ALBANY, Ga. (AP) — Former Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden says now-fired Penn State coach Joe Paterno was “a little negligent” for not acting more decisively to stop alleged child abuse by one of his assistant coaches.

The Albany Herald reports that (http://bit.ly/t8FUDo ) Bobby Bowden said Penn State officials could have acted years earlier to prevent sexual abuse. Bowden has the second-most major college football wins behind Paterno.

He said he had not spoken to Paterno since the scandal erupted.

Paterno and Penn State President Graham Spanier were forced out this week amid questions about whether they did enough to stop, report or investigate what a grand jury report said was the molestation of boys as young as 10 by former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

Sandusky’s lawyer has said he maintains his innocence.