Jan. 26, 2012

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - Former Penn State football players and students are recalling Joe Paterno's effect not just on the school's athletic reputation, but also its educational pursuits.

Jay Paterno, center, asks the crowd to hold hands and say the Lord's Prayer during a memorial service for his father, former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012 in State College, Pa. A capacity crowd of more than 12,000 packed the Bryce Jordan Center for one more tribute to Paterno, the Hall of Fame football coach who died Sunday from lung cancer. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Speaking to more than 10,000 people inside the Penn State basketball arena Thursday, former quarterback Todd Blackledge said no one anywhere in the country had done more for Penn State.

Student Lauren Perrotti said Paterno helped to emphasize education at the school, too.

The words were shared with Paterno's family, including his wife Sue, and their children and grandchildren, who looked on with pride at Paterno's accomplishments and memories.

Also in attendance were former Penn State and NFL players Franco Harris and Matt Millen, along with former defensive coordinator Tom Bradley. So was former Nittany Lions quarterback Daryll Clark.