"Hero of the Underground" and What It Means for the Future of Nebraska Football
21 comments so far
July 10, 2008 by
Jason Peter’s new book, Hero of the Underground
The reason I was really excited to read this book, however, was the fact that it represented a player’s account of the most dominant stretch in Nebraska’s history--the inside story, the behind the scenes stuff--and that’s something few fans of any program are ever privy to.
With that in mind, I thought we would take a look at the book from a different perspective: What it reveals about the Nebraska football program in its current state by picking through the past with the best quotes and anecdotes from Hero of the Underground.
(Note: I promise I didn’t seek out only the curse-laden quotes from the book but, well, Jason Peter likes to curse a bit. He was a defensive lineman, after all. Below they’ll be bleeped AP-style.)
Pg. 25 Christian Peter telling his brother Jason about the Nebraska fans: “The most loyal, most crazy bunch of m------------ you’ve ever seen…these people would die for their team.”
Well, on behalf of all Nebraska fans, thank you Christian. But we’re not just crazy we’re also…
Pg. 37 “Here everybody just seemed so g-------- friendly all the time that it creeped me out.”
After the ugliness of last season, Peter’s depiction of the unique relationship players have with the fans and Lincoln in general was eye-opening. It’s sort of a feast or famine proposition. When 70,000 people are driving you to a frothing fury on your way onto the field things couldn’t be better. When you want to be a normal college student and due stupid, normal college student things it could be better. In the end, you play football for Nebraska and that had better be all the reward you need because it doesn’t come without sacrifice. The Sea of Red giveth and the Sea of Red taketh away.
Pg. 39 On Lincoln native and roommate Brian Nunns: “He played Cornhusker football for the right reasons: a love of the team. Although he never made it past the second team…Brian still loved the s--- out of playing for the Huskers.”
When the great gates of Memorial Stadium were swung open to the undersized, overachieving walk-on masses again this past winter with Pelini’s arrival, I was skeptical as to how much of an affect that would have on the team’s overall performance. But quotes like the above made me realize it’s not really about performance but rather psyche. Sure there are walk-ons who have come to Nebraska and become superstars but their true value might lie in motivation. It would be pretty hard for a blue-chip prospect to loaf when some kid from Red Cloud, who was paying his own way, was busting his tail and it would be even worse to lose your starting job to him. Cody Green, this is Jim Ebke. You’ll be competing for the same spot. There’s value in that.
Pg. 71 “It’s time to f--- Peyton Manning up.”
Okay, I love this quote, I’ll admit it. Getting a brief look into that ’97 team’s mindset leading up to the brewing national title controversy in January is worth the price of the book alone. It follows a chapter devoted entirely to the sights, sounds and feelings of getting prepared to play at Memorial Stadium. While Tom Osborne was always able to maintain his choir boy image, be sure that Charlie McBride was doing his best behind closed doors, and likely out of earshot, to whip the Blackshirts into a ripping, tackling dervish. It does start to feel like an extended Under Armour commercial after a while but it is again a stark contrast to feeling of 2007. Did Nebraska have that sort of staff over the past four years? Do they now? All I know is that Mike Ekeler looks like he regularly rips phone books in half just for fun.
Pg. 57 From an Osborne pregame speech: “You are representing an ideal…”
Pg. 58 Jason Peter on Nebraska fans: “…Their love of football turns us into idols, into modern gladiators, fighting to the death for the honor of Omaha, Osceola, Hastings, Wahoo, and the thousand other towns of Nebraska.”
During this long offseason I had become concerned about the level of glory restoring going on under Bo Pelini. Maybe it’s just my cynical nature but it seemed too easy for Nebraska to bring in a new staff that looked a lot like an old staff, get back to the way things used to be and then, like waving a magic wand, things would be “fixed.” That doesn’t happen, right? It has to take more than that, I thought.
And, in the end, it probably will take more than that but what Hero of the Underground best revealed about Nebraska’s current football program is that there is no panacea that will instantly heal the program and have it back to the levels of yesteryear. It took Jason Peter a long time to find that in his personal life and it will probably take Nebraska a while to find it on the football field.
But playing for the honor of Osceola, et al. is a pretty good start because that’s the one thing you can always count on, the most abundant natural resource in the state of Nebraska: passion for the Cornhuskers.
