If you could surgically remove one thing from Nebraska history, what would it be?

[NUpolo8]

That 2009 Gator Bowl win.

 

Hey if you're Joe Ganz, it didn't happen.

[JJ Husker]

Unpopular Opinion Alert--Was Brook Berringer all that great of a QB for NU?

 

Don't get me wrong, he was a great person, citizen, and it was a tragedy that he died so young. I also agree that we probably don't win the national championship in 1994 without him, but let's not make him out to be this amazing QB in Husker history. Go back and check out the games he started in 1994. Other than the CU game, he didn't have a huge impact on those games. He was more of a caretaker/game manager for the last half of the season, and the team rode the defense and LP the last half of the year, until Frazier came back in the OB.

 

He embodied what it meant to be a Husker! The respect he is deservedly getting is more than for playing time or being the best that ever was!

 

What does that even mean "he embodied what it meant to be a Husker"? Again, I am not saying anything bad about how he was as a person or his character, I am just going with his on the field performance. Let's say Frazier doesn't come back in and lead NU in the 4th quarter against Miami. Do the thoughts about Berringer change if he is remembered as the QB who threw a 4th quarter INT against Miami when we had first and goal from the 3 yard line?

 

We all know what you're trying to say here but, trust me, you aren't going to get anywhere going down this road. There are some subjects that are better left alone. I can't totally explain it; I can separate the one field/off field issues for LP but it cannot be done for BB. Brook did embody what it meant to be a Husker. I think you know what that means without attempting to analyze his on field accomplishments as they relate to other NU QB's. That is not the issue. Never was, never will be.

[ColoradoHusk]

Let's say Frazier doesn't come back in and lead NU in the 4th quarter against Miami. Do the thoughts about Berringer change if he is remembered as the QB who threw a 4th quarter INT against Miami when we had first and goal from the 3 yard line?

 

 

You forget that Frazier started the game and threw an interception right away, getting benched in favor of Brook.

 

So let's say he doesn't lead us to a 4th quarter comeback - do the thoughts about Frazier change if he is remembered as the QB who threw us out of any chance to win that game right away and got benched?

 

True about the Frazier INT early in the game, and Brook did throw a TD in the first half to keep NU in the game. But, that INT that Brook threw was a true 'WTF' moment, in which guys like TMart have gotten skewered over (remember TMart's INT against OU in the 2010 Big 12 title game).

 

I was in college at the time of Berringer, so maybe I was too young and stupid to realize what a great person he was, and how he "embodied Nebraska." He might have been able to put up huge numbers in '95 had he been the starter, but in '94, the offense took a clear step down when he started after Frazier had the blood clots.

[Landlord]

I was in college at the time of Berringer, so maybe I was too young and stupid to realize what a great person he was, and how he "embodied Nebraska." He might have been able to put up huge numbers in '95 had he been the starter, but in '94, the offense took a clear step down when he started after Frazier had the blood clots.

 

 

I am no expert but have watched a few of the games, and I would submit that the offense took a step down more by design and scheme on the coaches' parts rather than a lack of talent. While a great quarterback he was, a blazing option quarterback he was not.

[TAKODA]

Unpopular Opinion Alert--Was Brook Berringer all that great of a QB for NU?

 

Don't get me wrong, he was a great person, citizen, and it was a tragedy that he died so young. I also agree that we probably don't win the national championship in 1994 without him, but let's not make him out to be this amazing QB in Husker history. Go back and check out the games he started in 1994. Other than the CU game, he didn't have a huge impact on those games. He was more of a caretaker/game manager for the last half of the season, and the team rode the defense and LP the last half of the year, until Frazier came back in the OB.

 

He embodied what it meant to be a Husker! The respect he is deservedly getting is more than for playing time or being the best that ever was!

 

What does that even mean "he embodied what it meant to be a Husker"? Again, I am not saying anything bad about how he was as a person or his character, I am just going with his on the field performance. Let's say Frazier doesn't come back in and lead NU in the 4th quarter against Miami. Do the thoughts about Berringer change if he is remembered as the QB who threw a 4th quarter INT against Miami when we had first and goal from the 3 yard line?

 

Colorado Husker; I was going to respond with a very long winded explanation but thought it would be best just to post what is on our Husker site. Hope this kind of answers your questions or at least gives you a foundation of why he is/was beloved.

 

Reason that Brook Berringer is an equal part of the Tom Osborne statue at the front entrance to the North Stadium:"When approached,I didn't want a personal statue," Osborne said. "Some have wondered why there isn't a generic player, and I can understand that reasoning. But in a sense, Brook's spirit epitomizes the sacrifices that so many small-town kids have made to make this program great. He was not a walk-on, but he symbolizes the efforts of so many of those kinds of players. His impact has been great. He embodies a lot of the things that we're trying to get done here ... good student ... good person ... unimpeachable character ... well-liked ... well respected ... good leader. As a result, like so many others before him and after him, he made his mark here."

You can read more here.... http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=204840796

[True2tRA]

Read the book Anotomy of an Era. I'm bout 90% through the first volume. Still have yet to see one single negative comment about LP from his teammates and other personnel of the program at that time. In fact, there's a hell of a lot more negative feelings thrown towards Frazier from teammates than Phillips. That's a perfect example of what happens when no one's looking out after someone with HIS best interests at heart (TO) after they've had probably the toughest upbringing possible. Now usually, I'm a hardass type that says at some point you need to take responsibility for yourself at some point and so on, but the more I've learned about Phillips, the more I've moved from that stance and gained a better understanding of youth and what happens to them when they have no proper direction or established home/family life. It's really unfortunate, cuz all the guys really like Lawrence.

