In 2006, Joe Paterno suffered a broken leg after one of his own Penn State players and a member of the Wisconsin Badgers ran into him on the sidelines during a game. Two years later, Paterno underwent hip replacement surgery after an August incident in which the legendary coach was injured demonstrating the proper technique on an onside kick.
Then, of course, there was the mad dash for a seat in The Land of Porcelain. Now, JoePa apparently has yet another football-related health issue with which to deal.
BlueWhite Illustrated reported earlier Monday that Paterno was injured at practice Sunday when he was run over by a wide receiver running a route. Paterno suffered injuries to his pelvic and shoulder areas, but, the website reports, it’s believed that surgery will not be necessary.
ESPN’s Chris Fowler subsequently reported that Paterno suffered hairline fractures to both his pelvis and shoulder.
Paterno, who remains hospitalized this afternoon, downplayed the incident in a statement released by the school.
“I expect to be back at practice soon. I’m doing fine; tell everyone not to worry about me,” Paterno said. “I like the effort I have seen from the squad during our first few practices, but we have a long way to go to get ready for the schedule we have.”
The 84-year-old Paterno will be entering his 46th season as the Nittany Lions head coach in 2011.