Paterno a no-go for sidelines

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Penn State coach Joe Paterno said he will not coach the Rose Bowl from the sidelines because of concerns from his healing hip.

Paterno underwent hip replacement surgery after Thanksgiving, and though the operation was successful, he said his legs don't yet have the necessary endurance to permit standing and walking around for the length of a game.

He will coach Thursday's game against USC from the press box, as he has for most of the season.



"I don't think I can handle three-and-a-half hours, four hours on the sideline" he said.

"I'm sure the doctor is a little concerned. My operation is less than six weeks ago. He's afraid I could get some blood problems.


"I think I'd be a distraction on the sideline. Let me put it this way: I think everybody would be worried about somebody bumping me."


Reporters, though, kept pressing him during a New Year's Eve press conference about whether he would make an appearance on the field before the game or whether he would be able to make it to the locker room at halftime.

"I wish we'd all get off this fact of where I'm going to be ... I've been in a lot of bowl games. But these kids, this is a once-in-a-lifetime for so many of them, and I hate like the dickens for everybody to be worried about where Paterno is going to be ..."

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This page contains a single entry by Frank Bodani published on December 31, 2008 10:11 PM.

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