LaVar Arrington was one of the star products of Jerry Sandusky’s defense at Penn State.
The former All-American Nittany Lion linebacker went on to play six seasons for the Washington Redskins and finished his playing career with one year as a New York Giant. Arrington was a three-time All-Pro and was also selected to three Pro Bowls.
Arrington was successful in football because he paid attention to what Jerry Sandusky said. Now, he wishes he would have paid considerably more attention to what his mentor did.
On Monday, the first day of testimony in Jerry Sandusky’s sexual assault trial, the accuser now identified publicly as “Victim 4” recounted a story of a visit to the Penn State locker room in which Sandusky regaled him with a jersey from his hero, Arrington. The testimony so touched Arrington that he later that day tweeted a personal apology to “Victim 4” and then on Tuesday wrote about it in his Washington Post column.
Arrington apologized to “Victim 4” for not paying closer attention and truly assessing what was going on in the locker room around him. A great quality of a linebacker is to be able to assess the field and take in all that is happening around him quickly and responding. It is a shame that Arrington didn’t carry that field vision with him off the field.
This whole trial is a sordid mess and bound to get messier. At least, LaVar Arrington had the decency and class to own up his failure. We appreciate that. I wonder if “Victim 4” does also.
