Asked if he was a pedophile, Sandusky said, "No."
The interview came amid heightened scrutiny over the role the Second Mile may have played over the years - scrutiny, some of the organization leaders feared, that may force the charity to close its doors.
Two of the charity's top executives resigned over the weekend, as critics continued to question why they failed to stop Sandusky's work with children as soon as they learned of abuse allegations against him.
And criticism of the district judge who released Sandusky on $100,000 unsecured bail has grown since it was learned she was a volunteer with Second Mile.
Jack Raykovitz, Second Mile's president for 28 of its 34 years, stepped down Sunday, saying he hoped his exit might help restore the community's faith in the charity.
The charity's general counsel, Wendell Courtney, also resigned. Former Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham will take his place and lead an investigation into the charity's response to abuse allegations, said board vice chairman David Woodle.
"We don't know if this organization can be saved," Abraham said Monday at a news conference at the Philadelphia offices of her firm, Archer & Greiner. "What we need to find out is how deep this went, who knew, and who did or didn't do anything about it."
State prosecutors allege that Sandusky used the Second Mile to gain "access to hundreds of boys, many of whom were vulnerable due to their social situation."
In a 1987 interview with NBC, rebroadcast Monday, he joked that he started the organization because he enjoyed "being around children."
"I enjoy their enthusiasm," he said. "I just have a good time with them."