You can either fight it or feed off it but you can’t ignore it. Just ask Jason Peter. He did almost every drug known to man in seemingly fatal quantities but still called the build-up to a home game “the most addictive of rushes.”
I'm glad Jason Peter was able to conquer his demons but I really hope Nebraska relapses in 2008.
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Jeremy in MPLS Jul 10 08
Thanks, Brandon, for the synopsis. I think I'll check this book out. Damn, those Peter brothers were really something. Here's hoping we've got some of those firestarters on the defense this year.
And you're right, it's definitely seeming like Eck is going to be a real spark plug--both in recruiting, as well as the overall team psyche.
Good post.
Brandon Jul 10 08
Jeremy,
Peter talks a bit about that firestarting nature in the book, claiming that he and Grant Wistrom couldn't wait to "take over leadership of the team" (I'm paraphrasing) in '97 after, in his estimation, the leaders of the '96 team weren't quite the engine-revvers that they'd had in '94 and '95.
It wasn't a knock against any of those guys but Jason's hunger to take on that role was evident.
DT Jul 10 08
"During this long offseason I had become concerned about the level of glory restoring going on under Bo Pelini."
This comment does a really nice job of summing up my feelings following the emotional peaks and valleys of the '07 season to the firing of Callahan and the subsequent hiring of Pelini. It seems like so many are willing to want to pigeonhole Bo and staff into this ideal of "the way things used to be"...as though that should just be good enough. What if it's not? Merely sanctifying Bo as being some sort of twisted derivative of days gone by does not necessarily mean the success of those days will automatically return. What happens if his adding umpteen-dozen walk-ons from Osceola to the roster doesn't end up being the panacea we'd hoped for. Where will that leave us? Maybe I've become a cynic too, but I think that a some pretty good reasons exist for our cynicism.
I'd rather we just let Bo be Bo and find his own way...and in that light, cue the Bob Stoops comparisons, I guess. After the winning ways return, we can then draw parallels to the Osborne/Devaney eras...all too many fans seem too eager to want to do it in reverse order.
Renny Jul 10 08
Like many others, I have a fascination with Bo. Call it a man-crush if you will. But there is something about the guy that just seems to resonate success. I agree with you guys that there seems to be a feeling among many Husker fans that Bo instantly will bring things back to the way they used to be. I don't think that is what Bo wants to do. I think it is more of a matter of paying tribute to our traditions and building a pipeline of Nebraska boys to supplement big time recruits (see Cody Green).
If you watch the Nebraska highlight video with Barry Alvarez and Charlie McBride, you'll hear McBride talk about building a Husker team that plays like the people of this state which means hard work and dedication. That is what I expect from Bo Pelini. Hard work and dedication. That ultimately will lead to success. You can have a million NFL guys on your roster (see Miami teams of old) that play purely on talent and not nearly as much heart. But when that talent runs into a team that is giving an extra ounce, the talent is found sucking oxygen from tanks during the 4th quarter (Warren Sapp). It will take time but I think we are on the right track to building something new that our kids can experience like we did when we were young.
Greg Morrow Jul 10 08
Hopefully, he's sell "oodles" of books, all at the hardcover, first run price ($29.99?)
I may even buy one, one day. Just not into ancient "Cornithian" history, at the moment. Nothing against Jason, though. Absolutely not. I'd love to knock back a "mocha" with him.
It's just about now, now.
But, as I try to peer back into the recesses, I now remember a defense that moved upfield quickly enough to make a quarterback forget what play he was trying to run. How the offense help the defense by staying on the field and the defense help out by "doing things" to the other team's will to win.
It almost seems like my imagination, picturing this. But it was a true story, it really did happen.
Didn't it?
kalthalior Jul 11 08
I graduated two years ahead of Eck at Blair and he was widely known as a crazy sumbitch even back then. I'm totally stoked he's coaching the LBs at my alma mater now.
Bill Saunders Jul 22 08
Heard Jason on the Jim Rome show and his story of Lou Holtz while at ND NOT contacting Damien Peter, one of his bros. recruited by Holtz, after he broke his neck before coming to ND and was unable to cont. his football career. Thankfully he made a great recovery. Holtz is an embarrassment.
