Paterno to get bridge named for him?

A state legislator is seeking to put Joe Paterno’s name back on the map.

Republican State Rep. Michael Regan of York County wants to name a Pennsylvania Turnpike bridge near Harrisburg after the legendary former Penn State head football coach, Penn Live reported.

Paterno, who died in 2012, saw his reputation tarnished in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal. Sandusky, who was Paterno’s longtime defensive coordinator, is serving a 30 to 60 year prison sentence for molesting 10 boys.

In 2012, officials removed a Paterno statue from Penn State’s campus amid roiling debate over Paterno’s role in the saga. Paterno, who received reports in 1998 and 2001 that Sandusky was abusing boys, but was widely criticized after the abuse came to light for not doing more to bring Sandusky to justice.

Earlier this year, the NCAA restored 111 wins that had been wiped from record books as part of sanctions imposed on the school as part of the scandal, restoring Paterno’s place as the winningest coach in college football history.

A poll by Quinnipiac University in February found residents of the state overwhelming support returning the Paterno statue to campus.