The popular former NFL player Franco Harris remains steadfast in defending former Penn State University football coach Joe Paterno, who was involved in the cover-up of the Jerry Sandusky child abuse case for which Sandusky has been convicted for 45 counts of child molestation.
Cbssports.com said that the NFL star is tarnishing his reputation by voicing so adamantly his support for the once revered Paterno, "So this is how Franco Harris will be remembered. Not as one of the NFL's great running backs. Not for the Immaculate Reception or the Super Bowls.He'll be the crank who wouldn't stop defending Joe Paterno."
The F.B.I. reports, better known by the name of its architect Freeh, former FBI director Louis Freeh revealed top university officials, including Paterno having "total disregard" for the victims in the Sandusky case.
"Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky's child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State...The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized" Said Freeh in his report as posted by The New York Times.
The 267 page report was formed over seven months of investigation, more than 400 interviews, and a review of over 3.5 million documents. The report does in fact implicate the University President Graham Spanier, Vice President Gary Schultz, Athletic Director Tim Curley as well as the deceased head football coach Paterno as actively and consciously trying to hide the events and protect Sandusky.
The most powerful PSU officials "repeatedly concealed critical facts relating to Sandusky's child abuse from the authorities, the board of trustees, the Penn State community and the public at large," according the New York Times.
Sandusky, 68, is currently in Centre County prison awaiting his sentencing, which is scheduled to be held in the coming weeks. He could face a maximum sentence of 373 years.
In May, a jury of seven women and five men found the 68 year-old guilty of 45 out of the 48 counts against him for sexual abuse of ten young boys over a span of 15 years.
