Early Sunday morning, former Penn State Head Coach Joe Paterno passed away at the age of 85. Paterno was the winningest coach in the history of Division I college football, tallying 409 wins in his 46-year career as a Head Coach.  AFL Commissioner Jerry B. Kurz, "Arena Football Friday" Commentator Anthony Herron, Former Penn State and current Arena Football League players, Jerome Hayes (Philadelphia Soul) and Mike Lucian (Pittsburgh Power), all reflected upon their time spent with Coach Paterno.

JERRY B. KURZ: The Arena Football family is deeply saddened by the loss of Coach Joe Paterno. History, of course, is going to judge Coach Paterno. However, it is my wish that the body of his work, like all people, judges Coach Paterno.

Again, we are deeply saddened by the coaches’ passing, however, we don’t want to diminish our compassion and concern for the victims and families of the matters that arose surrounding Penn State. That should not lessen our sorrow about the passing of someone that was a great supporter and contributor to young men’s lives both on and off the field.

ANTHONY HERRON: I’ve covered Penn State quite a bit over the years and I always describe Coach Paterno as an encyclopedia of football history. His knowledge of and personal experience with the game was endless.

As I sat in his office one time he joked with me about how this supposedly new fad of the “Wildcat” offense is nothing new at all. He was a high school QB in Brooklyn in the early 40’s and it was termed ‘unethical’ for coaches to call plays from the sideline so he had to call them on his own. He had a handful of runs and one pass play in his Wing-T offense which was essentially the same set as what we now know as the “Wildcat.”

EDITOR: How will you remember Coach Paterno?

PHILADELPHIA SOUL LB JEROME HAYES: I remember him for the type of humanitarian he really was. He really was a kind-hearted, passionate individual who got the most out of his players.

PITTSBURGH POWER OL MIKE LUCIAN:  The thing that people don’t realize is how much Joe does off the field as far as making sure that we graduated on time, showing us how to be men instead of boys – just little things that he instills in us.  For instance, when I walk into a building, I take my hat off. That’s something that Joe had as a rule and something that I’ll always remember. It made me the man I am today. That’s the kind of guy Joe was.

ED: What is your fondest memory of Coach Paterno?

JK: I had an opportunity to see Coach Paterno close up because my son, Matt, played in the same conference. I was able to experience the makeup of his teams.

I was at a game where Oklahoma beat them in the Orange Bowl in 1985. I was on the field and it was a close game.

I also heard him speak. A reporter asked him what his best team was and his answer made a long-lasting impression on me.  He didn’t talk about All-Americans or National Championships. He named a team. I have never heard of the team he referenced and wondered why. He said they had eight doctors, 10 lawyers, 14 schoolteachers, a state Senator and a US Representative. He went on about the accomplishments off the field. That was his best team. That showed me he was more than a ball coach, he was a molder of men.

JH:  My fondest memory of Coach – and there were a lot of them – but it would be winning that last bowl game my senior year.  After Coach had gone through so much turmoil, some people wanted him to step down from his coaching position.  For us to fight through that adversity and then beat a really good LSU culminated my entire time at Penn State, so my fondest memory would be that game.

ML: (Laughter) There’s a few. There’s one that I keep telling people. One spring, I had never played center, they were trying me out and I kept messing up the shotgun snaps.  The thing about Penn State is that Joe hardly let media into practices but for some reason, the media was there that day. After messing up a snap, Joe just walks up and kicks me on my butt. When all the stuff happened with the scandal and everything, I went up to State College, went to his house and sat down with him. That will probably be my best memory.  The first thing out of his mouth was  ‘how is your mom doing?’ He also said, ‘I didn’t realize how good of a football player you were until you left here’. Those are probably my two best memories.

Q:  Is there anything else that you want to add about your experience with Paterno?

JH: He was exactly what a football coach should be.  People should remember him for what he meant to the college game.

ML: Every kid wants to play football professionally. My whole situation happened kind of fast as far as being recruited out of high school. I thought I might play college football but I never expected to play, let alone at Penn State or for Joe Paterno.  I learned a lot. I met some great people and he opened up a lot of doors for me. He gave me a chance. I’ll always be thankful for that. I’m just really sad to see him go. I hope his family is doing okay. His wife is a great lady and she was always involved too. I wish the best for his family and for the future of the University.

ED: Joe Paterno has touched the game of football on every level. He will be missed. Thank you for joining us today.