Paterno's son says dad continues to fight illness

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- One of Joe Paterno's sons says the former Penn State football coach is "continuing to fight."

Family members are refuting reports that Paterno has died -- but they also say his condition has become "serious" after he experienced complications from lung cancer.

Paterno, who is 85, has been hospitalized for more than a week.

About 200 students and townspeople in State College, Pa., gathered during the evening at a statue of Paterno just outside a gate at Beaver Stadium. Some brought candles, while others held up their smart phones to take photos of the scene.

Jay Paterno tweeted that he's told his dad about the "love and support."

Paterno was diagnosed shortly after the school's board of trustees ousted him in November, in the aftermath of the child sex abuse charges against a former assistant.