Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy has played eight NFL seasons and before that, spent four years at the University of Wisconsin. But he considers one play from his days in Madison -- the hit that broke former Penn State coach Joe Paterno's leg -- as his "proudest moment in college."
On the surface, it sounds harsh that that, effectively taking out an 80-year-old man, is what Levy remembers most, but he has a reason for the animosity.
"That dirtbag, man," Levy told Men's Journal in a recent interview. "We've gotta stop prioritizing sports over humanity. Just because somebody can throw a football or coach football, they're excluded from their wicked acts."
Paterno's longtime assistant, Jerry Sandusky, is currently in prison for the sexual abuse of 10 children. Court documents released in July showed that one of the victims testified in court in 2014 that Paterno ignored complaints of sexual assault by Sandusky back in 1976, decades before Sandusky was arrested.
Levy, meanwhile, has spoken passionately and eloquently about what it means to be a man. Earlier this year, he wrote in ThePlayersTribune.com about the pervasiveness of sexual assault and the "dehumanization and objectification of women," noting that "It's truly astounding the number of awful things that occur in this world because men are afraid of appearing weak."
Interestingly, Levy's current coach, Jim Caldwell, was on Paterno's staff from 1986-92, and considered Paterno something of a mentor.
"Really, I think I've gone on record many times about how I feel about Joe," Caldwell said, via ESPN.com. "And in regard to our players making their statement about how they feel, I'd be hypocritical to tell you anything other than the fact that they can express their opinion."
Caldwell added: "We don't all necessarily agree with it."
