Many an argument has been made about when Joe Paterno should vacate his head football coaching position at Penn State.

Some say he should have left 10 years ago. Others believe now is the time. Still others feel he should coach the Nittany Lions as long as he wants.

What no one can deny is that Penn State's football program produces high-caliber players suitable for the NFL.

Even if Paterno does not actively coach them in practice or on game days — a subject for debate — he certainly has had a hand in their development.

According to a recent news release, there are 31 former Penn State players with NFL teams this season. Only three of those — receiver Jordan Norwood with Cleveland, guard Rich Ohrnberger with New England and center A.Q. Shipley with Philadelphia — are on practice squads.

By comparison, Pitt has 14 players on NFL rosters and West Virginia University has 10.

All six players drafted by NFL squads from Penn State's 2010 Capital One Bowl team stuck with their respective teams as rookies: linebacker Navarro Bowman with the 49ers, linebacker Josh Hull with the Rams, linebacker Sean Lee with the Cowboys, defensive tackle Jared Odrick with the Dolphins, tight end Andrew Quarless with the Packers and tight end Mickey Shuler with the Vikings.

Since Paterno became head coach in 1966, 360 Nittany Lions have signed NFL contracts. He's seen 275 of his players selected in the NFL draft, 33 in the first round.

Twenty-one NFL teams have at least one former Penn State player on their rosters. The Nittany Lions have had at least one alumnus play in 39 of the 44 Super Bowl games.

Like Paterno or not, that's a consistent presence in the NFL.

And to think he turned down a lucrative offer to coach the New England Patriots many moons ago.

When California (Pa.) University hosts East Stroudsburg this weekend, it will mark the first time in NCAA Division II football history that two coaches with more than 200 career wins will be facing each other.Cal's John Luckhardt has 207 wins and East Stroudsburg's Denny Douds, a Slippery Rock University graduate, entered this season with 226.

Rock coach George Mihalik is going after career win No. 150 this weekend when The Rock meets PSAC East favorite West Chester.Mihalik ranks third among active PSAC coaches in wins, trailing Douds and Bloomsburg's Danny Hale (184). Shippensburg's Rocky Rees stands in fourth with 118 and reportedly is retiring after this season.Mihalik's coaching staff includes Vic Campagna, Shawn Lutz, Joe Walton, Bill Horsman and Harry Jones, who combine for 95 years with the program.There's nothing like longevity.Just ask Paterno.