Talk about coincidence. Sassaman was a little-known walk-on defensive rover on Nebraska’s 1995 football roster. Graham, the designated driver on the 11th hole, was a first-team Husker All-American, a first-team Academic All-American and a Top Ten Award-winning senior who received the NCAA’s highest combined academic/athletic/community service individual honor.
Once a 5-foot-7, 190-pound Husker freshman, Sassaman reconnected with Graham, a 6-foot-4 Denton, Texas, native, who was a senior on the 1995 Nebraska team. Graham went on to play four years for the Arizona Cardinals and one season each with the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans. The hole-in-one celebration was so intense, some might have wondered who made the shot.
The collective roar when Sassaman won a $35,000 white truck – donated by DuTeau Chevrolet – began when the ball dropped in the hole. Within minutes, it became a shot heard all around the course. “It’s an absolutely beautiful vehicle, and it’s going to be fun to have and to drive,” said Sassaman, one of three Cornhusker Bank employees in his foursome. “Every time someone sees me in it, I’m going to tell them how much I love it.”
