HUSKER EXTRA 2020 LOVE OF GAME

THE ERA 1 9 60 / 1 9 7 0 / 1 980 / 1 990 / 200 0 / 201 0 FANS

Johnny Rodgers Journal Star library

’7GENER0A TIONs BOB The tone was set immediately with national championships in 1970 and ’71, and a win against Okla- homa in 1978 set the table for the next 20 years. Greg Lederer, a lawyer in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was a walk-on swimmer who came to Nebraska in 1969. His first year was spent in Abel Hall, living two doors down from two guys who would go on to become all-time Husker greats: and Daryl White. Lederer led a charmed existence as a Husker football fan in those days, seeing just two home file photo losses in four seasons: the 1969 season opener against USC and the 1972 regular-season finale against Nebraska halfback Jeff Kinney plunges into the end zone during the Huskers’ rout of Alabama on Jan. 1, 1972. The Huskers wrapped up their second straight national Oklahoma. He also was in the stands for the 1972 Orange Bowl. championship.

SUMMING UP THE ERA “It was idyllic. We expected to win every game. The football games were the focus of virtually all life on campus. I really didn’t know people who didn’t go to the games. I’m sure there were plenty of them, I just didn’t know them. Football Greg Lederer players were kind of special, and were kind of looked at in awe.” OH, THE HEARTBREAK It’s tough to find a heartbreaking moment ERA-DEFINING HUSKERS when you win two national titles and dominate “Rich Glover to me was the guy that kind of most of a decade, so Lederer went a few years represents what Nebraska football was back ahead. Oh, hell, that’s easy. That’s (Tom) Os- then. Because he was incredibly good at his job. borne going for two (in the 1984 Orange Bowl You never saw Rich act out on the field, you never against Miami). Obviously I will always believe saw Rich act out away from the field. He was the that was the right thing to do. But it cost us ultimate team player; you literally never heard him a national championship. But it was the right do anything wrong. And he was a weird size for thing to do.” his position, and yet he just destroyed people. Jeff Kinne, , obviously (Johnny) Rodgers, THE RADIO VOICE YOU CAME TO LOVE just so many different kinds of people who played “Well, everybody talks about (Lyell) Bremser. I their roles as teammates. I just think that was an didn’t really pay much attention to those kinds interesting collection of players. Aside from Rich, of things. I remember growing up we would go it’s really hard for me to pick out one particular pheasant hunting in the fall, but we’d stop for player. Because it was such a team effort.” lunch and listen to the game. And I couldn’t tell you who we listened to.” ERA-DEFINING MOMENT “In the lead-up to the Orange Bowl for the ’71 THOSE DAMN ... season, so it’s a Jan. 1, 1972, game, all the “Well, it’s always Oklahoma. That was the team talk was about (Alabama’s star that you felt like you were never safe. Hey, those ). And the chant from Alabama were incredible football teams. You think back, and the national media was, ‘See Johnny Run, and you look at today’s game, and you see See Johnny Run.’ And as soon as the game how much focus there is on error, in terms of started, it was apparent that it was the wrong turnovers — Oklahoma didn’t give a crap about Johnny. And the Nebraska side of the stadium fumbles. They didn’t care! Because next time was chanting ‘See Johnny Run’ every time they get the ball, they’re going to house it.” Rodgers did something in the game.” — Chris Basnett