Joe Paterno tells players of retirement in tears

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno stands on the field before his team's NCAA college football game against Northwestern in Evanston, Ill., Oct. 22, 2011. / AP Photo

Penn State's Nittany Lions and their football coaching staff learned of Joe Paterno's retirement Wednesday during an emotional meeting that in the end focused on the team's immediate future, players said.

"Beat Nebraska," junior quarterback Stephon Morris said was Paterno's main message in the 10-15 minute meeting, a reference to the team's upcoming game Saturday.

Standing at a podium in an auditorium of the school's football facility, Paterno told the team he was leaving at the end of this season and broke down in tears. Morris said some players were nearly in tears as Paterno spoke.

"I still can't believe it," Morris said. "I've never seen coach Paterno like that in my life."

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The announcement came days after former defensive coordinator and one-time heir apparent Jerry Sandusky was charged over the weekend with molesting eight young boys between 1994 and 2009. Athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz have been charged with failing to notify authorities after an eyewitness reported a 2002 assault.

Cops: Sandusky admitted to '98 shower with boy

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Joe Paterno to retire at end of season

While Paterno said he would retire at the end of the season, the school's trustees could still force him to leave immediately.

In a statement, Paterno said the school's Board of Trustees, which had been considering his fate, should "not spend a single minute discussing my status" and has more important matters to address.

The beloved 84-year-old Paterno has been engulfed by outrage that he did not do more to stop Sandusky after a graduate assistant came to Paterno in 2002 after allegedly having seen the former assistant coach molesting a 10-year-old boy in the Penn State showers.

At the team meeting Wednesday, players gave Paterno a standing ovation when he walked out.

Paterno said he was "absolutely devastated" by the case. He said he hoped the team could finish its season with "dignity and determination."

"This is a tragedy," Paterno said in the statement. "It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."

Penn State hosts Nebraska in its final home game of the season, a day set aside to honor seniors on the team.

Penn State has bounced back from a mediocre 2010 season to go 8-1 this year, with its only loss to powerhouse Alabama. The Nittany Lions are No. 12 in the AP college football poll.

After 19th-ranked Nebraska, Penn State plays at Ohio State and at No. 16 Wisconsin, both Big Ten rivals. It has a chance to play in the Big Ten championship game Dec. 3, with a Rose Bowl bid on the line.

[psu4u]

Instead of "beat Nebraska", How about a main message of:
"Kids: don't get so wrapped up in football, money, attention, and power, that you lower yourself to sneaky misdirection and concealment (like our university president) of something morally reprehensible when you see it or hear about it. Even if it results in a temporary setback or inconvenience to the football program, do the right thing. Admit your mistakes and do anything possible to help atone for your sins. Scarring someone for life isn't worth a few moments of fame or power. I now see I may have been too focused on winning football games, and I just passed off the problem to less honorable men, who acted disgracefully. Don't you be like them, or me. Be good people first, then good scholars, then good athletes.

Beat Nebraska?????? That's it????

[auchita3]

I was born and reared in PA. I attended and graduated from PA schools and universities. I have always respected Joe Paterno but as the father of 3 and the grandfather of 8 I will never see Joe the same again. His was not a wrong of commission , it was much worse it was a wrong of omission.

He and all the people at Penn State who simply looked the other way and did not see that the police were informed which would have stopped Sandusky from doing irreparable damage to the young boys he savagely molested. How could Joe allow Sandusky continue to use the Penn State athletic facilities to bring young boys there for years after Joe was told about the actual observance of the rape. This lack of moral action on the part of Joe and all who were aware cries out for their removal. We will never know how many young boys were attacked all those years.

Joe should not be allowed to continue to represent Penn State, he will only bring more criticism and shame to himself and more importantly, Penn State.