Eric the Red
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[SIZE=14pt]Husker in the blood[/SIZE]
Retired Tenopir can't get Big Red out of blood
Associated Press
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- It's a sun-splashed spring day at Memorial Stadium, and Milt Tenopir walks slowly to the south end zone, where Nebraska's offensive linemen are doing group drills.
Tenopir unfolds the stool he carries with him, sits down and takes in the action from just a few feet away.
"I enjoy coming down and watching it," he said, "just because it's my life."
For 29 seasons, from 1974 to 2002, Tenopir coached the Cornhuskers' offensive line. Through the 1980s and '90s he was regarded as the guru of college line coaches. He even published a book about the intricacies of line play.
Now here he sits, 65 years old and retired for the last two seasons. He knows where the best fishing holes are, and he enjoys the time he spends with his family.
And he can't stay away from the game he loves.
Tenopir refuses to join the old guard in complaining about the changed culture at Nebraska under Bill Callahan. He said he embraces it.
"People worry about the old traditions," Tenopir said. "Nebraska's tradition will never leave, I don't care who's coaching. This is a tremendously capable staff. They'll get 'er done."
Tenopir's presence is one of the few remaining links to the Huskers' glorious past.
Under Tom Osborne, Tenopir fashioned lines that were the most dominant in college football. They did the grunt work for the irrepressible ground-hugging offenses that won 13 national rushing titles and led the way to three national championships in four years in the mid 1990s.
Tenopir continued to coach under Frank Solich, but nagging ankle problems and other health concerns led Tenopir to retire in January 2003.
The purge of assistant coaches and, later, athletic director Steve Pederson's controversial firing of Solich and hiring of Callahan were met with resentment and bitterness by many people who grew up with what once was the nation's most stable college football program.
"A lot of people think different things about the coaching changes, but Steve did what Steve had to do," Tenopir said. "Everybody better get on the bandwagon because it's going to be a really good thing one of these days. It might take a little while to get the people they need.
"You can talk all you want about we had the talent here, but we were short-handed a lot of places."
Callahan, who has brought the new-age West Coast offense to Nebraska, has welcomed Tenopir, who represents the best of the old triple-option.
Callahan even scheduled Tenopir to speak at next month's annual Nebraska football coaching clinic.
"I don't know what I'm going to talk about -- probably option football," Tenopir said with a chuckle.
Tenopir suggests that he and Callahan have developed a kinship because Callahan is an old offensive line coach.
"There is no hidden agenda there on his part," Tenopir said. "He respects the past. He knows what Nebraska was in the past. He isn't hanging me around to make himself look good. There is a mutual respect between the two of us. If I can help in any way, I'm going to."
Tenopir said he has talked a lot with Callahan and the assistants. Though he said he doesn't know much about the West Coast offense, Tenopir said he still knows football and that many of the same principles apply regardless of the offense a team uses.
"Our sharing is more on philosophy," Tenopir said. "I'm not one to step in there and tell them they're doing this or that wrong. That doesn't even interest me. I'm just glad I get to be part of hanging around practice."
That's something he couldn't do his first season out of coaching.
Too many of his linemen were still playing, and he said he didn't feel comfortable hanging around. Coaching wasn't out of his system yet.
"If my ankles were better, I would have tried to stay in it a little longer," he said. "I wanted to go one more year. But there were struggles, and I felt it was best to get out at the time I did."
Two seasons removed from coaching, Tenopir said he's taken to retirement. He said he doesn't miss the early-morning meetings and late nights that the job requires.
He said he's content to show up at practices three times a week, shake a few hands, watch the players play and the coaches coach and then go home.
"When you're involved in something for 29 years," he said, "you're never going to get it out of your blood."
Retired Tenopir can't get Big Red out of blood
Associated Press
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- It's a sun-splashed spring day at Memorial Stadium, and Milt Tenopir walks slowly to the south end zone, where Nebraska's offensive linemen are doing group drills.
Tenopir unfolds the stool he carries with him, sits down and takes in the action from just a few feet away.
"I enjoy coming down and watching it," he said, "just because it's my life."
For 29 seasons, from 1974 to 2002, Tenopir coached the Cornhuskers' offensive line. Through the 1980s and '90s he was regarded as the guru of college line coaches. He even published a book about the intricacies of line play.
Now here he sits, 65 years old and retired for the last two seasons. He knows where the best fishing holes are, and he enjoys the time he spends with his family.
And he can't stay away from the game he loves.
Tenopir refuses to join the old guard in complaining about the changed culture at Nebraska under Bill Callahan. He said he embraces it.
"People worry about the old traditions," Tenopir said. "Nebraska's tradition will never leave, I don't care who's coaching. This is a tremendously capable staff. They'll get 'er done."
Tenopir's presence is one of the few remaining links to the Huskers' glorious past.
Under Tom Osborne, Tenopir fashioned lines that were the most dominant in college football. They did the grunt work for the irrepressible ground-hugging offenses that won 13 national rushing titles and led the way to three national championships in four years in the mid 1990s.
Tenopir continued to coach under Frank Solich, but nagging ankle problems and other health concerns led Tenopir to retire in January 2003.
The purge of assistant coaches and, later, athletic director Steve Pederson's controversial firing of Solich and hiring of Callahan were met with resentment and bitterness by many people who grew up with what once was the nation's most stable college football program.
"A lot of people think different things about the coaching changes, but Steve did what Steve had to do," Tenopir said. "Everybody better get on the bandwagon because it's going to be a really good thing one of these days. It might take a little while to get the people they need.
"You can talk all you want about we had the talent here, but we were short-handed a lot of places."
Callahan, who has brought the new-age West Coast offense to Nebraska, has welcomed Tenopir, who represents the best of the old triple-option.
Callahan even scheduled Tenopir to speak at next month's annual Nebraska football coaching clinic.
"I don't know what I'm going to talk about -- probably option football," Tenopir said with a chuckle.
Tenopir suggests that he and Callahan have developed a kinship because Callahan is an old offensive line coach.
"There is no hidden agenda there on his part," Tenopir said. "He respects the past. He knows what Nebraska was in the past. He isn't hanging me around to make himself look good. There is a mutual respect between the two of us. If I can help in any way, I'm going to."
Tenopir said he has talked a lot with Callahan and the assistants. Though he said he doesn't know much about the West Coast offense, Tenopir said he still knows football and that many of the same principles apply regardless of the offense a team uses.
"Our sharing is more on philosophy," Tenopir said. "I'm not one to step in there and tell them they're doing this or that wrong. That doesn't even interest me. I'm just glad I get to be part of hanging around practice."
That's something he couldn't do his first season out of coaching.
Too many of his linemen were still playing, and he said he didn't feel comfortable hanging around. Coaching wasn't out of his system yet.
"If my ankles were better, I would have tried to stay in it a little longer," he said. "I wanted to go one more year. But there were struggles, and I felt it was best to get out at the time I did."
Two seasons removed from coaching, Tenopir said he's taken to retirement. He said he doesn't miss the early-morning meetings and late nights that the job requires.
He said he's content to show up at practices three times a week, shake a few hands, watch the players play and the coaches coach and then go home.
"When you're involved in something for 29 years," he said, "you're never going to get it out of your blood."
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