Joe Paterno gets halo returned in mural near Penn State campus

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Thursday, January 7, 2016
Pictured: Joe Paterno's image on a mural in State College, Pa. as it appeared Thursday, July 12, 2012.
wpvi-AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- A painted halo on a mural of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno is back, more than three years after the artist removed it shortly after Jerry Sandusky was convicted of child molestation.

Muralist Michael Pilato posted a video online showing him and others putting yellow halos on various figures, including Paterno, on the 90-foot "Inspiration" mural in a commercial strip near campus.

In the video, Pilato says he's sorry for his fast actions in removing it from Paterno, the winningest coach in major college football history.

The halo was first added when Paterno died in January 2012.

A report commissioned by Penn State that year said Paterno and others intentionally covered up complaints about Sandusky, a former assistant football coach at PSU, to avoid bad publicity.

Pilato also painted Sandusky out of the mural.