Penn State

A PERSON CLOSE to Joe Paterno's family has told the Associated Press the former Penn State football coach is undergoing treatments and progressing after being diagnosed last month with lung cancer. The person requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Paterno's son, Scott, last month requested privacy for the family after revealing that doctors discovered his father's treatable form of lung cancer during a follow-up visit for a bronchial illness. School trustees fired Paterno on Nov. 9 in the aftermath of child sex abuse charges against retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

It was about two or three weeks ago, Shep Garner said, that he decided he would go to Penn State. But he had to keep it a secret. Before he made it official, the Roman Catholic shooting guard needed some special clearance. "My mom wanted to see the campus and meet the coaches face-to-face," Garner said. "She said she wanted to see if she felt a good vibe or bad vibe. And she got a good vibe. " Garner committed to the Nittany Lions on Saturday morning, a day after touring the campus with his parents.

A youngster grows up with a single athletic purpose: He wants to play linebacker at Penn State. His high school coach, recognizing the youngster's physical talent, asks him to play quarterback. But the boy wants to hone his skills at linebacker so he can move on to Penn State to do the same. No thank you, he says to the coach. Penn State recruits him as a linebacker after he has made just about every high school all-America team that matters. The plan is still intact - until three days before his first game as a freshman.

Penn State football coach Bill O'Brien formally announced Thursday the hiring of Anthony Midget as an assistant coach in charge of safeties. Midget, 34, a former all-American cornerback at Virginia Tech, coached the last five seasons at Georgia State, his last year as defensive coordinator. He replaces John Butler, who was promoted to defensive coordinator of the Nittany Lions after Ted Roof left to take the same job at Georgia Tech. "Anthony will be a great addition to our staff," O'Brien said in a statement.

Fun. Enthusiasm. Passion. Emotion. Morale. Swagger. Those are the buzzwords being tossed around by the Penn State football team this week as the Nittany Lions, whose most recent afternoon spent on a Big Ten Conference field (a 33-13 loss to Illinois on Oct. 9 in Beaver Stadium) was noticeably absent of any of those things, seek to restore whatever it is that might pump fresh life into a group that too often of late has appeared to be listless and uninvolved. Asked for a word that best describes the improved attitude he and his teammates presumably share coming off a much-needed bye week and heading into Saturday afternoon's conference game at Minnesota, Penn State linebacker Nate Stupar said, "I would say 'passion.

Penn State's football program, thought to be on wobbly knees before its surprising 1985 season, apparently landed a second straight recruiting bonanza yesterday when the Nittany Lions signed 16 players, five of whom were rated among the top 100 scholastic prospects in the nation by the Terranova Report, a national scouting service. Meanwhile, Pitt and Notre Dame, two of the main rivals on the Nittany Lions' 1986 schedule, followed different tracks as the Panthers went for "skill position" players and Notre Dame stocked up with beefy linemen.

Think of Gov. Corbett as a swimmer and Pennsylvania State University as a dangerous rip current threatening to pull him out to sea. Fallout from the child sex-abuse case involving former PSU football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky helps keep the Republican governor's job-approval ratings low and could damage him in the 2014 reelection campaign, political analysts say. A new poll last week agreed. Sure, it's not as visible an issue as the economy, or taxes, or privatization of the state liquor stores.

AVALON, N.J. - A thick wave of fog washed over the beach yesterday, spilling onto the dunes and scrubby pines, right to the deck of Joe Paterno's oceanfront home. You could almost imagine the fallen legend out on the deck alone, staring off into the mist. He will have more time for that, now that he has been deposed as Penn State's football coach. This town's motto is "Cooler by a Mile," and for 25 years Paterno and his family have traveled more than 250 miles to chill out inside a comparatively modest two-story house nestled between certifiable mansions on the dunes.

It's a humid Wednesday night in July, and at least 50 young people are lined up outside a jam-packed bar called the Gingerbread Man, waiting to get inside for half-price drinks. The artist formerly known as Prince blares from the sound system inside. A young male voice from the crowd booms toward the two bulked-up bouncers at the door: "Let us in! This is how riots get started!" It is just a joke, but no one laughs. Two weeks ago, Beaver Avenue, around the corner, made history as the site of the worst riot in Pennsylvania State University history.

All Jamil Pollard knew about his signing-day ceremony was that he needed to bring a Penn State sweatshirt, and that his parents should be there. When the 6-foot-4, 275-pound defensive tackle walked into the small gym at West Deptford High on Feb. 1, his parents were there as planned, but their stern expressions indicated this might not be such a joyous occasion after all. They had already been told that Pollard's most recent grades had fallen short, putting his college future in doubt.

