Who Wants to Pose with Johnny, Mike and Eric?

Randy York's N-Sider

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Johnny Rodgers thinks everyone on Planet Earth should do a Heisman pose at least once, regardless of age, gender, or passion for football.  You can hold a real or an imaginary football between your elbow and the right side of your body while kicking your left leg up and out at the same time you’re extending your left arm like you’re ready to leave all potential defenders in the dust.  Every man, woman and child easily can carbon copy the Heisman Trophy statue whether they’re on or off Memorial Stadium’s fabled turf.

I walk right by the South end zone inside the stadium almost every day, and it’s a hoot to see who wants to strike their own Heisman pose.  Kids love to do it … boys and girls as well as men and women who could be their parents or grandparents.  How do I know?  Because I make a habit of asking them if they want me to take their picture near our famous and  historic Tunnel Walk entrance.  I think only three or four people of the dozens upon dozens I’ve asked to pose so I can take their picture have declined.  Who needs a football?  Everyone knows the Heisman pose when they see it, and here’s the big news of the day: On Saturday, Nebraska football fans will get the opportunity to take pictures with the real Heisman Trophy, the most prestigious award in college football.  And guess what?  All three of Nebraska’s Heisman Trophy winners will be right there with you.  Johnny Rodgers (1972 Heisman winner), Mike Rozier (1983) and Eric Crouch (2001) will be special guests at the Nissan Heisman House Tour – a seven-hour session from noon until 7 p.m. Saturday inside Pinnacle Bank Arena in the West Haymarket District.

ESPN Anchor Will Join Husker Heisman Winners

Nebraska’s trio of Heisman winners will join ESPN’s Neil Everett for all kinds of fun, games and creative activity leading up to the Huskers’ Saturday night showdown against Miami on ESPN2. Consider this a special invitation from Nissan and ESPN to get to know the Heisman Trophy winners during a pre-game experience that celebrates college football’s most outstanding players.  The tour will make stops at 10 marquee matchups this season and the road will reach its ultimate destination in North Texas for the inaugural College Football Playoff.  I know what you’re about to ask: How much is it going to cost to meet and interact with Heisman winners and national media?  The answer is nothing.  It’s free.  The tour sponsors have put together an interesting lineup to live, laugh, learn and love college football even more than you already do.  Johnny The Jet Rodgers, for instance, will appear from 2 to 3:30 p.m. to participate in a chalk talk session with Everett, the ESPN anchor.  An autograph session will follow.

Mike Rozier Will Discuss His Legendary Career

From 3:30 to 4 p.m., Rozier will join Everett and discuss his legendary career for his chalk talk.  Crouch is the day’s cleanup hitter.  He’ll take the microphone at 4:30 p.m. for his chalk talk with Everett and then will sign autographs from 5 to 6 p.m.  Fans will have the opportunity to participate and/or interact in eight different ways, and No. 6 on that chart may turn out to be the fan favorite – create your own Heisman pose atop a trophy base.  With that, plus a smart phone or an iPhone, you can text or email yourself to everyone who will wish they were smart enough to do what you decided to do.  You also can take pictures with the Heisman Trophy; catch a ride with the Heisman winners in the all-new 2015 Nissan Pathfinder; participate in autograph sessions and photo opportunities with former football greats; win prizes by participating in interactive games, including a virtual quarterback challenge; test your college football knowledge by tweeting your answers to Twitter Trivia questions; create your own Heisman pose atop a trophy base (I know we’ve already mentioned that, but just to make sure, we’re double covering it); register for Heisman House credentials, which allows fans to check in and instantly share your experience via social media; and last, but certainly not least, keep tabs on the weekend’s action by viewing games and highlights on multiple televisions throughout Heisman House Tour area.

Impromptu Idea: Missouri Tiger Fans on Nebraska Turf

I end with an anecdote that involved three high school wrestling coaches from Missouri.  They were in Lincoln over the summer for a coaches’ clinic, and even though all three were Missouri fans, they couldn’t resist checking out Memorial Stadium during a break.  They marveled at the expanded East Stadium and the increased seating capacity that goes well beyond 90,000.  They said they enjoyed Missouri and Nebraska belonging to the same conference before the Huskers moved to the Big Ten and Mizzou joined the SEC.  All three were well aware of Nebraska’s three Heisman Trophy winners and decided they wanted to strike their own Heisman pose near the grand entrance of Nebraska’s Tunnel Walk with gate sentinel Bob Brown in the background.  They asked if I would use my phone to shoot a picture of them and send via text immediately after taking it.  That’s what I did, and within minutes, they were three happy Heisman amigos destined to  entertain their friends and families with a unique photo, designed to make everyone smile. I mentioned using a real or an imaginary football for your Heisman pose.  Let the record show that this was the first photo I ever snapped with a real dog taking the place of an imaginary football.  The question now is very simple: Who wants to pose with Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier and/or Eric Crouch?  Better do it Saturday because these kinds of opportunities are few and far between.

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