The former Penn State and NFL star spoke shortly after Louis Freeh released details of his report on the university's reaction to Jerry Sandusky's serial abuse of children.
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View full sizeMatt Millen reacted to the Freeh report on SportsCenter today.
Matt Millen, a 1975 Whitehall High School graduate who played for Joe Paterno and Jerry Sandusky in the 1970s, Clik here to view.
View full sizeMatt Millen reacted to the Freeh report on SportsCenter today.says perspective needs to be applied when assessing Paterno's legacy after the Freeh report was released today.
Former FBI Director Louis Freeh's report details the university's reaction to Sandusky's serial sexual abuse of children.
"Joe Paterno, according to this report, there's a lot of guilt there, a lot," Millen said on ESPN's SportsCenter shortly after the conclusion of Louis Freeh's news conference today, adding that significant guilt belongs to the "real leadership" above Paterno.
"Anybody in a position of power was to blame, that's a big deal," he said.
Millen, a former NFL player, wouldn't initially comment on the report's affect on the perception of Paterno's time at Penn State as a whole.
"I'm not a big legacy guy per se," he said. "I'm a big character guy and Joe had and exhibited great character for years.
"You can't discount all the good that he's done. I think the biggest thing is to have a little perspective here because he's still a guy, he's still a man and he has flaws."
Later, the former Zephyr was asked if Paterno's statue should remain on campus.
"I couldn't care less about the statue," Millen said, adding that it was Paterno's character that was more important than monuments.
He added that Paterno's reputation might be "spoiled" now, adding "but he did a lot of good there."
Millen, a four-time Super Bowl champion, said that the football team, now preparing for its first year under coach Bill O'Brien, will be a key instrument to university recovery.
"In the end this program will help bring Penn State out of this garbage right now," he said.
