Joe Paterno has finally set a date for hanging up the old black Nikes.

Well, sort of.

Maybe.

The Penn State football coach, who's been on the job for 37 years and turned 76 in December, made what is believed to be the first reference to a time period for his retirement.

"Right now, I'm planning to go to 2006, through the 2006 season," he told television station WTKR in Norfolk, Va., during a recruiting trip last Wednesday. "But, if I feel as good as I do now three years from now, then I'm gonna look at it again."

The final rush for recruits late last week most likely served as impetus for Paterno's comments. It has been somewhat standard practice for opposing coaches to negative recruit against Penn State by calling into question Paterno's age and durability.

"Right now, I'm out recruiting and I can say to a kid, 'Hey, look, I'm gonna be here the four years you're gonna be here," he said. "I would not want, two years from now, to lie to a kid [and] say I'm gonna be here unless I really intended to be here."

However, if Paterno does actually retire after 2006, a good portion of this year's recruiting class would have to adjust to a new coach during their senior season. Because many -- probably a majority -- of them will redshirt, they will be eligible through the 2007 season.

But Paterno, who will turn 80 in 2006, did say that he might choose a successor within the next few years.

If he does set a concrete date for retirement he said that he would, " ... start to designate who's going to succeed me, so when we're out recruiting a kid can identify with the people that he would be with maybe his sophomore and junior year. I want to be fair."

Paterno has won more games than any Div. I-A coach in history. He is 336-100-3, the latest loss coming at the hands of Auburn in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1.

After that loss, Paterno admitted to feeling the affects of his age.

"No matter how I twist it, I'm 76," Paterno said. "And I'm not naïve about it. But I honest to God don't feel 76."

How long Paterno remains coach will depend on his health. It seems that he will coach as long as he feels up to it.

"Two years from now, I may say 2011," he said. "It's one of those things I really don't have any definite plans beyond going the next four years."

As long as he retains the desire, Paterno will stick around.

"Thank goodness I have good genes and I've been able to stay healthy," Paterno said. "And I haven't lost my enthusiasm for it. I think that's the biggest thing. When I lose that I'll probably get out of it."

Jefferson issued citation

Penn State fullback Paul Jefferson was cited Friday night for having an open container of alcohol in public. An auxiliary officer spotted Jefferson, who is underage, near the Nittany Apartments on campus. The Wilkes-Barre native was issued a citation for Liquor Law Violation and released.

Last year, Penn State hero Yaacov Yisreal was caught driving under the influence late in the season, and did not report the incident to Paterno. When Paterno found out, he put Yisreal on "probation" and planned to sit him for the first five games of the season. However, Yisreal hurt his knee is summer practice and was lost for the season.

Penn State spokesman Jeff Nelson said he was unsure if Jefferson had spoken with Paterno, or if the coach would have a comment on the situation any time soon.

Recruiting update

Paterno and his staff are finished making in-home recruiting visits, and will wait for signing day on Wednesday.

Paterno has crisscrossed the country in recent weeks attempting to fill between 10 and 12 scholarships.

The Lions received their ninth verbal on Friday when South Carolina running back Rodney Kinlaw chose them over Virginia Tech.

Kinlaw, a 5-10, 178-pound running back who rushed for 1,787 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, is the nephew of former Penn State defensive end Courtney Brown, and is the cousin of NFL players Joe Hamilton and Harvey Middleton. He has been clocked at 4.4 in the 40-yard dash.