Old school pranks

[I am I]

The score -- 62-0 -- was one of the more remarkable ones in the history of the Missouri-Nebraska football rivalry.

But what happened at halftime on Oct. 14, 1972, became a riveting whodunit.

Until now.

Someone switched the cards for the card section.

They were supposed to spell messages saluting the U.S. Navy in honor of its 197th anniversary. Instead, they read "Devaney for President," "Johnny R. (as in Rodgers) is shifty" and, finally -- cover your ears, kids -- "Screw Mizzou."

The prank caused a "monstrous rigmarole," in the words of a Daily Nebraskan editorial the following week.

There was an investigation. Newspapers ran front-page stories. University of Nebraska-Lincoln officials announced they had taken disciplinary action against those involved, but their names were kept secret.

Now one of those involved has stepped forward.

Sam Brower, an Omaha attorney and once a vice president of the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska, UNL's student government group, says he was a member of "The Missouri Seven."

He has the names of the other six.

One, "an honorary member," was former secretary of the Interfraternity Council. Another was an insider, a former member of the Corn Cobs spirit group, one of the organizations that supervised the card section.

In an interview Friday, Brower said he was the one who switched the cards after a night of plotting.

Here's what happened that game day morning, according to Brower:

He gathered a group of pledges from his fraternity, telling them he needed help carrying the Victory Bell, the traveling Missouri-Nebraska game trophy, into Memorial Stadium.

Brower, who at the time was the keeper of the bell for UNL's Innocents Society, had no trouble getting inside.

"We walked right through the gate of the stadium," he said.

They put the bell in its place, then took the 1,160 color-coded instruction cards under the seats, replacing them with prank cards.

Brower said the group never expected all of the fake messages to be displayed. They figured the Corn Cobs would stop after the first one.

Didn't happen.

And despite the so-called rigmarole, Brower and his co-horts were never actually punished by the university, he said.

None of the others involved has come forward. One, an architecture student, died at a young age. The others are now a teacher, a Realtor, a surgeon and a businessman, he said.

"We were totally clue-less," Brower said Friday. "It just seemed like the thing to do."

So why come forward 38 years later, when the historic Husker-Tiger rivalry is at its end?

"I just feel a great sense of guilt that the -- did you see what the score of that game was -- it was 62 to nothing. Maybe that caused Mizzou to have so much trouble," Brower said.

"I just feel that they have felt bad about themselves for a long time. Maybe I can purge those demons."

Reach Zach Pluhacek at 402-473-7234 or zpluhacek@journalstar.com.

 

 

go to journalstar.com to see a pic of the prank during the game

[Chuck_G_23]

what a great story, you don't hear things like this anymore.

[Drowning_in_the_Sea_of_Red]

Haha. That is pretty awesome.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

That's pretty funny and ingenious. Great job fellas, it's all in good fun.

[gbrnu1]

I remember listening to that game on the radio. Was a junior in High School. I was in marching band at a marching contest. Had a radio up inside my band hat.

[cornhuskers4ever]

Somebody who is going to the game PLEASE make a sign that says, "Screw You Missou"