More than 340 players once coached by Joe Paterno have shown support for their former Penn State coach through a letter released in time for his 85th birthday Wednesday. Hall of Famer Lydell Mitchell, a standout Nittany Lions running back from 1969-71, helped organize the effort and hoped to get more signatures in the coming days. It's believed to be the largest such effort by former players since school trustees fired Paterno last month in the aftermath of child sex-abuse charges against retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.
