When I was at Penn State in 1989 or 1990, the head cheerleader (who we called Flounder - not sure how that started) had a cheer where he would call out and wait for us to call back.
Flounder: "When I say 'Go', you say 'State'
Flounder: GO!
CROWD: STATE!
Flounder: GO!
CROWD: STATE!
There were a bunch of other ones, like BLUE, WHITE, etc., but when he went on to do one for Joe Paterno, it was kind of clumsy...
F: when I say "Joe Pa," you say "terno"
We were supposed to say "terno," but we never did. Instead we would yell back "JOE PA" again.
It was catchy, and before you knew it, everyone was calling him JoePa.
Well that's my recollection, someone else has an earlier story. That was the first I heard it.
JoePa
Joe Rokicki goes by Joe.
Joe Taslim goes by Joe.
Holyoke Joe goes by Holyoke Joe.
Joe DeRita went by Curly-Joe.
Joe Cabezuela goes by Joe Cab.
Joe Cacciotti goes by Little Joe.
Joe Spit goes by Joe Spit.
Joe Wurzelbacher goes by Joe the Plumber.
Joe Previtera goes by Joe the Cameraman.
Joe Pyne went by Killer Joe.
Joe Rabl goes by Hollywood Joe.
Joe Reiner goes by Joe Idol.