Husker Fan Recalls Changes At Memorial Stadium Over Past 50 Years

I received the following email from devout Husker fan John Soflin in response to my article about the Husker sell-out streak being 47 years old I thought I'd share it with y'all before we move on from the gooey goodness that was this non-conference schedule and into conference play.

John Soflin is a coach at Lexington, and along with Jayson Jorgensen does Lexington's sporting events on KRVN radio. He informed me he's also a semi-retired teacher, but I'll confess I'm not 100% sure what that means - they only call him in for the really tough cases now, or what?

Here's the note from John:

This is my 50th year of going to Husker games. I started in 1959 when I was 10 years old sitting in the knothole section of the south endzone. I can remember helping tear down the goal posts after Nebraska upset Oklahoma 25 to 21 that year stopping Oklahoma's conference win streak. I helped carry them to the Governors mansion with the college students and missed my ride home with my dad. Used my last nickel to call him from a payphone at Golds department store to come and get me. Boy did I get a whippin' from that, although he always smiled when he would tell the story throughout his life.

My dad then bought four tickets in the west stadium for my two brothers and him to sit in. I started sitting there in 1960. I can remember the first sellout and Noel Martin intercepting a Johnny Roland pass and running down the west sidelines for a touchdown. When he past our seats around the 25 yard line I thought he was going to die, but he had a convoy of Cornhusker players escorting him to the endzone.

I haven't been to all 300 games missing the great years of 1969 through 1972 while I served four years in the military and have missed a few games here and there since, but I'd say I've probably seen at least 280 to 285 of them.

I watched people grow old and pass away in Section 29 row 13 and now I'm becoming the old fart in that section along with my brother. Sadly I miss my dad and older brother who are no longer with us watching the games. My dad use to stand up and sing all the fight songs including "Come a Runnin Boys" and I use to try to sink under the seat embarrassed not understanding the pride at that young age of being a Cornhusker.

Things are different now and I miss all the old traditions that have faded away to the new TECH age, but am proud to still be able to support the team as we march on to new sell out records each and every home game.

Enjoy your posts on Twitter.

Keep it up, 

John Soflin

I'd say I have to agree with him somewhat on the traditions fading away with the new TECH age - but I suppose that statement makes the both of us look old to some people. "You just hate change" or the term "luddite" might be hurled in my direction and I'd respond by saying that some times it feels like all the tech stuff takes away from what's happening on the field. It's great to see the replays, but at the same time even watching does does distract you from interacting with other fans around you.

Let me ask - if you're under 30 and attending home games on a regular basis, where do you see things going in the next 30 years? You think we'll be able to maintain that streak?  What do you think you'll hang onto from the current era that won't be there in 30 years - in other words - what traditions do you think will be replaced so that you might seem old?