DeAndre Levy says breaking Joe Paterno's leg was his 'proudest moment in college’

Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy called former Penn State coach Joe Paterno a “dirtbag” and said it “my proudest moment in college” to break the coach’s left leg on a sideline collision in 2006, when Levy played for Wisconsin.

Levy’s comments come from a newly published interview with Men’s Journal, which calls him “the most interesting man in the NFL.” Levy appears to take issue with Paterno’s role in the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal that came to public light in 2011.

"We've gotta stop prioritizing sports over humanity," he told the magazine. "Just because somebody can throw a football or coach football, they're excluded from their wicked acts."

Levy’s coach with the Lions, Jim Caldwell, coached alongside Sandusky, on Paterno’s staff, from 1986 to 1992. Caldwell told the Detroit Free Press he disagrees with Levy’s view of Paterno but respected his right to voice it.

"Really, I think I’ve gone on record many times with how I’ve felt about Joe," Caldwell told the paper. "In regard to our players making a statement about how they feel, it’d be hypocritical to tell you anything other than the fact that they can express their opinion, we don’t all necessarily agree with it."