Get To Know the Corn Nation Staff - Husker Mike

Husker Mike pours hours of research and wordsmithing into his Husker opponent previews. I doubt you will find a better analysis of Nebraska opponents anywhere. I also greatly appreciate his thoughtful commentary and even-keel contributions to our staff email threads and chats. Follow him on twitter @Husker_Mike.

How did you become a Husker fan?

Husker Mike: My parents have had season tickets since 1965, so Nebraska football has always been a part of my life. Saturdays in the fall started with the Huskers - and everything else revolved around it.  In 1992, the athletic department released some tickets previously held for students to the general public for sale...and I got two of them.  Row 98 in the south end zone...but I was in.  I’ve been a season ticketholder ever since, and I’ve only missed two home games in that time.

If you traveled forward in time and learned that the Huskers never win a Big Ten title or a national title ever again - would you still cheer for them?

Husker Mike: Of course I would. Husker football is simply a part of me, and I’m not sure I could ever give it up.

What is your favorite Husker-related memory?

Husker Mike: I can’t limit it to just one.  I was at the Orange Bowl in 1995 and the euphoria of watching Cory Schlesinger roll into the end zone is tough to top. I remember immediately giving my dad a huge hug because it was the greatest moment in my life to that point. (No wife and kids at that point.)

Ranchbabe's note: ....this Husker offense needs to get away from the option...this Miami defense is just too fast... (LOL!)

The second was the 1997 Missouri game. After Nebraska punted with about 3 minutes left in the game, I started to pack my stuff up and get ready to leave the game.  We weren’t going to leave early, but I didn’t want to dally one second longer than necessary as the Missouri fans were going to riot after the game, and I didn’t want to get caught in an unpleasant situation.  But the defense forced a Missouri punt, and Nebraska got the ball back.  I turned to my then-girlfriend (soon to be wife) and told her "You’ve gotta believe."  As Scott Frost slowly drove the Huskers down the field, I unpacked my binoculars and kept repeating "You gotta believe."  Then the play happened.  We’re in the south end zone, and the action is at the other end of the field. We see the ball bounce up, and confusion ensues.  We see Missouri fans rushing the field to take down the goal posts, and then all of a sudden, I spot a referee with his arms in the air and I scream "TOUCHDOWN!"  My dad asks "Who??" and all I can say is "I don’t know...all I know is that it’s a Husker."  Every Husker fan is now going berzerk at that point:  hugging, kissing, high-fiving, screaming - you name it.  Missouri had just installed their own replay screen at the opposite end of the field, but they never showed a replay. (Who could blame them?)  So even after the game, we didn’t know who had caught the ball.

It was a somewhat dicey walk back across campus to the car, as the Tiger fans were understandably displeased with the ending.  So we got to the car, and headed straight out of town.  We turned on the Missouri postgame show, and all they talked about was how much this game hurt.  My dad asked again:  "Who caught the ball?"  We had no answer.  We got on I-70 and headed west.  We found some ESPN radio affiliates along the way, but all they would say is "you won’t believe the incredible finish of the Nebraska-Missouri game as the Huskers win 45-38 in overtime."  And my dad would keep asking "Who caught the ball?" all the way back from Columbia.

Finally, we got to Omaha, and I drove my girlfriend back to her apartment.  It was late and it had been an incredibly long day, so I just walked her to her door and headed home.  It was 1 am by that time, so I ran upstairs and turned on the TV knowing that the west coast SportsCenter was probably starting.  Sure enough, it was the lead story...and then, nearly 7 hours later, I finally saw the play.  And said "Oh. My. God!" as I finally had the answer to my dad’s question.

What is your most prized piece of Husker gear or memorabilia?

Husker Mike: I have three framed posters with the front pages of the Omaha World-Herald the day after Nebraska’s three championships in the 90’s, with ticket stubs from the games.

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ICYMI: Check out all of Husker Mike's opponent previews.

Husker Mike was part of the blogger's roundtable for the Omaha World Herald's Bottom Line.