Follow the link to an Op/Ed piece I did for Headline News’ website in response to the Jerry Sandusky verdict.
Good Lessons from a Despicable Teacher
I learned a lot of valuable lessons from Jerry Sandusky. I used to be proud of that fact. And now, I don’t know what to do about it.
As the starting free safety from 1991-1993 and defensive captain of the Penn State football team during my senior year, I interacted closely with Jerry Sandusky. I was the guy who ran to the sideline during timeouts and between quarters to get direction from the then-famous, now infamous defensive coordinator. During the halftime break, he would analyze the first half and make the necessary defensive adjustments.
During one conversation, I asked Jerry if he recruited players based on his defensive philosophy or if he built his defensive scheme around the talent he recruited. His answer was “both.” He continued that while it is important to establish and develop a scheme, there are times when your personnel demands that you make modifications to that structure. This wasn’t just a football lesson. It was a lesson in leadership.