Jerry Sandusky Interviewed by Bob Costas (Video)

Sandusky: ‘I’m Innocent’

Asked about the mounting allegations that he molested children, the former assistant coach outright denied all in his phone interview. “I say that I am innocent of those charges,” he said. Pressed further by Bob Costas if he has, in fact, been “falsely accused in every aspect,” Sandusky wavered. “Well, I could say that, you know, I have done some of those things. I have horsed around with kids. I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them and I have touched their legs without intent of sexual contact.”

What Happened in the Shower?

In 2002, then graduate assistant coach Mike McQueary allegedly discovered Sandusky raping a boy in the shower. After detailing the account in which McQueary said he heard slapping sounds, Costas asked Sandusky why the graduate assistant would have lied. “We were showering and horsing around and he actually turned all of the showers on and was actually sliding across the floor and we were as I recall possibly like slapping a towel,” Sandusky said. As for a janitor who said he saw Sandusky and another boy engaged in a sexual act in the shower, the former coach was at a loss for works: “You’d have to ask them.”

Sandusky’s Lawyer: I Believe His Innocence

Would Jerry Sandusky’s lawyer leave his own children alone with the accused child rapist? “Absolutely,” he said. Joe Amendola said he isn’t merely attempting to exonerate his client but believes Sandusky is innocent. “I believe in Jerry’s innocence. Quite honestly, Bob, that’s why I’m involved in the case,” he said. The lawyer said he anticipates children will come forward and deny that the abuse happened at all—including the child who was allegedly raped in the shower. Watch Amendola’s emphatic defense.

What About Joe Paterno?

Does Sandusky feel responsible for Paterno’s dismissal from Penn State? Let’s just say he may be aware he has a dwindling fan base of Nittany Lions. Sandusky said that while he feels he “played a part in this,” he doesn’t necessarily feel responsible for the fallout. “No, I don’t think it’s my fault … I shouldn’t have showered with those kids,” he said. Now the question is, did JoePa have any knowledge of the alleged abuse prior to the 2002 report?