Green Finally Sees His Time to Shine

By Nate Rohr
The future looked bright for Tim Green in the fall of 2000. After coming to Nebraska as a heralded recruit coveted by most of the nation’s football powers, Green seemed destined for a great career as a Husker. And then it happened.

During practice leading up to the 2000 season, Green suffered a severe knee injury, in which his right ACL, MCL and PCL were torn.

Since that day, the road has been rocky for Green, with a litany of surgeries. Still, he has continued to work.

"He’s worked very hard to overcome the adversity of all the injuries he’s had," said NU offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Barney Cotton.

That work finally came together when, as a fifth-year senior, he took the field on game day for NU for the first time. That day, Green was a part of Nebraska’s 31-7 win over Utah State.

"It was really exciting. I was happy my parents got to see me play," Green said.

Family was a big factor in Green’s decision to continue in football. Along with his older brother Mike, who played for Nebraska from 1997 to 1999, his two younger brothers also play college football.

"We’ve always been competitive and kept each other going," Green said.

Green is close with NU’s linemen, including Mike Erickson.

"At first, we were battling each other," Green said. "It seemed like every spring, it was him and me, battling for that starting spot. Even though he’s gotten that starting spot every time, he and I have become good friends."

Green came to Nebraska in 1999 after a high school career at Omaha Westside in which Green was the first player to be named both the offensive lineman and the defensive lineman of the year by the Metro Coaches Association. He was a three-year starter for Westside, and was honored as an all-state performer in both his junior and senior years.

Although Green’s college football career will not be as decorated, he will leave NU with a degree in communication studies. He is scheduled to graduate this December.

"I’m job searching right now, seeing what’s out there for me. I’d like to see myself working for a large corporation some day," Green said.

Cotton feels that Green will be well prepared for his future.

"You know a guy like Tim is going to be okay down the road because he has persevered like that," Cotton said.

As the 2003 season began, Cotton saw signs of the player that caught the eye of football powers from around the country.

"Tim really had gotten a lot of his flexibility back," Cotton said. "His feet had really improved, and he had knocked a lot of the rust off."

But after playing in the Utah State and Southern Miss games, Green suffered another setback, as an old back injury flared up. Still, it is the relationships with his fellow linemen, not the scars, that Green will take with him from his days as a Husker.

"These guys have been great," Green said. "I’ve met some great people here. It’s almost like a little family."