CHAMBERSBURG, PA - Penn State students and alumni rallied around this bronze sculpture when Joe Paterno was fired, just four days after Jerry Sandusky's arrest.

"It is a blemish on the campus, and I think if people go there and see his statue, that's what they're going to remember," says Sharon Pollard, a concerned local resident.

Jackhammers freed the barricaded statue as campus crowds watched in disbelief.

"I believe that it was correct and the right thing to do, to bring the statue down, but I would see the statue be given to the family--or give the family the option to buy it. Don't destroy it," commented Pauline Puglia, another concerned citizen.

Penn State President, Rod Erickson, said in a statement: "I believe that, were it to remain, the statue will be a recurring wound to the multitude of individuals across the nation and beyond who have been the victims of child abuse."

Many locals say they feel torn on the statue's removal: they still want Paterno recognized for his famed coaching career.

"I think in retrospect they did a right thing by removing it, but they shouldn't completely erase him from the campus because he was a coach for many years. It's a, kind of a mixed emotion," says Sharon.

Paterno supporters wore shirts saying, "Thanks Joe," as they listened to sawing, hammering and scraping, removing the statue and his name from outside Beaver Stadium.

"I just wish the family a lot of luck and god bless them, and also the Sandusky family. I am sure that this is a very, very difficult time for them. And I would say probably for the state of Pennsylvania, too--and for all those fans and all those players past and present," says Pauline.

A statue worth 1000 words.

The NCAA announced earlier Sunday that it's issuing "corrective and punitive measures" against Penn State. The details will be disclosed this Monday morning.

The statue weighs more than 900 pounds, is nearly seven feet tall, and was built in 2001.