Former Penn State standout, NFL player and Altoona native John Ebersole believes people who think Joe Paterno's statue outside of Beaver Stadium should come down are "crazy."
"I'm still a firm believer Joe never knew what was all going on, so if they tear down the statue I think they're crazy," Ebersole said by phone Friday from his home in South Carolina.
The statue issue has been a major national topic since the Freeh report was released Thursday morning, and many people around the country have expressed that they believe the statue should be removed.
Ebersole, a PSU linebacker in the late 1960s who went on to play eight seasons with the New York Jets, still defends his college coach.
"Joe is Penn State," he said. "I mean, it's never going to change with me. I'll admire the guy until the end."
The Mirror will have a more expansive story in Saturday's print edition, with comments about the statue from Mike Reid and other local players who played for Paterno.
