NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - Tyrone Fahie is not a nationally known college football player. He doesn't make the highlight shows, isn't interviewed much by the media and rarely gets on the field of play. But Tyrone Fahie not only represents the best of college football, but the best of America.
Fahie (pronounced FOY) is the oldest walk-on (he's 28) in the history of the fabled Nebraska football program. Turns out he was busy for a few years after high school - serving his country in the U.S. Navy. Fahie was deployed twice to Iraq during his six years in the military, rising to the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class. Upon completing his service time, he enrolled at Nebraska and a year later tried out for the team, the longest of long shots - and made it.
On Sept. 11 this year, Fahie, a 6-5, 255-pound defensive end, ran through the tunnel and into Memorial Stadium to a thundering applause. He had the honor of carrying the American flag on the anniversary of the terrorist bombings nine years earlier. Flanked by two policemen and two firefighters, all with American flags, Fahie was the right choice to represent his team and his teammates.
"Every time we step inside Memorial Stadium, it reminds us of the freedoms we enjoy and the sacrifices others have made," he said. "We should never take for granted what police officers and firefighters do. They put their lives on the line every day, too, just like the military."
Fahie will gain a large measure of recognition on Dec. 12 when he receives an Honorary Lott IMPACT Trophy from the Pacific Club's IMPACT Foundation. The Lott IMPACT Trophy annually goes to the college football player who has the biggest IMPACT on his team, on and off the field. IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
The only other Honorary Lott IMPACT trophies ever given out were to former Arizona State star Pat Tillman (posthumously in 2004) and Boston College's Mark Herzlich last year.
Fahie tells the story that one of his combat leaders passed on to him his first time in Iraq. He said "Once you're part of a team, you quit worrying about yourself. It's not about you, it's about everyone else. You practice and you prepare together. You realize that someone can get killed if you don't concentrate on what we're asking you to do."
Not only does Fahie, a native of Virginia Beach, Va., take football seriously at Lincoln, but his studies as well. An honor student, he's made the academic honor roll every semester at Nebraska and has already graduated with a degree in business and will receive a Master's in business administration next spring. His mother is working on a degree at the same time as her son and will receive a doctorate degree at the University of Central Florida in the spring, also.
Much of Fahie's military experience translates to the football field. "In football, everybody focuses on the game.They don't see the practice and preparation that goes into getting ready for the game. In the military, we had 18 months of training for a six-month deployment. I worked with a Seal team (in communications), a small unit. Every person on the team has a job, and every person does that job and expects the person next to them to do their job. That's the only way they can survive."
Great story. A very inspiring young man. Unfortunately, Bebee and Ed "I wish we talked more about our feelings" Cunningham are meeting on Wednesday to determine whether Fahie's IMPACT constitutes "targeting" and therefore deserves a one-game suspension.
