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Tommie Frazier: The Legendary Husker Quarterback is (FINALLY) in the Hall of Fame

The Sporting News has learned that Tommie Frazier has been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame after being snubbed the last two years.

By Husker Mike

Matt Hayes of the Sporting News reports that after being snubbed the last two seasons, former Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier has been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

The official announcement won't come until tomorrow morning, however.

Frazier's snubbings the last two years has been roundly criticized, especially last year. And as the invitations for tomorrow's announcement hit this morning, people remembered what happened last year.

Why?

Frazier took over as Nebraska's starting quarterback in a road game at Missouri in 1992 as a true freshman. His first start in Lincoln was Colorado's "Nightmare on 10th Street" on Halloween night 1992, when the Huskers demolished the eighth ranked Buffaloes 52-7. One week later, Frazier repeated the feat by defeating #15 Kansas 49-7 to get the attention of the college football world. But freshmen being freshmen, the Huskers lost the next week to Iowa State in a stunner. It was the only regular season game Tommie Frazier would lose as a starting quarterback. In 1993, Nebraska would go undefeated in the regular season and unrespected nationally. National pundits didn't see any reason why Nebraska should have been ranked #1, with many openly calling for #2 Florida State to play #3 Notre Dame for the title. Nebraska was a 17 point underdog to the Seminoles, but from the opening snap, Nebraska proved they belonged on the field. Frazier outplayed Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward that night, but when Byron Bennett's 45 yard field goal hooked left, Ward and Florida State walked off with the glory.

Meanwhile, Nebraska and Frazier fumed and fumed after arguably outplaying the Seminoles, vowing not to let that happen again. "Unfinished Business" was the motto that drove the Huskers through the summer of 1994. The Huskers seemed to be rolling back towards another national championship run when Frazer left the Pacific game with a leg injury. Except it wasn't a minor injury; Frazier ended up in the hospital with blood clots, and Frazier would miss the rest of the regular season. Brook Berringer played well the rest of the season, and the reward was that Frazier and Berringer would split time in the Orange Bowl against the home-town Miami Hurricanes.

Frazier would start the game, but the game was nip and tuck. Berringer played the second and third quarters, seemingly wearing down (and out) Miami. When Frazier returned to the game, he was fresh and Warren Sapp and the 'Canes were out of gas. Sapp reportedly asked Frazier "Hey Tommie, where you've been?", with Frazier apparently responding with "It ain't where I've been, it's where I'm going." And led by Frazier's fresh legs, Nebraska mounted a fourth quarter comeback to beat Miami on their home field to win the national championship.

In 1995, Frazier's health held on and he started all 12 games that season, and Nebraska was never seriously threatened that season despite playing top-ten Kansas, Kansas State, and Colorado that season. Frazier would finish second in the Heisman Trophy balloting to Eddie George, though later on, many people wished they had that vote back. Nebraska earned a berth in the Fiesta Bowl to play Florida for another National Championship, and once again weren't getting much respect. Oddsmakers thought Steve Spurrier's "Fun and Gun" offense was too potent to keep up with Nebraska's old-fashion option offense.

Well, all Tommie Frazier did was seal his place in college football history with a memorable performance in a National Championship blowout victory, as the Huskers won 62-24. The capstone of the evening was this 75 yard run by Frazier as he broke tackle after tackle.

Frazier's blood clot problem would flare up again in 1996, and his football career came to an end. He went on to be an assistant coach with Baylor under former Husker assistant coach Kevin Steele. The lack of a pro career does nothing to impune the college achievements of Frazier, who's considered by many to be one of the greatest players ever at his position.

And now, at long last, Touchdown Tommie Frazier is apparently a Hall of Famer. To quote Warren Sapp, "Where you been Tommie?"

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