football League has Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, the clubhouse leader, who has started 272 games in a row, including playoffs.And college football has Penn State's Joe Paterno, who has built his own impressive streak of longevity.Paterno, who turned 81 one week ago, will coach his 500th game when the Nittany Lions play Texas A&M Saturday night in the Alamo Bowl.He will become just the second major college coach to reach the milestone, joining Amos Alonzo Stagg, who coached in 548 games at Springfield College, the University of Chicago and University of Pacific from 1890-1946.The late Eddie Robinson coached 588 games in 57 years at Division II Grambling from 1941-97 and John Gagliardi has worked 586 games in 59 years at the Division III level, including the last 55 at Saint John's University."A lot of people never make it to 81, let alone coach 500 games," former Tennessee, Pittsburgh and Iowa State coach Johnny Majors said. "I think it's amazing. It's quite an accomplishment. Joe's like a marathon runner. He just keeps running and doesn't worry about stopping. You just can't slow him down."Paterno's longevity -- he is completing his 42nd season as the Nittany Lions' head coach and his 58th year on the staff -- is incredible in this era of staggering contracts and influential boosters.He has been involved in 60.3 percent of the school's all-time victories since 1887 -- 475 of 788.Paterno also ranks second all-time among Division I-A head coaches with 371 victories, trailing only Florida State's 78-year-old Bobby Bowden (373)."I think Joe and Bobby are both hanging in there, hoping they can outlast the other one," said Majors, who coached in 332 games during his 29-year career. "Seriously, I hope people appreciate what they're doing. We're looking at a piece of history here."I don't think their longevity will be matched again because of the way things have changed with the Internet, the talk shows and society in general."Paterno, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame earlier this month, may be the most recognized person in Pennsylvania. His rolled up trousers and thick glasses have become synonymous with Penn State football.His head coaching tenure has spanned the administrations of eight U.S. presidents. He has had 968 lettermen since succeeding mentor Rip Engle in 1966.Paterno has coached 74 first-team All-Americans, 31 first-round NFL draft picks, 27 first-team Academic All-Americans and three Pro Football Hall of Fame players, including former Steelers Franco Harris and Jack Ham.Penn State's 76 percent graduation rate trails only Northwestern in the Big Ten Conference, and is nine points higher than the national average."One thing that has been constant with coach Paterno, in addition to football, is his dedication to education," said Harris, a Lions RB from 1969-71. "He was really one of the first coaches to stress that and to put an emphasis on graduation. Getting a scholarship offer from coach Paterno was a life-changing opportunity for me. He helped shape my life. And then my brothers (Pete and Giuseppe) played for him, too. He's had a big impact on our family, there's no doubt about that."In 1967, Ham received Penn State's last scholarship of that season. The Lions won 29 games in his three seasons as a starting linebacker and he turned out to be among Paterno's greatest players. Paterno presented Ham for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. Ham returned as a radio analyst for Penn State football in 2000."There's certainly a lot of amazing things about Joe, but coaching his 500th game, that is an absolutely phenomenal number," Ham said. "He was meant for college football. He's become an icon."It was not a bad transition going from college ball at Penn State with Joe Paterno to pro ball in Pittsburgh with Chuck Noll. There are a lot of similarities between the two. They're all about preparation and winning games."Paterno downplayed the significance of his 500th game."I don't think about that," he said. "I just thank the good Lord that I was able to stay so long. The profession we're in, you have to understand that they love you one day, and two days later, they don't. To be able to have survived this long I think is a credit to the institution more than it is to me."Long-time ABC announcer Keith Jackson started covering college football for the network in 1966. He and Paterno have been good friends for almost as long.Jackson said it's hard to define Paterno's career."He's just got a different engine than everyone else," Jackson said.Jackson retired in 2006 at age 77, saying he didn't want to die in a stadium parking lot. Paterno has said he'd like to keep coaching after his four-year contract expires next season.Jackson believes Paterno will eventually call it quits."Something's going to come along and hit Joe right between the eyes," Jackson said. "And he's going to say, 'Wait a minute, I don't need this. I've been there and done that enough and I'm going to quit rolling up my britches and I'm going to go sit where it's warm on a November afternoon.' "According to the Hollywood-based marketing firm of Davie Brown Entertainment, Paterno recently scored well in two key areas among college and pro coaches in terms of celebrity endorsements.He ranked second nationally in appeal and trust behind Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski. Paterno also ranked high in influence, endorsement and aspiration."His scores are a credit to his long career," DEI spokesman Chris Anderson said."He's known by consumers across several generations. It's a reflection of the success he's had over six decades. That's unique among coaches at any level and makes him distinctive."So will the No. 500.(Contact Ron Musselman at rmusselman@post-gazette.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)