The bank that I work for is a sponsor of the Nebraska football team and last night we held our annual event where we able to have a tour of the stadium, dinner and drinks at the Champion's Club, and then hear from former blackshirts and Coach McBride. This is the 3rd year in a row we were able to do a similar event as we had a dinner the last couple years for the 20 year anniversary of the national championship teams. I wrote a similar posts with a few nuggets after those events and thought I would do the same now.
Former Huskers who attended on behalf of the University to support our sponsorship:
Charlie Bride
Matt Davison - Emcee
Jay Foreman
Jerry Murtaugh
Jason Peter
Tom Ruud
We did a tour of the stadium and all of the facilities around 5:00pm last night. There were some areas I've never been before including the media box where Foltz and Brown would study together, the training table, and the different life skills and learning facilities. There's really no surprise why most parents and recruits leave Nebraska extremely impressed after leaving Nebraska. We threw some passes on the field last night and I attempted a PAT and we watched the Scarlets practice for about 20 minutes. followed the red road from the field back to the locker room (reverse tunnel walk) and went into the locker room and toured the strength center. I saw Stoltenberg in all of his and full pads (white pants and white jersey) walking around back there. I was surprised to hear about him being injured about a half hour later at dinner because he seemed fine walking - at least I could tell it wasn't extremely serious.
Walking off of the field and back towards the locker room Riley just happened to be exiting the field as our tour group walked by. When he saw us his walk became a slow job and he came up to us with an ear to ear smile and thanked by bank for sponsoring and thanked my clients for coming. He took several pictures with my clients and it will certainly be a moment they'll never forget. One of them asked Riley if he likes it here at Nebraska and with the most genuine Mike Riley tone you can imagine said.....I absolutely love it here at Nebraska. It was awesome seeing that Riley was just as excited to see fans getting their first tour of the stadium as the fans were to see him.
Going back in the locker room there were several Huskers stretching in the Suh Strength Center and walking in and out of the locker room. Tanner Farmer shook about 20 people' hands that were in our tour group....."I'm Tanner Farmer....thanks for coming and supporting us." Over and over. It was really really cool.
Back at Champion's Club for dinner after the tour Matt Davison was next to me at our table. He is a really great guy and someone that is a huge advocate for the team and the entire program. He said that his work as a broadcaster is more of a hobby than anything else because he's so passionate about it. He said that he doesn't get nervous before a TV or radio broadcast, but more of an adrenaline rush. He said that he needs to have thick skin in that business because about 99% of what he says is his own opinion and he frequently gets letters or emails from people that don't agree with a comment he made. He says he's a lot thicker skinned now after 13-14 years of doing this than early on.
I asked him who the best overall athlete was on the team during his entire time at Nebraska and he said without a doubt Mike Brown. He said that Mike Brown epitomized what it meant to be a blackshirt and he had everything you could ever want in a player. He called him the best open-field tackler to ever play at Nebraska and he had speed, nastiness, a fierceness to him that was unreal. Matt said that if Nebraska had 10 more like Mike Brown they would never lose a game.
A few funny stories Matt shared:
After the Miracle in Missouri he said that he was really excited to see Osborne's huge reaction and he was sure that he was going to get "some serious loving from Coach Osborne." He sat down on the bus and Osborne walked down the aisle to get to his seat and looked down and said very very calmly "good catch Matt." Coach McBride spoke up laughing at this point to and said he heard Coach Osborne tell Matt Davison good catch and even McBride was like.....Really? This kid just took us to the National Championship. ha The delivery was really funny.
Davison asked the players their one favorite play that stood out to them the most. Jason Peter just kind of shrugged and said they were all meaningful to him, but doesn't recall specific plays. He said that fans always come up to him and say things like.....Remember Colorado in 95 when it was 3rd and 8...blah blah...and he responds like.....sorry, no I don't. ha.
McBride said one of his favorite moments was actually Matt's catch that took Nebraska to the Orange Bowl for Osborne's last year. He said.....you guy's all know the story, but one of mine was Matty's catch down at Mizzou. Davison responded as emcee.......Coach, maybe they haven't heard the story...go ahead and tell it....be sure to start from the beginning. The crowd lost it at that point.
Davison told us that when he went to school here the offense was on one area of the locker room and defense was in a whole different area. He said when he was a freshman they didn't have any spots open with the offense so he had lockers right next to Christian, Jason, Jared, Grant, etc. He said that he was about 99% positive no one knew who he was before making that catch. He mentioned Jason Peter told the media that very thing after that Mizzou game. Jason Peter and most of the blackshirts called Davison "pence" because he had the skinny frame of a pencil.
