And on 5/9/1997 he left us. Share some good thoughts on the man who MADE Nebraska football.
Without this guy, we may never have seen football greatness at UNL!
- Thread starter Bugeater
- Start date
"I don't expect to win enough games to be put on NCAA probation. I just want to win enough to warrant an investigation."
- Bob Devaney
- Bob Devaney
Traveled to Norman with my dad to witness the Game of the Century. That team was so tough. Under Melton on defense Glover was a man amongst boys. On offense I've never seen a tougher SOB than Jeff Kinney.
That team was a direct reflection of Bob.
That team was a direct reflection of Bob.
http://www.dailynebraskan.com/bob-devaney/article_29c0c165-ace0-5084-9675-bc35721b7c28.html
One Devaney story that personified his legacy occurred in a game against Southern California in Lincoln.In the first half, the road team Trojans had been flagged for a few more penalties than USC Coach John McKay believed they deserved. At halftime, as McKay bitterly stomped toward the locker room and muttered to himself, he felt a hand slap him on the shoulder. It was Devaney's.McKay turned around and looked at the grinning, red-faced Irishman."Well, John," Devaney said rather sheepishly. "How did you like my brother's officiating?"
One Devaney story that personified his legacy occurred in a game against Southern California in Lincoln.In the first half, the road team Trojans had been flagged for a few more penalties than USC Coach John McKay believed they deserved. At halftime, as McKay bitterly stomped toward the locker room and muttered to himself, he felt a hand slap him on the shoulder. It was Devaney's.McKay turned around and looked at the grinning, red-faced Irishman."Well, John," Devaney said rather sheepishly. "How did you like my brother's officiating?"
There are so many great story's about Bob Devaney, I don't know where to even begin.
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people want to talk about program turnarounds...Devaney's legacy is vastly overlooked. he got us on the map, immediately.
After Nebraska beat LSU in the 1971 Orange Bowl. Notre Dame Ara Parseghian claimed Notre Dame A.P National Champs after their win over Texas in the 1971 Cotton Bowl.
Quote from Devaney the next day "Not even the Pope himself would vote Notre Dame #1"
Quote from Devaney the next day "Not even the Pope himself would vote Notre Dame #1"
I was a busboy and spilled his drink trying trying to refill his wifes water glass.
I was maybe 13 and nervous as hell because Bob Devaney.
He said out of all the things you could of knocked over...
I was maybe 13 and nervous as hell because Bob Devaney.
He said out of all the things you could of knocked over...
I was lucky enough to be at gatherings in the 90's that Devaney was attending. Due to the crowd size, I never said much more than hello or a quick handshake and then moved on.
But after the spring game in 1994, my brother and I were given a tour of the stadium facilities by Marc Munford (and damn, he was a LOT bigger in person than I ever thought, but a real nice guy). After roaming around for about half an hour, Bob shows up in the locker room, but it was getting pretty much emptied out, so we got his full attention.
Munford introduced us to Bob and you know what? Devaney spent the next half hour/forty minutes talking to us, asking us questions about ourselves, our families, where we lived, what did we do, etc. The fact that he took the time to be genuinely interested in total strangers spoke volumes about the kind of person he was. And he had that "ask me anything" kind or persona about him, very direct and thoughtful answers. To this day, it is the fondest memory I have of anything Nebraska football, and that 1978 win over OU, as great as it was, comes in a distant second.
In person, he was shorter than I thought he would be, and you could see his age was catching up with him. And of course, three years later, he was gone. But to have been given the opportunity to spend just a bit of time with the man is more than a fan could ask for. He was, as they say, the real deal!
But after the spring game in 1994, my brother and I were given a tour of the stadium facilities by Marc Munford (and damn, he was a LOT bigger in person than I ever thought, but a real nice guy). After roaming around for about half an hour, Bob shows up in the locker room, but it was getting pretty much emptied out, so we got his full attention.
Munford introduced us to Bob and you know what? Devaney spent the next half hour/forty minutes talking to us, asking us questions about ourselves, our families, where we lived, what did we do, etc. The fact that he took the time to be genuinely interested in total strangers spoke volumes about the kind of person he was. And he had that "ask me anything" kind or persona about him, very direct and thoughtful answers. To this day, it is the fondest memory I have of anything Nebraska football, and that 1978 win over OU, as great as it was, comes in a distant second.
In person, he was shorter than I thought he would be, and you could see his age was catching up with him. And of course, three years later, he was gone. But to have been given the opportunity to spend just a bit of time with the man is more than a fan could ask for. He was, as they say, the real deal!
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My Bobfather story: Devaney was the speaker at my high school sports banquet in the late 60's and had the crowd in the palm of his hand. I still remember the story/joke he told about his days coaching high school football and one rather difficult season. He said his best player was his fullback who was 6 feet tall and weighed 119 lbs. Why? "Because" said Bob, "he was the only guy who could get through the holes his line could open." Sounds lame when I write it but with his delivery, everyone was in stitches.
