Joe Paterno will have to wait a year for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, according to a statement released by Penn State and the National Football Foundation (NFF) yesterday.

Paterno will miss his Dec. 5 induction into the Hall of Fame after team doctor Wayne Sebastianelli ordered him to limit his traveling for a minimum of six weeks as he recovers from surgery to repair a broken left shinbone and ligament damage to his left knee, the statement said.

Instead, according to the statement, Paterno will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame on Dec. 4 of next year, the 50th anniversary of the award ceremony, when he can be present for the event.

By missing the induction this year, Paterno cannot be enshrined along with Florida State coach Bobby Bowden as planned.

"Being honored with my good friend Bobby Bowden and receiving the highest honor of this special organization means a great deal to me," Paterno said in the statement. "I was looking forward to being in New York and spending time with Bobby, his wife Anne and their kids, Sue and our kids. I know that December 5 will be a special evening, and we'll look forward to sharing in that next year."

Penn State will still be represented at this year's event by All-America linebacker Paul Posluszny, the recipient of an NFF Scholar-Athlete Fellowship. The senior co-captain is the 15th Scholar-Athlete under Paterno.

NFF President Steve Hatchell wished Paterno a speedy recovery and said the NFF wanted to be as accommodating to Penn State as possible.

Still, he was disappointed both Bowden and Paterno, who rank Nos. 1 and 2 on college football's career wins list, couldn't be inducted together.

"Everybody knows that we're going to induct Joe, whether it's in '06 or '07," Hatchell said. "We'd like to have done it together because not only are they great coaches, they are great people ... Yes, we're disappointed. But it's not a bad disappointment because we'll get to do this with Joe next year."

Despite Paterno's absence, the pair will still be honored during a video tribute as co-recipients of the NFF's Gold Medal, the organization's highest honor for their "contributions to the coaching profession and their impact on the lives of countless young men," the statement said.

The NFF Gold Medal has been awarded to seven U.S. presidents, four U.S. generals, three U.S. admirals, one U.S. Supreme Court justice, 25 CEOs and chairmen, actor John Wayne and former baseball player Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in the Major Leagues.

Paterno was released from Mount Nittany Medical Center last Friday, five days after his surgery. He missed his first football game since 1977 last Saturday, watching his Nittany Lions beat Temple from his home a few miles away.

Earlier this week, Paterno's wife, Sue Paterno, said preparations were being made for him to coach from the press box this Saturday against Michigan State. Joe Paterno attended practice for the first time since the accident Tuesday, addressing the team briefly during pregame warm-ups, Posluszny said.

"It was great to see him at practice," Posluszny said. "Things were a little bit different without him there. I think it was good for everyone to see him again."

Reached on his way to a meeting yesterday, defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said Paterno planned to attend practice again yesterday.

Bradley said he hadn't spoken with Paterno about his delayed induction as of then, but said the ceremony probably wasn't high on the coach's list of concerns.

"All his focus is on Michigan State," Bradley said. "I know that's what he's thinking."

Penn State sports information director Jeff Nelson said the decision to postpone the induction was based on the coach's best interests, but added that it shouldn't detract from next year's ceremony.

"I'm sure it'll be as special," Nelson said. "I think it would be somewhat appropriate that Coach Paterno would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in what would be considered one of the milestone years for that specific event."

A message left for Bowden was not returned by press time yesterday.