Davison told a story of when highly ranked Nebraska went out to highly crazy Washington for a big game. He said he was a freshman and he was squished in the middle of 2 big dudes on the plane with Kelsay next to him. He was trying to make small talk with the guys and they didn't want to have any of it. He finally said something along the lines of.....watching film of Washington they look pretty good. Kelsay then agreed with him and confirmed...yea their pretty good. Davison didn't know how to keep the conversation going with these older guys and said "the dumbest thing of his career" to Kelsay.....so do you think we're going to win? He said Kelsay quickly turned and put his hand around his throat and said......of course we're going to win. He said Kelsay was furious and couldn't believe that this kid would even say something like that.
During that same game Christian or Jason (I can't remember) was giving the most insane pregame pep-talk and the whole team is bouncing off the walls. Davison said that the entire Washington team lined up right outside of the Nebraska locker room on both sides and were jumping up and down to try and intimidate Nebraska. He said that when the doors opened the entire Nebraska team walked slowly past the Washington team looking each and every one of them in the eye as they walked by. The Washington player's jumping began to get slower and slower until they just stood there as Nebraska walked by - staring them in the eyes. Matt Davison said that at that point he was like.....yup.....we're going to win.
There were several stories about the players and sometimes even McBride and other coaches trying to get a rise out of Coach Osborne....but was unsuccessful. Jay Foreman told a hilarious story of after winning the 95 Fiesta Bowl he was pretty excited for....you know, just winning a national championship....but he was REALLY excited because he just knew Osborne was finally going to go nuts after winning back to back titles. He said the locker room got dead silent when Osborne walked in and the whole team paid attention as Osborne was ready to speak......the postgame national championship speech went like this......great win tonight fellas.....you guys deserve it.....for you guys coming back next year....we start weight training on this date...blah blah. Jay Foreman said the entire team looked at each other like....is this guy serious?
Jay Foreman said he was really really nervous for his first start as a black shirt. He said he started Spring like #6 on the depth chart and some guys moved around and he passed a few guys and before he knew it he was in a position to start way sooner than he thought. He said that right before the first game of his first start McBride came up to him and said.....Jay....if you don't knock someone's teeth in today I'm going to knock yours in. He said when they trotted out there on defense the whole time he was lined up by both Peters brothers, Grant, etc. and Christian Peter was saying everything under the sun to the offensive lineman....EVERYTHING...Foreman said that when the offense broke the huddle and they saw the D line for Nebraska their eyes were the size of saucers and they had that "oh sh*t" look to them. He said at that point he was like.....I'm good. These guys won't let anything happen to me.
There are several more stories I can share if anyone cares to read, but didn't want this post to be an entire novel.
Thanks,
PH
Former Huskers who attended on behalf of the University to support our sponsorship:
Charlie Bride
Matt Davison - Emcee
Jay Foreman
Jerry Murtaugh
Jason Peter
Tom Ruud
We did a tour of the stadium and all of the facilities around 5:00pm last night. There were some areas I've never been before including the media box where Foltz and Brown would study together, the training table, and the different life skills and learning facilities. There's really no surprise why most parents and recruits leave Nebraska extremely impressed after leaving Nebraska. We threw some passes on the field last night and I attempted a PAT and we watched the Scarlets practice for about 20 minutes. followed the red road from the field back to the locker room (reverse tunnel walk) and went into the locker room and toured the strength center. I saw Stoltenberg in all of his and full pads (white pants and white jersey) walking around back there. I was surprised to hear about him being injured about a half hour later at dinner because he seemed fine walking - at least I could tell it wasn't extremely serious.
Walking off of the field and back towards the locker room Riley just happened to be exiting the field as our tour group walked by. When he saw us his walk became a slow job and he came up to us with an ear to ear smile and thanked by bank for sponsoring and thanked my clients for coming. He took several pictures with my clients and it will certainly be a moment they'll never forget. One of them asked Riley if he likes it here at Nebraska and with the most genuine Mike Riley tone you can imagine said.....I absolutely love it here at Nebraska. It was awesome seeing that Riley was just as excited to see fans getting their first tour of the stadium as the fans were to see him.
Going back in the locker room there were several Huskers stretching in the Suh Strength Center and walking in and out of the locker room. Tanner Farmer shook about 20 people' hands that were in our tour group....."I'm Tanner Farmer....thanks for coming and supporting us." Over and over. It was really really cool.
Back at Champion's Club for dinner after the tour Matt Davison was next to me at our table. He is a really great guy and someone that is a huge advocate for the team and the entire program. He said that his work as a broadcaster is more of a hobby than anything else because he's so passionate about it. He said that he doesn't get nervous before a TV or radio broadcast, but more of an adrenaline rush. He said that he needs to have thick skin in that business because about 99% of what he says is his own opinion and he frequently gets letters or emails from people that don't agree with a comment he made. He says he's a lot thicker skinned now after 13-14 years of doing this than early on.