Never met the man. But I've always felt that Bob is grossly under appreciated nationally for what he set in motion.
But the folks in East Lansing have never let his departure be forgotten. When I first visited there in 1995 to watch N paste MSU, I was shocked by the venom folks had for DD for not giving Bob the HC position there.
Still in theBig 8 then I thought they were just being friendly to the visitors but every year in the BIG I've gone back and heard those long memories spill out during tailgates.
The folks in them parts know how great he turned out to be. And if you haven't seen a game there, do so. It's a great trip.
But the folks in East Lansing have never let his departure be forgotten. When I first visited there in 1995 to watch N paste MSU, I was shocked by the venom folks had for DD for not giving Bob the HC position there.
Still in theBig 8 then I thought they were just being friendly to the visitors but every year in the BIG I've gone back and heard those long memories spill out during tailgates.
The folks in them parts know how great he turned out to be. And if you haven't seen a game there, do so. It's a great trip.
In the early and mid-90s I still lived and worked in Lincoln. Went over to the stadium most weekdays to jog on the turf and run the steps. Devaney was almost always out there too. He didn't really get much exercise -- just sorta walked around. He was as friendly and approachable as others are saying. He made it a point to speak with me one day, and from then on we talked all the time. Same thing as others have said -- he'd ask about where you were from, your connection to NU, job, family, etc. If he was actually uninterested, he did a great job of hiding it, as he always seemed very genuine. He remembered what we'd talked about from one visit to the next. This went on for over five years, and I had those conversations with him, just me one-on-one, until he got ill to the point that he wasn't able physically to come out on the field and walk anymore. When he passed away, I felt like I'd lost a friend.
One of his players from the late 60s married the daughter of a family friend. This particular player actually started the Green Bay pipeline that brought Jerry Tagge, Jim Anderson and Dave Mason to Lincoln, as he was a couple of years older than them. This player, who I'll call Dennis (cuz that's his name), told me a story about the 1969 Sun Bowl. Dennis and some other players snuck across the border into Mexico one night before the game and got piefaced. They all overslept the next day and Devaney himself came to roust them for practice, rather than sending a manager or assistant coach. Dennis was still drunk and started swinging and thrashing when Devaney tried to wake him. He ended up suspended for the game, and Devaney suggested that he not come back for his senior season. He ended up leaving the team, but the next year Devaney wrote a fantastic recommendation for Dennis' medical school application. He got in and is today a big-time surgeon in San Antonio.
And now Paul Harvey's rest of the story: I asked Devaney about it one day. He couldn't believe I knew about Dennis and that situation. What he told me might be a little surprising. He confirmed the story and said to me, "ya know, I thought Dennis might be heading down a wrong path of too much drinking and partying. I knew he had tremendous potential as a student and that he aspired to be a doctor. I just thought it best that he get away from his present atmosphere and focus on grades and school." It was a serious moment and it kinda left me speechless. But then in true Bobfather form, he got a little smile on his face and added: "and besides, he couldn't hold his tequila nearly as well as I could anyway."
And with that, he turned around and resumed his walk around the field.
One of his players from the late 60s married the daughter of a family friend. This particular player actually started the Green Bay pipeline that brought Jerry Tagge, Jim Anderson and Dave Mason to Lincoln, as he was a couple of years older than them. This player, who I'll call Dennis (cuz that's his name), told me a story about the 1969 Sun Bowl. Dennis and some other players snuck across the border into Mexico one night before the game and got piefaced. They all overslept the next day and Devaney himself came to roust them for practice, rather than sending a manager or assistant coach. Dennis was still drunk and started swinging and thrashing when Devaney tried to wake him. He ended up suspended for the game, and Devaney suggested that he not come back for his senior season. He ended up leaving the team, but the next year Devaney wrote a fantastic recommendation for Dennis' medical school application. He got in and is today a big-time surgeon in San Antonio.
And now Paul Harvey's rest of the story: I asked Devaney about it one day. He couldn't believe I knew about Dennis and that situation. What he told me might be a little surprising. He confirmed the story and said to me, "ya know, I thought Dennis might be heading down a wrong path of too much drinking and partying. I knew he had tremendous potential as a student and that he aspired to be a doctor. I just thought it best that he get away from his present atmosphere and focus on grades and school." It was a serious moment and it kinda left me speechless. But then in true Bobfather form, he got a little smile on his face and added: "and besides, he couldn't hold his tequila nearly as well as I could anyway."
And with that, he turned around and resumed his walk around the field.
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Couldn't have said it any better. My dad got our season tickets in the West Stadium the minute Bob was hired. His favorite saying back then was "Get off your fanny and help Bob Devaney". The rest is history.
He seemed to be able to lighten the mood around him no matter how bad it was.
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