Flu bug forces Paterno to cancel alumni appearance again

Published May. 28, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Penn State coach Joe Paterno bowed out a few hours before a scheduled appearance Thursday night at a university alumni event because of a lingering flu bug.

The 83-year-old Paterno has had an intestinal ailment that kept him from attending a similar reception in Pittsburgh two weeks ago as well as Big Ten meetings in Chicago last week.

Offensive coordinator Galen Hall was one of three assistant coaches who took JoePa's place Thursday night as featured guests. Hall said Paterno is slowly getting better and has been working in State College, to the point where Paterno sometimes tries to overdo things.

Paterno held a team meeting earlier this week, and had met earlier Thursday with receivers coach Mike McQueary. Paterno had been planning to attend the publicized event in Hershey, athletic director Tim Curley said.

``He's doing great. I was with him yesterday, he was actually feeling really well yesterday,'' Curley said before the Hershey reception. ``I was surprised that this afternoon he didn't make it ... He's just having a little problem getting over the hump and getting 100 percent.''