McQueary card reveals eerie tie to Sandusky
By Andrew Tolentino | Football Editor | Commentary
Beyond the shock and dismay brought on by today’s key testimony in a preliminary hearing for the Jerry Sandusky trial, we managed to find a few cards of former Penn State player and assistant football coach Mike McQueary in the Beckett database.
The key witness has a total of three cards, but this one in particular sent some shivers.
While it’s barely legible in this image, McQueary’s card (1997 Penn State, card No. 15) offers an ominous coincidence. According to our database, this set and several others were apparently sponsored by The Second Mile — the youth charity that Sandusky founded in 1977.
Under normal circumstances, the hobby typically doesn’t have a direct correlation with a topic like this unfolding tragedy. This discovery is no exception, but just bizarre enough to stand out.
The Second Mile has been sponsoring Penn State card sets – for sports ranging from football to women’s gymnastics – since 1988. The cards each feature tips on them meant to motivate and encourage, and are popular keepsakes for Nittany Lions fans.
Joe Paterno’s 1990 Second Mile card features a cryptic quote on the back: “If your friends are making poor choices, stand up to your friends and stand out from the crowd. Don’t give up your winning future for short-term popularity.”
The Paterno card can be seen here: http://www.checkoutmycards.com/Cards/Football/1990/Penn_State/11/Joe_Paterno_CO/655391
In 2004, when I was a student at Penn State, I interviewed Jerry Sandusky, who was serving as a captain at a charity flag football fundraiser near campus. If memory serves me correctly, one of the players that day was a red-haired former PSU quarterback named Mike McQueary.
The football program and charity have been intertwined since Sandusky’s tenure as defensive coordinator, and the cards are a good representation of that relationship – a relationship that has received ample scrutiny in light of recent, troubling revelations.