Former Penn State stars support lawsuit

Hundreds of former Penn State football players are offering their support for a lawsuit targeting the NCAA, Mark Emmert and Ed Ray for handing down harsh and unfounded sanctions against Penn State following the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal.
To date, over 325 former players from over six decades have joined together to defend the history and future of the Penn State Football program, which, they say, cannot be found in the NCAA Major Infractions Database for a single NCAA violation even today.

“Joe Paterno and the entire Penn State football program have been used as scapegoats in this horrible tragedy,” said Brian Masella.  “When the NCAA neglected to conduct their own investigation, and used the flawed Freeh Report as the judge and jury, they further prevented an opportunity to get to the real truth, and in turn, punished a generation of
Penn State players, students, and supporters who had nothing whatsoever to do with Jerry Sandusky.”

Statement from Former Penn State Football Players:

On May 30, 2013, twenty people – including five Penn State Trustees, four faculty members, two former coaches, and nine former student-athletes, filed a lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s sanctions against Penn State.

On the same day, the plaintiffs sent the former Penn State football players a letter explaining their rationale for taking legal action.  The letter notes that the plaintiffs intend to fight for Penn State’s honor and that they hope the former student-athletes “will be supportive of these efforts”.

We, the undersigned, indeed support the plaintiffs’ action in launching their suit.  Like them, we reject the NCAA’s assertion that a “culture of reverence for the football program” allowed Jerry Sandusky’s crimes to occur.  We agree with the plaintiffs that the Freeh Report, which formed the foundation for the sanctions – was fundamentally flawed.

We stand with our nine brother Lettermen and the other eleven Penn Staters in demanding “fairness, due process, truth, and a just outcome.”  Everyone – Sandusky’s victims, Penn Staters, and the public at large – deserves to know the complete truth.”

1950’s

Robert  Belus; Frank  Della Penna;  Charles Chick King; Ron Markiewicz; Fran “Bucky” Paolone;

Don Ryan; John Jack Urban

1960’s

 Dick Anderson; Steve  Bezna; Bob Capretto; Jack Curry; Alan Delmonaco; Gerry Farkas; Chuck Franzetta; Ed  Gabirel; Tony Gebicki; James Graham; Warren Hartenstine; Michael Irwin; Robert Kline; George Kulka; John Kulka; Jon Lang; Ed Lenda; Linc Lincoln Lippincott; Jim  Litterelle; Thomas Mairs; James McCormick; Thomas McGrath; Dave  McNaughton; Donald Miller; Hank  Oppermann; Bill Rettig; Dave Rowe; Ted Sebastianelli; Gary Shaffer; Steve  Smear; Dave Truitt; Frank  Waresak; Chris Weber

1970’s

 Walt Addie; Russell Albert; Kurt Allerman; Ferris Atty; Jeff Behm; David Bland; Jeff H. Bleamer; Dr. Jim Bradley; Tom  Bradley; Richard M. Brown; Chuck Burkhart; John W. Bush; Greg  Buttle; Robert Campbell; Michael Cappelletti; Richard F. Caravella; Joseph V. Carlozo; Charles Chiampi; Thomas Greg Christian; Craig  Coder; Ron Coder; Mike Conforto; F. Len Consalvo; Bill Crummy; Steven A. Davis; Chris Devlin; Joe  Diange; Thomas F. Donchez; Rocco English; Scott Fitzkee; Chuck Fusina; Paul  Gabel; Steve Geise; Doneal Gersh; Bill Glennon; Tony Gordon; David F. Graf; Mike Guman; Brian Hand; Franco Harris; Scott Hettinger; Ron  Hileman; Ron  Hostetler; Thomas M. Hull; Neil Hutton; David W. Klock; Bob Knechtel; Richard A. Knechtel; Joe Lally; Philip F. LaPorta; John R. Lewchenko; Larry J. Ludwig; Mark J. Markovich; Brian Masella; Rich  Mauti; Richard McClure; Lance Mehl; D. Scott Mitchell; Guy Montecalvo; Robert Nagle; Daniel F. Natale; Richard N. Nichols; Thomas Odell; Michael A. Orsini M.D.; Woody  Petchel, Jr.; Carlos Quirch; Tom Rafferty; Joel Ramich; John M. Reihner; Paul Renaud; Robert Rickenbach; James E. Rosecrans; George  SanFilippo; Carl Schaukowitch; Bernard Shalvey; Tom L. Shoemaker; Micky Shuler Sr; Tom Shuman; John Skorupan; Steven E. Stilley; Donald P. Tarosky; Raymond Tesner; Gary R. Tyler; Alberto Vitiello; Marshall Wagner; Dan Wallace; Alex Wasilov; Franklin Frog Williams; John Williams; Thomas J. Williams; Charles Wilson

 2000’s