 

Nailed it.

[Redux]

Boom, Takoda hit it on the head

[ColoradoHusk]

I was in college at the time of Berringer, so maybe I was too young and stupid to realize what a great person he was, and how he "embodied Nebraska." He might have been able to put up huge numbers in '95 had he been the starter, but in '94, the offense took a clear step down when he started after Frazier had the blood clots.

 

 

I am no expert but have watched a few of the games, and I would submit that the offense took a step down more by design and scheme on the coaches' parts rather than a lack of talent. While a great quarterback he was, a blazing option quarterback he was not.

 

I guess that's where our opinion is different. I didn't think he was all that "great" of a QB. He had good skills, and was able to steady the ship after Frazier went down, but I think his on-field skills are overrated by Husker fans because of the great person he was and because he died at a young age.

[Ulty]

What does that even mean "he embodied what it meant to be a Husker"? Again, I am not saying anything bad about how he was as a person or his character, I am just going with his on the field performance. Let's say Frazier doesn't come back in and lead NU in the 4th quarter against Miami. Do the thoughts about Berringer change if he is remembered as the QB who threw a 4th quarter INT against Miami when we had first and goal from the 3 yard line?

Of course the perception would change. If we didn't win that championship, the romantic notions about Berringer, Frazier, LP, Osborne, etc would all likely be very different. Berringer would still be remembered as a great person and a terrible loss, though.

 

But you can't take away something they did and ask if it would change our thoughts on him. Those thoughts are based on their actions. Would our (and the public's) perception of LP be better if he wasn't a dangerous criminal psychopath? Duh.

[JJ Husker]

 

I guess that's where our opinion is different. I didn't think he was all that "great" of a QB. He had good skills, and was able to steady the ship after Frazier went down, but I think his on-field skills are overrated by Husker fans because of the great person he was and because he died at a young age.

 

What are you trying to accomplish here?

[Chimalli]

I would get rid of the brief Sam Keller history. If he never transfered here and they acutaly gave Ganz a fair shake at the starting QB spot, the '07 season could have been so much better. He had so much hype but failed to show, plus he really made the team about SAM KELLER, totaly glory boy.

[Landlord]

I would get rid of the brief Sam Keller history. If he never transfered here and they acutaly gave Ganz a fair shake at the starting QB spot, the '07 season could have been so much better. He had so much hype but failed to show, plus he really made the team about SAM KELLER, totaly glory boy.

 

 

I literally don't think I could disagree with this post any more.

[The Dude]

That horrible call in that Penn State game.

[Comish]

Lawrence Phillips from ever joining the roster......

 

Howabout, LP from answering that phone call and going to SF's apartment? Maybe he doesn't spiral if without that one event. I've gotta say he was the most dominate RB I've ever seen in a Husker uniform. But he sure did invite a sh#tstorm of controversy.

There's no way we can say that a single phone call turned him into the monster he became. No one just has a Good or Evil switch, there is more to it than a single event. LP surely would have done something else stupid to embarass the university even if that one night didn't happen. He continued to do horrible things long after that.

 

I think even his teammates from the time, on the best team in history, have noted that he was one of the best football players they had ever been around. But, I think we would have been fine without him and without the tarnish that he brought to an otherwise outstanding time period.

 

 

I absolutely agree, we would have been fine without him and he was definitely a stain on the era and the perception of our program. But, there are 2 things I would personally have missed if he never put on the N. 1- The way TO handled his situation had a huge positive influence on my thoughts of TO as a person. I realize it had the opposite effect with many naysayers but I couldn't be more proud that TO tried to do what was best for LP as a person, even if hindsight shows us he should've just cut him loose. I bleed husker red through and through, always have-always will but, I am an even bigger fan of Dr. Tom Osborne. 2- I would've missed never seeing him carry the rock. Personal issues aside, he was a beast of a runner and, by all accounts, a selfless teammate with an exceptional work ethic. I am glad that we got to experience those things even though the negatives outweighed the positives in the end.

The bold above is the part I just can't seem to get past. It forever changed outside perception of the entire Husker brand.

I was seated next to a physician from Oregon on a plane just a couple of years ago and during our idle chat, things turned (inevitably) to football once he found out I was a native Husker and ardent supporter.

He told me he had always had the utmost respect for Nebraska, T.O. and the entire Nebraska way (culture) until the LP incident. He (like many) was convinced T.O. sold his soul and played LP just to win a title. When I pointed out that actually, he held LP out of the toughest games left on the schedule, and his motive was to give LP the structure he needed to have a chance at normalcy, the Doc refused to consider or accept it. It was drilled into his brain that T.O. was just like all the rest. Could not be persuaded.

So, even though T.O. actually ended up sacrificing a lot of his national legacy to try and benefit LP, I wonder how many other national "fans" never, ever got it. It has been a continuing stain on both T.O. and the program ever since.

The true irony though, is that LP CONTINUED to make poor decisions that led to his permanent incarceration.

[BigRedBuster]

I guess that's where our opinion is different. I didn't think he was all that "great" of a QB. He had good skills, and was able to steady the ship after Frazier went down, but I think his on-field skills are overrated by Husker fans because of the great person he was and because he died at a young age.

 

He was projected to make an NFL roster and possibly even drafted.