2015 Reunion Seemed Like Old Times for ?65 Huskers

Nebraska 50-Year Reunion Photos, Courtesy Richard Voges

Randy York N-Sider

Official Blog of the Huskers

Fifty years ago, the Rolling Stones simply Can't Get No Satisfaction, the Righteous Brothers had Lost That Loving Feeling and the Beatles were asking for Help because they needed somebody and not just anybody.

Fortunately, the Huskers were in their fourth season with the late Bob Devaney, who had left Wyoming, came to Lincoln and brought with him coaches he already trusted. Together, with Tom Osborne, Devaney’s equally trustworthy eventual offensive coordinator and successor as head coach, they built the cornerstones of a modern-day football renaissance.

When Nebraska’s 1965 football team returned to Lincoln last weekend to celebrate its 50-year reunion, the golden anniversary seemed like old times for 44 Huskers who became the first NU team to be ranked No. 1 in the polls, the first modern-day Nebraska team to go undefeated during the regular season and the first Husker football team to play for a national title.

All-Americans Barnes, Jeter, Wachholtz and White Led the 1965 Charge

That Devaney-coached ’65 team set the standard for success and the dominance that followed. The Huskers featured first-team All-Americans in middle guard Walter Barnes, safety Larry Wachholtz and ends Tony Jeter and Freeman White.

Fullback/co-captain Frank Solich played on that Husker team. So did guard LaVerne Allers and tackle Dennis Carlson, two stellar offensive linemen. Don't forget All-Big Eight linebacker/co-captain Mike Kennedy. His speech last Saturday inside East Memorial Stadium had his former teammates roaring with laughter while they reminisced about “the way we were”.

Sullivan Was a Key Contributor in Nebraska's 10-0 Regular Season

Kennedy, who lives in Omaha and sports a white mustache to match his distinguishing personality, looked at legendary Nebraska athletic trainer George Sullivan, pictured above with his wife, Genie. "If there's anybody we can thank for going 10-and-0, it's you, Sully," Kennedy said in his inspiring speech.

"When I broke my hand and ribs in fall camp, I was scared I wouldn't play. But you came up with that goofy leather gauntlet for my hand and sold that special padding of iron to the officials, so it made it pretty easy for me to get people out of the way."

Osborne Gets Ultimate Golden Anniversary Tribute: A Standing Ovation

Tom Osborne, Devaney's receivers coach in 1965, delivered the reunion's keynote speech. He was honest, fact-based and savvy enough to mix humor with circumstance. His dry wit about that amazing season a half century ago drew the kind of laughter you hear in a comedy club. Husker players in their late 60s and early 70s didn't miss a word Osborne said and once he had each Husker player in sync, his punch lines became borderline hilarious, just like Kennedy's.

Osborne, pictured above with Allers, another reunion speaker, shared his strategic analysis of Nebraska's 39-28 loss to once-beaten national champion Alabama in the 1966 Orange Bowl. He told the '65 team how stacked the deck was and how Bear Bryant, pictured below with Devaney well before the bowl game, had so much power that he could hand-pick the bowl that he wanted his team to play, plus the opponent.

Major Grumbles from 50 Years Ago Transitioned into Belly Laughs

Osborne described multiple onside kicks that caught Nebraska off-guard and kept the Husker offense off the field. He also explained the "tackle eligible" play that Bryant installed for the Crimson Tide, who used a fullback to trick the defense.

A year later, the play was no longer legal.

The grumbles from 50 years ago became belly laughs. When Osborne left the podium, the entire room stood up and gave the legend who followed Devaney the same kind of long, emotional support they gave Devaney. The '65 Huskers hadn't huddled up like that in half a century, and Osborne's reconnection with the trailblazing team was pure anniversary gold.

Best News: 1965 Crimson Tide and Huskers Can Share Orange Bowl Tales

The best news of all regarding last weekend's 50-Year Reunion? Last Saturday, Nebraska's 1965 team received an official invitation from the Orange Bowl to return to Miami later this year and celebrate the Golden Anniversary of that historic Husker-Crimson Tide scorefest. Al Dotson Jr., pictured above, left, invited Nebraska's 1965 team to celebrate the 50-year anniversary with victorious Alabama players in a New Year's Eve Orange Bowl.

Captain Kennedy, pictured above with Dotson and fellow Orange Bowl Committee member Vicki Matthews, should encourage his teammates to seize a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Yes, every Husker in the room knows that an important game got away from Nebraska's historic team. But that game is, was and always will be a pivotal moment in a proud program.

Nebraska hitched its Game of the Century hopes to I-back Jeff Kinney, No. 35, for its final drive in Norman. Omaha World-Herald Photo

Certainty: The 50-Year Orange Bowl Anniversary Will Never Happen Again

I remember the vision and courage that Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione showed when he invited the victorious Nebraska team that beat OU, 35-31, in the Game of the Century. Castiglione wanted Nebraska to come to Norman and celebrate that iconic 1971 thriller. The two-team event was so outside the box and successful, Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne returned the favor. He invited the Sooners' All-Americans and major award winners to commemorate a Legends Night for both teams at Memorial Stadium.

In the game of life, we all have the opportunity to appreciate every moment. How many of us don't appreciate such a moment until it's gone? That's why we led this time tunnel memory with Dotson's genuine and generous invitation to the Huskers at the top of this column. We end the column with Dotson again. Why? To remind all 44 Huskers in the room to at least consider the opportunity because, well, quite frankly, it will never come again.

Orange Bowl Winner Advances to National Championshp Game in Arizona

Here's the  ultimate kicker: The Orange Bowl is one of three bowl games that will determine this season's College Football Playoff. The Orange and Cotton Bowls will host games on New Year's Eve and the winners of those two games will play for the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 11, 2016, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

One way to view the opportunity is simply this: the Orange Bowl that has invited Nebraska to celebrate a 50-Year anniversary with 1965 national champion Alabama will produce either the National Championship team or the National Runnerup, proving, once again, that there is absolutely no shame to be on the cusp of a championship and somehow fall short.

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