(University Park) -- Speaker after speaker is remembering the late Joe Paterno today, during a public memorial service at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center. Former Nittany Lions Wide Receiver Kenny Jackson says his coach never took a compliment, deflected praise and never thought he was the show. "But today, my teacher, you have no choice," he said, as his voice wavered. "Today, we are going to show you how much we love you." Running Back Charlie Pittman was also among the speakers who addressed the crowd of more than 12,000. Representing the legendary coach's teams of the 1960s, he says Paterno pushed his players relentlessly to achieve perfection, even though he knew it doesn't exist. "He was, bit by bit, building a habit of excellence. He was building a proud program for the school, the state and the hundreds of young men he watched over for a half century." Many speakers recalled Paterno's impact not only on Penn State' athletic reputation, but also its educational pursuits. Paterno's family, including his wife Sue, and their children and grandchildren, were in attendance as the coach's accomplishments and memories were recounted through speeches and videos. Paterno died Sunday at the age of 85 as a result of lung cancer. He was fired by the university's Board of Trustees in November in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, after 46 years as head coach.