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Linebacker Michael Mauti said he read the report, but like others, said "it wasn't his place to talk about it."
"All we can do is show up for work and prepare for the season. All we can do is this right here," said Mauti, a redshirt senior and defensive leader, as he gestured out to field where the offense vs. defense competition was being held. "Stay together."
It's a familiar refrain for players since early November, when school trustees fired Paterno days after Sandusky was arrested.
Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien took over as head coach in early January. Two weeks later, Paterno died of lung cancer.
In June, Sandusky was convicted of 45 criminal counts. And this week, Freeh's long-awaited report placed blame on Paterno and three other high-ranking school officials for concealing allegations against Sandusky in 1998 and 2001 to avoid bad publicity for the school and program.
The Paterno family has said the late coach would not cover up allegations, and that they hoped to release a comprehensive response to put conclusions in a different context and offer a "complete picture."
"I don't think it's really my place to say," Mauti said when asked about criticism of Paterno's legacy. "You can't really take away what he's done ... I don't worry what other people say. I know what he's meant to me and meant to my family."
Once they got into the event, the roars from a field sounded as if it were a football scrimmage. The offense beat the defense in a tug-of-war to take a round in the annual charity competition, which had been scheduled for Friday for months.
"I hope all the stuff that's been going on doesn't cast a shadow over what we're doing out here today," quarterback Matt McGloin said. "This is something we've put on each and every year and I don't want everything that's happened to effect what we've done out here today."
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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