I asked him who the best overall athlete was on the team during his entire time at Nebraska and he said without a doubt Mike Brown. He said that Mike Brown epitomized what it meant to be a blackshirt and he had everything you could ever want in a player. He called him the best open-field tackler to ever play at Nebraska and he had speed, nastiness, a fierceness to him that was unreal. Matt said that if Nebraska had 10 more like Mike Brown they would never lose a game.
A few funny stories Matt shared:
After the Miracle in Missouri he said that he was really excited to see Osborne's huge reaction and he was sure that he was going to get "some serious loving from Coach Osborne." He sat down on the bus and Osborne walked down the aisle to get to his seat and looked down and said very very calmly "good catch Matt." Coach McBride spoke up laughing at this point to and said he heard Coach Osborne tell Matt Davison good catch and even McBride was like.....Really? This kid just took us to the National Championship. ha The delivery was really funny.
Davison asked the players their one favorite play that stood out to them the most. Jason Peter just kind of shrugged and said they were all meaningful to him, but doesn't recall specific plays. He said that fans always come up to him and say things like.....Remember Colorado in 95 when it was 3rd and 8...blah blah...and he responds like.....sorry, no I don't. ha.
McBride said one of his favorite moments was actually Matt's catch that took Nebraska to the Orange Bowl for Osborne's last year. He said.....you guy's all know the story, but one of mine was Matty's catch down at Mizzou. Davison responded as emcee.......Coach, maybe they haven't heard the story...go ahead and tell it....be sure to start from the beginning. The crowd lost it at that point.
Davison told us that when he went to school here the offense was on one area of the locker room and defense was in a whole different area. He said when he was a freshman they didn't have any spots open with the offense so he had lockers right next to Christian, Jason, Jared, Grant, etc. He said that he was about 99% positive no one knew who he was before making that catch. He mentioned Jason Peter told the media that very thing after that Mizzou game. Jason Peter and most of the blackshirts called Davison "pence" because he had the skinny frame of a pencil.
Davison told a story of when highly ranked Nebraska went out to highly crazy Washington for a big game. He said he was a freshman and he was squished in the middle of 2 big dudes on the plane with Kelsay next to him. He was trying to make small talk with the guys and they didn't want to have any of it. He finally said something along the lines of.....watching film of Washington they look pretty good. Kelsay then agreed with him and confirmed...yea their pretty good. Davison didn't know how to keep the conversation going with these older guys and said "the dumbest thing of his career" to Kelsay.....so do you think we're going to win? He said Kelsay quickly turned and put his hand around his throat and said......of course we're going to win. He said Kelsay was furious and couldn't believe that this kid would even say something like that.
During that same game Christian or Jason (I can't remember) was giving the most insane pregame pep-talk and the whole team is bouncing off the walls. Davison said that the entire Washington team lined up right outside of the Nebraska locker room on both sides and were jumping up and down to try and intimidate Nebraska. He said that when the doors opened the entire Nebraska team walked slowly past the Washington team looking each and every one of them in the eye as they walked by. The Washington player's jumping began to get slower and slower until they just stood there as Nebraska walked by - staring them in the eyes. Matt Davison said that at that point he was like.....yup.....we're going to win.
There were several stories about the players and sometimes even McBride and other coaches trying to get a rise out of Coach Osborne....but was unsuccessful. Jay Foreman told a hilarious story of after winning the 95 Fiesta Bowl he was pretty excited for....you know, just winning a national championship....but he was REALLY excited because he just knew Osborne was finally going to go nuts after winning back to back titles. He said the locker room got dead silent when Osborne walked in and the whole team paid attention as Osborne was ready to speak......the postgame national championship speech went like this......great win tonight fellas.....you guys deserve it.....for you guys coming back next year....we start weight training on this date...blah blah. Jay Foreman said the entire team looked at each other like....is this guy serious?
Jay Foreman said he was really really nervous for his first start as a black shirt. He said he started Spring like #6 on the depth chart and some guys moved around and he passed a few guys and before he knew it he was in a position to start way sooner than he thought. He said that right before the first game of his first start McBride came up to him and said.....Jay....if you don't knock someone's teeth in today I'm going to knock yours in. He said when they trotted out there on defense the whole time he was lined up by both Peters brothers, Grant, etc. and Christian Peter was saying everything under the sun to the offensive lineman....EVERYTHING...Foreman said that when the offense broke the huddle and they saw the D line for Nebraska their eyes were the size of saucers and they had that "oh sh*t" look to them. He said at that point he was like.....I'm good. These guys won't let anything happen to me.
There are several more stories I can share if anyone cares to read, but didn't want this post to be an entire novel.
Thanks,
PH
