May 1, 2006 1 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Penn State football coach Joe Paterno said Sunday that his father always wanted him to be a lawyer, but after a few years of coaching, he was hooked. So his father told him “‘At least I hope you can make an impact on that place,”‘ the 79-year-old coach said.

“I always have that in the back of my head,” he said.

Paterno, head coach at Penn State for 40-plus seasons, spoke before the 2006 Dapper Dan Dinner and Sports Auction, an annual charity event that honored Paterno this year with a lifetime achievement award.

Paterno is among the most recognizable figures in Pennsylvania. In the State College area, his life-sized cardboard cutouts – complete with the thick-rimmed glasses and rolled-up khakis – can be found in storefront window displays, in strip malls and on front porches.

The charity event is also honoring University of Pittsburgh women’s basketball coach Agnes Berenato as 2005 sportswoman of the year and retired Steelers running back Jerome Bettis as 2005 sportsman of the year.