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<p>STATE COLLEGE &#8212; More than 200 former Penn State football players have sent a petition to the university asking it to return the statue of Joe Paterno and the player wall that stood behind it to the premises.</p><p>The players also requested a formal apology be made to Sue Paterno and the Paterno family by the university.</p><p>Brian Masella, former tight end and punter, and 1975 alumnus spoke on behalf of the 200 lettermen who signed the statement. Masella confirmed with the McClatchy Newspapers on Tuesday that he has sent the petition and statement to university President Eric Barron, as well as every Penn State trustee.</p><p>&#8220;We have been told during the last four-plus years that the board and administration are waiting for the appropriate time to repair the damage they created,&#8221; he said via a release. &#8220;Now is the appropriate time. Enough is enough!&#8221;</p><p>The statement, in part, says that players &#8220;remain saddened that the Penn State administration and the Board of Trustees thrust our program and coach into an undeserved negative media frenzy in 2011. Nearly five years after the firestorm, they still have not defended us or corrected the false narrative. Our legacy and our university deserve better. Penn State&#8217;s leaders should take two steps toward repairing the damage that they created.&#8221;</p><p>Paterno&#8217;s statue was removed in 2012 after the longtime head coach was fired in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal in 2011. Paterno died after battling lung cancer in 2012.</p><p>&#8220;We appreciate the passion of our former Penn State lettermen for Coach Joe Paterno and the football program, and thank them for their input and many contributions/achievements,&#8221; said a university spokesperson. &#8220;We recognize that this is emotional for many in the Penn State community, many of whom differ, yet feel strongly about this issue. The university&#8217;s leadership has clearly indicated that there will be a time and place to acknowledge Coach Joe Paterno&#8217;s many contributions.&#8221;</p><p>The spokesperson added that any plans by Barron to reach out to the Paterno family would be done privately.</p><p>Penn State lettermen and former coaches who signed the petition span five decades.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Former Penn State players signed a petition requesting the university return the Joe Paterno statue. They also requested a formal apology be made to Sue Paterno and the Paterno family by the university. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_paterno-finale.jpg</photo0><caption0>Former Penn State players signed a petition requesting the university return the Joe Paterno statue. They also requested a formal apology be made to Sue Paterno and the Paterno family by the university. </caption0><photoCredit0>Gene J. Puskar | AP file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jourdan Rodrigue</p><p>Centre Daily Times</p></bylineMeta></div>

200 former Penn State players file petition to return Paterno statue