Something else happened that night. He stood next to a wise man in a motor scooter, Milt Tenopir, the great Husker O-line coach who would pass away just three months later.
"The legend," Radley-Hiles calls him.
"I remember our conversation. That was a big step for me, just being able to speak to him and then to see what happened a few months later — rest in peace. That was a great night because of him. And because of how I got to showcase what I can do in front of the fans."
Milt's message?
"He was just basically telling me how the Nebraska fans want me, and how I should give them what they want."
Many pundits like Nebraska's chances of that happening, but only one person's opinion matters. Radley-Hiles isn't saying out loud what his college choice is until July 31.
It's a day that is close to his heart. It's the birthday of his late brother, Branden Webb, who died four years before Bookie was born. "He was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Radley-Hiles said.
Ever since he was little, he has carried the motivation to carry his late brother's dream. Branden wore 44. Brendan wears 44.