Joe Paterno, the 84-year-old head coach of Penn State’s Nittany Lions, has been nominated for the Presidential Medal of Freedom by 18 congressmen in Pennsylvania. Paterno is a legendary football coach, famous for his wry wit and high expectations of his players both on and off the field.

Glenn Thompson, the congressman who led the nominating effort, hailed Paterno as one who “personified sportsmanship on the field of play and academic achievement in the classroom,” emphasizing his ”contribution to the coaching of football, his commitment to the academic integrity of the young men under his charge, and his deep dedication to education in general.”

ESPN.com writes:

Paterno is entering his 45th year as Penn State’s coach. He holds the Division I record for most coaching victories with 394 and this fall become just the third coach in NCAA history to reach 400 wins.

Paterno and his wife also have contributed more than $4 million to Penn State as part of their extensive work with the university and the surrounding community.

Created in 1945 by President Harry Truman, the Presidential Medal of Freedom has been awarded to sports figures such as Hank Aaron, Muhammad Ali, former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden and former Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian award. In a time when college football has devolved into little more than a hype-driven NFL-lite more concerned with revenue than mental growth and manly conduct, it’s heartening to see Coach Paterno recognized for a lifetime of commitment to an ideal of athleticism and scholarship that has more or less vanished from the academy.