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Penn State Football: Al Pacino will star as Joe Paterno in upcoming movie

By Connor Muldowney

Oct 31, 2015; University Park, PA, USA; A general view of the Penn State Nittany Lions logo outside of Beaver Stadium prior to the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Penn State Nittany Lions. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 31, 2015; University Park, PA, USA; A general view of the Penn State Nittany Lions logo outside of Beaver Stadium prior to the game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Penn State Nittany Lions. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Al Pacino will star as former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno in an upcoming HBO film about the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

Besides both being fiery Italians, Al Pacino and the late Joe Paterno will soon have something else in common. For an upcoming HBO film regarding the Jerry Sandusky scandal, Pacino will play the role of the former Penn State football coach.

According to Joe Otterson of Variety.com, Pacino has accepted the role of Paterno for an HBO film directed by Barry Levinson

The official description of the movie, according to Otterson, is this:

"“After becoming the winningest coach in college football history, Joe Paterno is embroiled in Penn State’s Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal, challenging his legacy and forcing him to face questions of institutional failure on behalf of the victims.”"

While this is a story that isn’t exactly a sparkling portrayal of the former head coach, it’s one that needs to be told. Jerry Sandusky, Paterno’s defensive coordinator for years, was found guilty of sexual abuse of multiple children during his time at Penn State.

The scandal came to light in recent years and it was later revealed that Paterno knew of Sandusky’s sexual abuse and decided to look the other way instead of acting on it. That tarnished his legacy after being one of the best coaches in college football for decades.

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Pacino is mostly known for his role in The Godfather series but will be putting his acting skills to the test. Portraying a guy who was once known as a role model and whose legacy has been muddied will be tough, but it’s going to be a film worth watching.

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