It was about two or three weeks ago, Shep Garner said, that he decided he would go to Penn State. But he had to keep it a secret. Before he made it official, the Roman Catholic shooting guard needed some special clearance. "My mom wanted to see the campus and meet the coaches face-to-face," Garner said. "She said she wanted to see if she felt a good vibe or bad vibe. And she got a good vibe. " Garner committed to the Nittany Lions on Saturday morning, a day after touring the campus with his parents.

PRIZED INCOMING freshman Christian Hackenberg is officially in the Penn State quarterback derby before ever taking a snap. The post-spring depth chart released yesterday listed Hackenberg and junior college transfer Tyler Ferguson, a sophomore, as the top two candidates to take over the starting job left vacated following the graduation of Matt McGloin. Coach Bill O'Brien had given every indication in spring practice that Hackenberg would get a chance to compete for the job when preseason camp opens in August.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Prized incoming freshman Christian Hackenberg is officially in the Penn State quarterback derby before ever taking a snap. The post-spring depth chart released Thursday listed Hackenberg and junior college transfer Tyler Ferguson, a sophomore, as the top two candidates to take over the starting job left vacated by the graduation of Matt McGloin. Coach Bill O'Brien had given every indication in spring practice that Hackenberg would get a chance to compete for the job when preseason camp opens in August.

Pennsylvania State University leaders feel stuck in the middle of the legal battles between the NCAA and state officials over what becomes of the first payment toward the school's $60 million fine, and are calling on the sides to settle their differences - even offering to help mediate. A Penn State attorney sent a letter Tuesday to lawyers for the NCAA and the state saying the NCAA's lawsuit against Gov. Corbett and a local senator's lawsuit against the NCAA are preventing the money from being spent on child-abuse awareness and prevention.

Former Eagles receiver Terrell Owens , 39, told the NFL Network's NFL AM show that he's more mature and can help a team but has not heard from any since the Seattle Seahawks released him last August. NHL: The Pittsburgh Penguins signed Dan Bylsma , the second-winningest coach in franchise history, to a two-year extension through 2016. COLLEGES: The La Salle men's basketball team will play two games against city rival St. Joseph's next season according to the Atlantic Ten Conference.

Junior Tommy Robinson pitched a two-hitter Tuesday, and Upper Moreland advanced to the PIAA Class AAA state baseball final with a 3-1 victory over error-plagued Keystone Oaks at Greene Township Park in Scotland, Franklin County. The Golden Bears, who moved to within a win of their first state title, grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. With Keystone Oaks, from District 7, committing four errors, all three of Upper Moreland's runs were unearned. Robinson struck out three and walked none.

Think of Gov. Corbett as a swimmer and Pennsylvania State University as a dangerous rip current threatening to pull him out to sea. Fallout from the child sex-abuse case involving former PSU football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky helps keep the Republican governor's job-approval ratings low and could damage him in the 2014 reelection campaign, political analysts say. A new poll last week agreed. Sure, it's not as visible an issue as the economy, or taxes, or privatization of the state liquor stores.

Just like North Penn's baseball team this season, senior righthander Brian Maher has been a late bloomer. Not so much in his mechanics, but in what coach Kevin Manero calls his "game readiness. " "He's a little hyper and wiry," the Knights coach said. "It's tough sometimes to keep the reins on him. Now, on game days, he's learned how to be physically and mentally ready. " Maher, composed from the start, threw another gem in Tuesday night's PIAA Class AAAA semifinal against Pennridge.

Penn State defensive tackle Nate Cadogan has left the team for personal reasons and will forego his fifth year of eligibility, coach Bill O'Brien announced Friday on Twitter. The 6-foot-5, 298-pound Cadogan played tackle last season and split time between there and tight end his first two years, even catching a touchdown pass in 2010 against Northwestern. He was shifted to defensive tackle during the offseason to provide depth at the position following the graduation of Jordan Hill and James Terry.

A figure in this story has been corrected since publication. HARRISBURG - A federal judge on Thursday dismissed Gov. Corbett's suit challenging the NCAA's sanctions against Pennsylvania State University for its handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal, saying it amounted to a failed "Hail Mary" pass. U.S. District Judge Yvette Kane said that while the NCAA's actions were "deserving of public debate," they did not violate antitrust law, as Corbett had argued.