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Shooting Point Blank

A series of articles by Brandon "Blankman" Cavanaugh.

A Letter to the New Huskers

February 22, 2003,

Dear Greg Austin, Andy Birkel, Titus Brothers, Brett Byford, Steve Craver, Joe Dailey, Donald DeFrand, Darren DeLone, David Dyches, Dan Erickson, Tierre Green, Travis Gingery, Chad Hayden, Brian Hohlen, Corey McKeon, Lane Kelley, Chris LeFlore, Eric Leushen, Kevin Luhrs, Josh Mueller, Matt Mullen, Wali Muhammad, Trevor Neeman, Chris Patrick, J.B. Phillips, Kade Pittman, Bo Ruud, Andy Sand, Ryan Schuler, Scott Siegel and Adrian Turner,

Welcome to the University of Nebraska. As you lads may have noticed, things weren’t so rosy around here last fall. Some question coaches, the others athletes, but that’s not why we’re here today. We are here to move forward and you, men, are the start of that process. You are brought to Lincoln, Nebraska because your skills are what separate you from your peers. Your abilities, your character, your discipline and your minds all distance you from the pack. You are being brought in to add new life and ideas to a team that needs them. You are brought here, simply, because you can make a difference with what you do.

This is a very exciting time for you young men. Away from home, maybe for the first time, venturing out in the world as we all do, eventually. You may be a little homesick, maybe a little nervous for what’s in store, but have no worry, gents, we’re here for you. Many of you know this to be true, but for those of you who don’t, here’s the skinny: We’re family. Maybe you didn’t expect that when you signed up to wear the cream shell with the big red “N”, but here we are. Your mothers and your fathers will be there to give you hugs when you fall, encouragement when you need it and will applaud you and shed tears of pride when you inevitably succeed. Your brothers and sisters, big and small, will admire you from close and afar, wanting to aide you and make sure that you feel the kinship that comes with being part of Nebraska.

We do not ask for you to win the Heisman or the Lombardi or whatever piece of hardware they hand out every year, no. We merely ask that you do your best, because we all see that when you do just that, you shine and we want you to shine. Four or five years down the road, we want to be able to say, “Yeah, man, I saw Joe Dailey make that awesome pass!” or “Remember when Wali Muhammad terrorized Missouri?” or “How many times can Dan Erickson and Andy Sand make those fantastic catches?” We want you to be a part of the magic and the majesty that is Nebraska football, each and every one of you. We will wear your numbers, recite your nicknames, we will love you as the Sons of Nebraska that you are, unconditionally.

Hopefully that puts your minds at ease and you can feel confident in yourselves and your new brothers as you go to work this year. We have some top notch facilities for you to use, very skilled individuals looking to help you succeed. It’s going to take some hard work, I won’t lie to you. There will be good days, there will be bad days and there will be days when you just don’t want to get out of bed, but don’t worry. Once you strut out of that tunnel on a crisp autumn day and you’ve got 78,000 strong, all wearing your colors, screaming for you, you’ll forget your troubles, you’ll forget your worries. As your names are called in the starting lineups, we’ll hoot and holler. As you run towards glory, we’ll cheer.

So take some time, get things in order, tell your parents you love them and make sure they know the way, so they can come see how proud your new family is of you, along with them. Shake your brother’s hand, give your sister a hug and give ol’ Rover a scratch behind the ear. Take a walk down the roads you know and the places you’ve been and dream, dream of what may be and what will be. Remember your days in high school, the dances, the games, the times you’ll never forget and be prepared to make many more moments. Say your prayers, take your vitamins and say farewell to your homes, for now, we’ve got new ones waiting. Get some rest, clear your minds, get freshly hydrated and comfortable. It’s time to go to work.

Sincerely,

The Husker Nation

Questions, Comments and Other Definitions of DOS can be sent to
[email protected]

===Brandon a.k.a. Blankman #71===

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