First, I want to say that I had a great time in Lincoln. I never heard a single, negative thing about Wyoming before or after the game. Nebraska's fans were pure class (with the exception of booing the personal foul call when they tackled Brett by the helmet, but in the heat of competition, I might have done the same thing).
But my real reason for posting is to relate how proud I am to have Brett Smith as a Cowboy. As I was leaving the stadium, I had a Nebraska fan come up and put a finger in my chest...and say, "Don't you ever bring that kid back here again. He was truly amazing and I don't want to be that frustrated again. I look forward to cheering for you all this year, because cheering for the team playing against you is maddening. Smith is the real deal and you deserve to win a lot of games."
Even more impressive was the fact that the comments didn't only tie to Smith. I heard several Husker fans note that Wyoming played with passion and heart. They noted that their Huskers would remember that game for a while, based on the bruises and soreness. I couldn't be more proud, as Nebraskans pride themselves on passion for football. They know it when they see it. And they saw it with our Pokes.
In an age where the likes of Johnny Manziel grab the headlines for being horrible role models and where kids can't expect much from them - I loved reading the story in the Omaha Herald where Brett, after a gut wrenching loss, gave his game towel to two kids in red. I love the notion that, while they will always be Husker fans first, those two boys and the thousands of Nebraskans that read that story and watched how hard our Pokes played, will be Cowboys too. That, my friends, is how you recruit for the future. That is how you convince parents in Nebraska, Texas, California and Casper, Wyoming, that Laramie is the place for their son.
DC has taken his fair share of knocks - from me and others. But I do have a sense that we might have something in terms of a program. I have to think that the AFA post-game debacle helped DC grow as a coach. I have to think that the Nevada ejection helped Brett grow. I have to hope that last season's meltdown instilled a hunger to win and play with passion. It sure looked like it on Saturday. This team appears to have taken the worst blows from last year and become better as a result of them. If so, we have a hell of a coach and a team with the character to overcome even the most glaring mismatch in terms of physical strength and ability (which seemed to be on full display on Saturday).
Here's to a great game against Idaho. I will be there cheering my butt off, enjoying being a very, very small part of something that I hope will be pretty special.
Go Pokes!
But my real reason for posting is to relate how proud I am to have Brett Smith as a Cowboy. As I was leaving the stadium, I had a Nebraska fan come up and put a finger in my chest...and say, "Don't you ever bring that kid back here again. He was truly amazing and I don't want to be that frustrated again. I look forward to cheering for you all this year, because cheering for the team playing against you is maddening. Smith is the real deal and you deserve to win a lot of games."
Even more impressive was the fact that the comments didn't only tie to Smith. I heard several Husker fans note that Wyoming played with passion and heart. They noted that their Huskers would remember that game for a while, based on the bruises and soreness. I couldn't be more proud, as Nebraskans pride themselves on passion for football. They know it when they see it. And they saw it with our Pokes.
In an age where the likes of Johnny Manziel grab the headlines for being horrible role models and where kids can't expect much from them - I loved reading the story in the Omaha Herald where Brett, after a gut wrenching loss, gave his game towel to two kids in red. I love the notion that, while they will always be Husker fans first, those two boys and the thousands of Nebraskans that read that story and watched how hard our Pokes played, will be Cowboys too. That, my friends, is how you recruit for the future. That is how you convince parents in Nebraska, Texas, California and Casper, Wyoming, that Laramie is the place for their son.
DC has taken his fair share of knocks - from me and others. But I do have a sense that we might have something in terms of a program. I have to think that the AFA post-game debacle helped DC grow as a coach. I have to think that the Nevada ejection helped Brett grow. I have to hope that last season's meltdown instilled a hunger to win and play with passion. It sure looked like it on Saturday. This team appears to have taken the worst blows from last year and become better as a result of them. If so, we have a hell of a coach and a team with the character to overcome even the most glaring mismatch in terms of physical strength and ability (which seemed to be on full display on Saturday).
Here's to a great game against Idaho. I will be there cheering my butt off, enjoying being a very, very small part of something that I hope will be pretty special.
Go Pokes!
