Watch How the Walk-On Makovicka Brothers Set the Tone for Huskers

Every Husker fan seems to have a favorite walk-on story, but there is no better tandem walk-on tale than the Makovicka brothers, who arrived at Nebraska without scholarships from Brainard, Neb., a tiny town of 350.

Jeff Makovicka earned four letters as a Husker fullback (1992-93-94-95) and younger brother Joel Makovicka also earned four letters as a bulldozing fullback (1995-96-97-98).

NET Television's new hour-long program, "Walk Ons: Huskers' Edge", includes an inspiring 8-minute segment that explains the Makovickas' lifelong passion for Husker football.

The feature begins with the pickup door opened, so Lyell Bremser's booming radio voice could be heard blaring in the background, enabling the Makovicka brothers to work in the pasture at the same time they were listening to Nebraska football with their dad and late grandpa.

Getting a call from Coach Tom Osborne, offering him a chance to walk on, was a pivotal moment for Jeff, who thought the Huskers were taking "an unbelievable risk" on an eight-man football player.  "At that time, everything else was off the table," he said. "All I wanted was a shot."

Jeff's unbelievable leg strength left an impression on Jason Peter, Nebraska's All-America defensive lineman. Hitting Jeff, he said, was like running into a brick wall, leaving an unclear head after most collisions.

Peter said the Makovickas set a physical tone for the entire team, and in the film, Jeff remembers his brother Joel, then a freshman, tackling the Florida kickoff return man early in 1996 Fiesta Bowl game. Makovicka hit the star Gator receiver so hard and so clean that he dislocated his hip.

The Makovicka brothers personified Nebraska's physically dominating style of football so well that they would often turn 10-yard runs into spectacular plays, Osborne said, because "they might break seven or eight tackles in the process." They not only showed great determination as runners, but also proved to be good blockers, Osborne added.

In the film, Joel remembers how, from the first day he stepped on Nebraska's campus, he felt he was "as good as everybody else". He also took pleasure in knowing that playing time would be determined strictly on the basis of performance.

The film shows Joel's 20-yard touchdown run in 1997 against Akron. Peter sees the run when he rewinds it in his mind and still marvels at how Joel "should have gone down three tackles ago," but was able to keep his balance so "he could carry three or four guys into the end zone."

Joel Makovicka, Peter said, "represented the Nebraska offense . . . maybe more than anybody."

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