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Last night at the Nebraska women's basketball team's annual postseason awards banquet, three Husker seniors reminded me why my job is awesome.
All three of Nebraska's 2011 seniors - Catheryn Redmon, Jessica Periago and Dominique Kelley - stepped up to the mic in front of more than 200 active listeners and delivered great speeches.
They were each great in their own way. Cat's speech was beautiful. In four years of working with the team, I think Cat said more in that speech that I had ever heard her say before combined.
Jess's speech was made greater because she had to follow Cat, and Jess knew Cat had just knocked one out of the park in front of her. I have had the honor of working with Jess in the media relations office for the past couple summers and have a great relationship with her. I know how hard she works at everything she does, and she wasn't going to let herself be intimidated by one of Nebraska's all-time inside intimidators.
Jess's speech was funny and inspirational at the same time. She called on her younger teammates to keep working hard every day because it will pay off. She also thanked Matt Coatney for an amazingly memorable car ride back from Denver after team travel plans were interrupted on the way back from El Paso, Texas, several seasons ago. Great memories.
Nique's speech might stick with me as long as anything I have ever heard. The composure that she showed in fighting back tears while talking about her personal challenges with injuries during her senior season was amazing. Nique and I have shared a great relationship over the past four years, and I couldn't stop myself from crying as she cried. About half the room of 200 people was crying, too. Nique has a way of making you feel what she feels, and she builds relationships about as well as anybody I have ever met.
That banquet put another season officially in the books, but it will leave a lasting impression on me. Seeing the growth in those three seniors and remembering where each of them started in the program four years ago, will continue to inspire me to work for future Huskers as hard as I worked for them.
Go Big Red!
Jeff