Yesterday, we talked about Bo's Last Season.
Before the likes of Grant Wistrom, the Peters brothers, and other vocal leaders, there was Broderick Thomas. In 1988, the "Sandman" was unstoppable both on the field and in the press.
Better yet, his accolades backed up his bravado. Here are just some of the highlights:
- First team All-American
- Big 8 Defensive Player of the Year
- Butkus Award Finalist
Thomas' attitude was contagious. I always considered him an anomaly in the sense that he wasn't afraid to speak his mind. In other words, he was very non-Osborne. I don't think that was a bad thing, either.
People brought keys to the games. Chants of "whose house?" broke out in the stadium. In other words, Nebraska had some swagger.
It's going out on a limb, but let's consider Thomas' senior year as a precursor to brash talk with the talent to back it up. To take this yet another step further, we should consider him a pioneer that broke new ground for Wistrom and company.
Sure, the Huskers finished 11-2 that year with embarrassing losses to UCLA and Miami that year, but at least it was interesting.
"Whose house? Our House."
Tomorrow - Academic All-Americans