Bill Saunders Jul 22 08
Heard Jason on the Jim Rome show and his story of Lou Holtz while at ND NOT contacting Damien Peter, one of his bros. recruited by Holtz, after he broke his neck before coming to ND and was unable to cont. his football career. Thankfully he made a great recovery. Holtz is an embarrassment.
Bill Saunders Jul 22 08
Heard Jason on the Jim Rome show and his story of Lou Holtz while at ND NOT contacting Damien Peter, one of his bros. recruited by Holtz, after he broke his neck before coming to ND and was unable to cont. his football career. Thankfully he made a great recovery. Holtz is an embarrassment.
Bill Saunders Jul 22 08
Heard Jason on the Jim Rome show and his story of Lou Holtz while at ND NOT contacting Damien Peter, one of his bros. recruited by Holtz, after he broke his neck before coming to ND and was unable to cont. his football career. Thankfully he made a great recovery. Holtz is an embarrassment.
Bill Saunders Jul 22 08
Heard Jason on the Jim Rome show and his story of Lou Holtz while at ND NOT contacting Damien Peter, one of his bros. recruited by Holtz, after he broke his neck before coming to ND and was unable to cont. his football career. Thankfully he made a great recovery. Holtz is an embarrassment.
Bill Saunders Jul 22 08
Heard Jason on the Jim Rome show and his story of Lou Holtz while at ND NOT contacting Damien Peter, one of his bros. recruited by Holtz, after he broke his neck before coming to ND and was unable to cont. his football career. Thankfully he made a great recovery. Holtz is an embarrassment.
Bill Saunders Jul 22 08
Heard Jason on the Jim Rome show and his story of Lou Holtz while at ND NOT contacting Damien Peter, one of his bros. recruited by Holtz, after he broke his neck before coming to ND and was unable to cont. his football career. Thankfully he made a great recovery. Holtz is an embarrassment.
Bill Saunders Jul 22 08
Heard Jason on the Jim Rome show and his story of Lou Holtz while at ND NOT contacting Damien Peter, one of his bros. recruited by Holtz, after he broke his neck before coming to ND and was unable to cont. his football career. Thankfully he made a great recovery. Holtz is an embarrassment.
Bill Saunders Jul 22 08
Heard Jason on the Jim Rome show and his story of Lou Holtz while at ND NOT contacting Damien Peter, one of his bros. recruited by Holtz, after he broke his neck before coming to ND and was unable to cont. his football career. Thankfully he made a great recovery. Holtz is an embarrassment.
Bill Saunders Jul 22 08
Heard Jason on the Jim Rome show and his story of Lou Holtz while at ND NOT contacting Damien Peter, one of his bros. recruited by Holtz, after he broke his neck before coming to ND and was unable to cont. his football career. Thankfully he made a great recovery. Holtz is an embarrassment.
Bill Saunders Jul 22 08
Heard Jason on the Jim Rome show and his story of Lou Holtz while at ND NOT contacting Damien Peter, one of his bros. recruited by Holtz, after he broke his neck before coming to ND and was unable to cont. his football career. Thankfully he made a great recovery. Holtz is an embarrassment.
Bill Saunders Jul 22 08
Heard Jason on the Jim Rome show and his story of Lou Holtz while at ND NOT contacting Damien Peter, one of his bros. recruited by Holtz, after he broke his neck before coming to ND and was unable to cont. his football career. Thankfully he made a great recovery. Holtz is an embarrassment.
Bill Saunders Jul 22 08
Heard Jason on the Jim Rome show and his story of Lou Holtz while at ND NOT contacting Damien Peter, one of his bros. recruited by Holtz, after he broke his neck before coming to ND and was unable to cont. his football career. Thankfully he made a great recovery. Holtz is an embarrassment.
Bill Saunders Jul 22 08
Heard Jason on the Jim Rome show and his story of Lou Holtz while at ND NOT contacting Damien Peter, one of his bros. recruited by Holtz, after he broke his neck before coming to ND and was unable to cont. his football career. Thankfully he made a great recovery. Holtz is an embarrassment.
Bill Saunders Jul 22 08
Heard Jason on the Jim Rome show and his story of Lou Holtz while at ND NOT contacting Damien Peter, one of his bros. recruited by Holtz, after he broke his neck before coming to ND and was unable to cont. his football career. Thankfully he made a great recovery. Holtz is an embarrassment.