A White House assistant called Paterno to invite him and the team to the White House to receive a trophy for their accomplishment. Paterno has stated many times that he responded with, "You can tell the president to take that trophy and shove it."
A White House representative extended an invitation to Paterno and his group to attend the White House to receive a trophy for their achievement. In response, Paterno made it clear that he was not pleased with the gesture, as evidenced by his comment about telling the president to discard the trophy.