[Lemon:] Next week, Penn State takes the field for the first time and for the first football game since former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, was found guilty of child sexual abuse. The legacy of the program has been tarnished by sanctions and by lawsuits and of course, this particular incident. But today we hear from a few of the players who remain on the team. They sat down in an exclusive interview with our Jason Carroll. There he is now. Jason joins us. So, Jason, what's their reaction to what's happened to their program?
[Jason Carroll, Cnn National Correspondent:] Well, there are so many different reactions. It's depending upon what direction you're going with this, Don. You know, I asked some of the five players who we sat down with, first of all, what they thought of the man, Joe Paterno. And one of the players told me, he said this is a man who I respected for many, many years. Another player told me said this is a man who my father played with. I still respect him even given what happened later on in his career. So it was very interesting to hear from the players' point of view on Joe Paterno. Also to hear their point of view post NCAA sanctions. As you know, Penn State hit with very heavy sanctions here with the university. The team really took a hit because of those sanctions. Nine players decided to leave the team. I asked the players who remained what they thought of that. They said, look, it hurts. But the seniors on the team said that they've reached out to some of the other players. Some of those players on the fence, they talked to them. They said their point now, Don, is to focus on the team members who are here. And one of the points they also wanted me to get across is they really feel as though they are a stronger team now. They feel they are closer given the crisis that they've been through and they say they are ready to take on Ohio come September 1st.
[Lemon:] Jason, so they are getting support obviously. They're supporting each other. Do they feel because there were many people who thought that the program should be shut down altogether, should be shuttered. Do they feel they are getting broader support from outside of Penn State beyond the fans?
[Carroll:] Well, I know you've been following this story very closely, Don. So you've heard critics on both sides. Clearly, there have been a number of people out here not necessarily directly here around Penn State in this community, but throughout the country. They feel as though perhaps the program should be been shut down. The football players that we spoke to today said they were very aware of that. They were very aware that perhaps they would not have a team, that they would not be able to play. But they said that they received e-mails from all over the country. One player telling me that he received e-mails from people who he didn't even know, who found way to contact him lending support. So they feel like they have the support of the community behind them. They feel like they have a stronger team now in place in terms of moving forward.
[Lemon:] All right, and you can see that interview on "THE SITUATION ROOM" at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Thank you, Jason Carroll. Just a short time ago, we told you more than 900 people have been killed this week in Syria, but survivors are looking for shelter. CNN's international Jim Clancy has some of their stories Jim.
[Jim Clancy, Cnn International Correspondent:] Don, the death toll continues to soar in Syria with activists reporting more than 150 people killed on Friday alone including large numbers of women and children. Indiscriminate bombing attacks by jets, the rockets fired into civilian areas and tanks moving in on the ground in many places across the country. The battle has centered not only on the large cities like Damascus and Aleppo, but on many smaller towns where the Free Syrian Army has held sway for months.
[Clancy:] All young men have gone. All the young men have been burned this woman shouted. Their voices filled with grief and anger. They trudge along. The smoke from fires smeared the skyline from behind them. Video posted on YouTube purports to show residents of the town leaving their homes, escaping with their lives but little else. Some carried bags with food or belongings, perhaps a single bottle of water. Many cradle children or infants in their arms. Some appear to be injured or exhausted after days of fighting in Hirak. As they appear to abandon their town many curse Bashar Assad or poured out their stories that all of the young men have been killed. Children murdered and burned. The determined drive by Syrian government troops left those who supported the uprising in despair. This man was comforted by passersby, but couldn't contain his emotion. Hirak is located north of Jira where Syria's uprising began 17 months ago. The town not far from the Jordanian border had long been used as a base by the Free Syrian Army. This week, it's 20,000 residents paid the price. Video also posted on YouTube purports to show the burned out shops and obvious signs of damage from tank fire, which may have set the buildings ablaze. A few young men remain where city streets show the deep scars of tank tracks. A handful of apparent fighters hastily carry the badly wounded comrade on a stretcher getting medical treatment won't be easy. Bashar doesn't fear God this woman shouted. All the men were slaughtered. Now refugees and head long flight the people of Hirak scrambled aboard trucks to escape. Some will likely find refuge with relatives in nearby villages. Others may try to leave Syria altogether. Children looked out from one of the trucks, clearly affected by all they had witnessed. The cameraman repeated again and again the world should see what is happening in Syria. The children have seen the ferocity of the fighting between the Free Syrian Army and government troops intent on a crackdown. What they can't see clearly is what kind of a future they're going to have in their own country. [on camera]: It isn't only the refugees from that single town. It's an estimated two-and-a-half million Syrians who have been driven out of their homes. They remain desperately in need of aid. But there are no humanitarian corridors, no safe havens. Clearly, President Bashar al-Assad's military is making a frontal assault on the opposition. And we can only expect the situation inside the country to grow more desperate in the hours and the days ahead Don.
[Lemon:] All right, Jim Clancy, thank you very much.