A note on Deion and UNL.
In 1988, I was based out of Gainesville, covering the Gators for the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale. On Tuesdays, I'd drive to Tallahassee to find a feature story out of the Seminoles.
My time in Tally usually started with a few minutes in Bobby Bowden's office. He didn't know me at all before then, but he gave me some of his time. At the first meeting, he asked where I went to college, and after that he'd always note what a wonderful place Lincoln was, and that he hoped he could build FSU into a program that emulated the Huskers. We all know that because we've read it from Bobby in NU promotional materials and media guides.
He took teams to Lincoln in 1980, 1981, 1985 and 1986, winning in 1980 and 1985. Deion was on those '85 and '86 squads during his first two years in Tallahassee. He also played against the Huskers in that excruciating Fiesta Bowl loss after the 1987 season. (Damn you, Tyreese Knox, and whichever official threw that OPI penalty in the last minute.)
Then I'd head to the players training table for pre-scheduled interviews and some 1980s-style "healthy" Southern grub.
Deion always sat at the head of a table overstuffed with as many athletes could squeeze next to him, just to listen to him talk. The topic could be anything, but always had everybody's attention in the room.
If I was scheduled to interview Deion, I felt guilty pulling him away from his audience, and if it was somebody else at that table, I felt guilty pulling them away from Deion.
This anecdote has nothing to do with anything other than to say Deion knows a lot about Nebraska, he's played twice in front of raucous crowds at Memorial Stadium, and against Nebraska three times. He was also extremely close to his former head coach.
Maybe that sincere affection for Lincoln rubbed off on Deion.
I'm living in that fantasy world until the bubble bursts.
In 1988, I was based out of Gainesville, covering the Gators for the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale. On Tuesdays, I'd drive to Tallahassee to find a feature story out of the Seminoles.
My time in Tally usually started with a few minutes in Bobby Bowden's office. He didn't know me at all before then, but he gave me some of his time. At the first meeting, he asked where I went to college, and after that he'd always note what a wonderful place Lincoln was, and that he hoped he could build FSU into a program that emulated the Huskers. We all know that because we've read it from Bobby in NU promotional materials and media guides.
He took teams to Lincoln in 1980, 1981, 1985 and 1986, winning in 1980 and 1985. Deion was on those '85 and '86 squads during his first two years in Tallahassee. He also played against the Huskers in that excruciating Fiesta Bowl loss after the 1987 season. (Damn you, Tyreese Knox, and whichever official threw that OPI penalty in the last minute.)
Then I'd head to the players training table for pre-scheduled interviews and some 1980s-style "healthy" Southern grub.
Deion always sat at the head of a table overstuffed with as many athletes could squeeze next to him, just to listen to him talk. The topic could be anything, but always had everybody's attention in the room.
If I was scheduled to interview Deion, I felt guilty pulling him away from his audience, and if it was somebody else at that table, I felt guilty pulling them away from Deion.
This anecdote has nothing to do with anything other than to say Deion knows a lot about Nebraska, he's played twice in front of raucous crowds at Memorial Stadium, and against Nebraska three times. He was also extremely close to his former head coach.
Maybe that sincere affection for Lincoln rubbed off on Deion.
I'm living in that fantasy world until the bubble bursts.
