NU's Cassidy has a home

HuskerfaninOkieland · September 18, 2008

NU's Cassidy has a home

BY MITCH SHERMAN

WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

LINCOLN — He was 15 years old and homesick, living out of a hotel and taking rides to his new high school from grandma, but Austin Cassidy reflects on the spring of 2004 as a time that changed him.

Cassidy, a redshirt freshman free safety at Nebraska, reluctantly followed his father, Tim, from College Station, Texas, to Lincoln 4½ years ago when the elder Cassidy left his longtime post at Texas A&M to take over as assistant athletic director at NU.

"I didn't talk to my parents for, like, two weeks when I found out we were moving," Austin Cassidy said.

Shortly after Bill Callahan was fired as the Nebraska coach last November, Tim Cassidy returned to A&M as the top football administrator for coach Mike Sherman. NU Athletic Director Tom Osborne tried to convince Cassidy to stay.

But Osborne had about as much success as Tim did in persuading Austin to go back to Texas.

"We would have certainly liked for him to come with us," Tim Cassidy said. "But he loves it there."

With his family on hand, Austin made one tackle Saturday night in his collegiate debut as the Huskers beat New Mexico State 38-7. He said his strong feelings for Nebraska — the state and the school — grew out those initial experiences here.

Tim took the NU job in January 2004. Austin, after attending A&M Consolidated High School for 1½ semesters, moved north before even his mother and sister to attend Lincoln Southwest.

Tim and Austin shared a hotel suite for more than three months. Tim's mother, Dolores, of Omaha, actually moved in with them for a while. She cooked for the boys and helped teach Austin to drive.

"That was probably one time in my life that I grew most toward becoming a man," Austin said. "It was all different, all new. I had no friends, no one to hang out with on the weekends.

"I had just started building those relationships with people in Texas who I thought were going to be my lifelong friends and then, all of a sudden, they were gone."

Austin developed into a star quarterback and team captain at Southwest, earning second-team All-Nebraska honors as a senior two years ago. He led the Silverhawks to a 14-1 season and rushed for more than 1,500 yards in 2006. Cassidy also starred in the hurdle events and as a pole vaulter in track season.

"I think going through all of it made me a better person," he said.

With Tim working at Nebraska, it was a no-brainer for Austin to walk on. He shared a dorm room with receiver Niles Paul and formed a bond with many teammates.

It was tested in November. But four years later, Austin had a say in the matter this time.

"He left it up to me," Austin said of his dad. "I just decided I couldn't leave all my teammates and friends here. I had made the commitment to this place. This is my home now."

Austin's sister, Danielle, remains in Lincoln, too, as a freshman at NU. She waited patiently through Nebraska wins over Western Michigan and San Jose State for her brother to play, video camera in hand.

As fortune had it, Texas A&M was off last week. So Tim and his wife, Nancy, made the trip to Nebraska. They barely escaped College Station, using the private plane of a friend to get out ahead of Hurricane Ike's rage.

Austin played most of the fourth quarter. With about seven minutes left, he nailed NMSU running back Donovan Roberts after a 2-yard gain.

Tim, Nancy, Danielle and Austin's biggest fan, Dolores, cheered from their seats. Teammates noticed and pointed them out to Austin, who said he couldn't find his family in the stands until after his lone tackle.

"It was a great moment," Austin said.

The younger Cassidy has connected well with Nebraska coach Bo Pelini and Marvin Sanders, the NU secondary coach.

Tim, albeit with an admittedly slanted view, said he believes Austin can progress far at Nebraska. Dad is confident, in part, because Austin's track must look familiar to Pelini, who also played quarterback in high school, safety in college and studied the game intently as a defensive back at Ohio State.

"He's grown up," Tim said. "We're proud of him. He has big aspirations not just to be a role player but a regular, every-down player. He's come this far. I think he can do it."