Spencerport native and former Penn State football player reacts to NCAA's decision

Posted at: 07/23/2012 6:10 PM | Updated at: 07/23/2012 9:20 PM
By: Robin De Wind | WHEC.com

The NCAA came down hard on Penn State with sanctions in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

The NCAA wipes away 14 years of former coach Joe Paterno’s victories and imposes a mountain of fines, penalties, crippling a program.

News10NBC spoke to Spencerport native and former Penn State defense back Alan Zemitas from his home in Florida. Zemitas played for Paterno from 2001 to 2005 and says his years at Penn State can’t be erased with the NCAA’s decision.

Zemitas said, “When I was there, all thought about was the legacy, remembering your last name that you were, who you stood for and what you stood for. To know that because of one man Jerry Sandusky, a piece of that is tarnished, that's what angers me.”

The NCAA did not shut down the Penn State football program. The school faces $60 million in fines. It is out of the post season for four years. Former coach Joe Paterno’s wins from 1998 to 2011 have been vacated and scholarships capped at 20 below the normal limit for four years. The school is also on probation for five years. Current players can transfer without penalty.

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