Sam Foltz - Beyond the Hashtag

[knapplc]

This story really resonated with me. I didn't know Sam Foltz any better than I know any other Nebraska Punter, or 2nd-string tight end, or scout team linebacker.  Sam, to me, was a good punter with some unruly long hair and a big smile. That's literally all I knew about the guy until he died.

I think most of us have used the #SF27 hashtag. Pretty much all of us for the right reasons - we're not whoring after clicks or followers or +1s.  I think - for the most part - Nebraska isn't whoring out Sam's history or his death as a way to push the Husker brand.

But it is a concern.  And a kid's life and death can easily be abused if we're not careful. 

If nothing else, this story is a good reminder to be cautious about how we speak of people we don't know.  It's worth a read.

https://saturdaytradition.com/nebraska-football/untold-story-sam-foltz-2017/

Beyond the hashtag: The untold story of Sam Foltz

They were more than college roommates. Spencer called Sam his best friend, but he used that term cautiously.

He’s seen too many people try to claim that title since Sam’s death.

For Spencer, social media posts “honoring” Sam that just beg for likes, retweets and favorites are nothing more than a big show. The #SF27 hashtag with which Nebraska Football and Husker fans tag seemingly every Sam-related social media post became unbearable.

“He wasn’t as talked about as much when he was (at Nebraska) and that’s kind of a really difficult thing for a lot of us to deal with because he’s turned into a hashtag that Nebraska and other media have kind of used to grow the Nebraska brand,” Spencer said. “That definitely doesn’t sit right with us or the family.”

 

[Mierin]

I didn't know what a great guy Berringer was until he passed away either. It's pretty normal when something like this happens for everyone who knew the person to make sure everyone who didn't finds out how great they were, and since a lot or people thought both these people were great, there was a lot of that.

I don't think it/he are being used. I think this is a normal thing. But I understand thinking we should pay more attention to people's good deeds when they're alive.

 

[Crusader Husker]

Holy crap that was a good read.