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Something tells me that the victims or their families haven't given that situation a second thought.
But here's a second thought that is worth considering.
Paterno was a parent, he was a father to 5 children himself. In that particular instance, going all the way back to the beginning when he was informed that one of his assistant coaches was molesting young kids, how could he possibly not react in such a manner as to never allow that type of evil to happen ever again? You ask what might've happened had he been just an everyday Joe Schmo working 9-5. I'll ask an even more thought-provoking question: what if it was one of his own kids Sandusky was molesting? But in the overall scheme of things, should that really matter? It wouldn't matter to me, pretty sure it wouldn't matter to you (or most "regular" people. In fact - Sandusky would've been castrated then beaten to a bloody pulp upon revelation, and then he would've been turned into the authorities.
The other part worth considering is that had he done the right thing from the very beginning - this biopic being produced about him currently wouldn't be about a tarnished legacy. It would be more of a celebration of an "everyday Joe" who wasn't just a legendary football coach, but a decent human being who never once compromised right from wrong, who was there to help protect our vulnerable youth, even if it meant compromising a winning season and a pure image.
But to answer your question, nah... I don't think it would've mattered what his calling in life would've been. True character, real character, isn't that shallow.