Jerry Sandusky began his football career as a defensive end for head coach Joe Paterno at Penn State in 1963. He returned in 1969 as one of Paterno's assistant coaches and stayed until his retirement in 1999. During that time, he received Assistant Coach of the Year awards in 1986 and 1999, and in 1977 founded The Second Mile charity for underprivileged youth, whose mission has been stated as, "to help children who need additional support and would benefit from positive human interaction." He was very active in that charity, especially after retirement. As a retired coach, he retained coach emeritus status with an office in, and access to, Penn State's football facilities. He volunteered as a football coach and mentor at a local high school. In 2002 he was honored with the Angels in Adoption award for his work through The Second Mile.

On November 5, 2011, after the release of a grand jury report on Sandusky, he was arrested and charged with 40 counts of sexual abuse of young boys over a 15-year period, rocking Penn State University, its football program, and The Second Mile charity.