STATE COLLEGE — Jerry Sandusky’s name no longer appears on the State College Centennial Walkway.

The former defensive coordinator, who was convicted on 45 counts of child sex abuse in June, had his walkway brick removed Thursday following complaints by residents. Borough Manager Tom Fountaine cited vandalism as the chief concern.

Fountaine said there were questions over ownership of the bricks and called Tavern owner Pat Daugherty on Tuesday morning to discuss the removal.

Daugherty said the Tavern, which is on the Centennial Walkway between Pugh and McCallister streets, has no ownership of the brick, but he volunteered to remove it because Tavern workers have experience removing and placing the bricks.

They need to remove them at times to access a well that is under the walkways he said.
“I said we take these bricks up and down because we have a well up there,” he said of his conversation with Fountaine.

Daugherty has had people come in and complain about the brick and say it should be removed, but he said he directed all inquiries to the borough.

Fountaine said he decided to remove the brick after the complaints and was happy that Daugherty offered to help.

“We agreed that he would go ahead and remove it,” Fountaine said. “When Pat offered to do it, we said great.”

The brick displayed the message, “Jerry Sandusky/ The Second Mile/Founded 1977.”

Complaints began after student-run blog Onward State posted a picture of it earlier in the week, and some people might have tried to remove it themselves, Daugherty said.

Daugherty said they replaced it with a blank brick, and the future of the Sandusky version is out of his hands.

“The brick is back at the borough, and they can decide what to do with it at this point,” he said.

Matt Morgan can be reached at 235-3928. Follow him on Twitter @MetroMattMorgan