A few Jackie Sherrill tidbits from a TribLive article...
“I wished that they had never moved the stadium away from Pitt,” Sherrill said. “I always felt they could’ve built the colosseum up (on the top of the hill) and be able to have a walkway built. Have luxury boxes built in the stadium. Remodel it. And have people walk back and forth.
Sherrill bemoaned the empty seats at Heinz Field, particularly on days when he thinks the team may be drawing enough fans to look like a satisfactory turn out.
[I believe an interloper AD came in a Pitt and recommended removing the stadium and putting up a BB arena with his name on it, thus destroying tradition and culture (see Cracker Barrell)]
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On eventually patching up his relationship with Joe Paterno: The former Penn State coach was known to take a
shot or two at Sherrill, particularly in the wake of an alleged 1978 recruiting feud.
“It was a fierce competition,” Sherrill said.
“Years later, I was invited to Penn State for a game. I spent time with coach Paterno at his house and at a recruiting dinner he had. He had me speak to the team. I said, ‘Coach, I’m only here because you invited my wife, and I’m a tagalong,’ ” Sherrill recalled. “And he said, ‘Well, maybe that’s true.’
“A couple years later, they played A&M in the Alamo Bowl and I went up to him and wished him good luck. He put his arms around my shoulders, looked me square in the eye, and said, ‘Jackie, you don’t mean that.’ ”
Sherrill paused.
“And I laughed and said, ‘Well, maybe that’s true.’ ”
