Truth & Rumors > NCAAF

Jay Paterno jumps into politics

Views: 2972
Comments: 0

05:34 AM ET 04.22 | It used to be that when a Paterno entered the political arena, you knew where he stood. For years, Joe Paterno - Penn State's iconic football coach - has stood to the right. So when Joseph "Jay" Paterno Jr. publicly backed Democrat Barack Obama, there was some confusion among Penn State supporters. Could the son of Joe possibly lean to the left? Some were supportive. Some were not. Others were all too ready to pounce on the Nittany Lions' quarterbacks coach and the whipping boy for fan discontent. One suggested that Jay Paterno was using his support of Obama as a ploy for recruiting. For Paterno, whose popularity is at Dennis Kucinich levels, this was no time to sit out. In February, he switched his registration from independent to Democrat so he could vote in today's presidential primary. And since then, he's done everything from registering voters to blogging on Obama's behalf - all on his own time.

Philadelphia Inquirer