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Foecke, Ozigbo Lead 33 New N Club LetterwinnersFoecke, Ozigbo Lead 33 New N Club Letterwinners
Football

Foecke, Ozigbo Lead 33 New N Club Letterwinners

N Club Induction Video: Heart, Pride and Passion

Video: New Club Letterwinners Describe Meaning

Randy York N-Sider

Official Blog of the Huskers

Two first-year freshmen, who played pivotal roles for Nebraska’s surging late-season volleyball and football teams, led 33 Husker student-athletes who were formally inducted into the University of Nebraska N Club Sunday inside Memorial Stadium.

Mikaela Foecke, the third freshman to earn the NCAA National Championship’s Most Outstanding Player honor, was one of four Husker volleyball players receiving their first varsity letters. A graduate of Holy Trinity Catholic High School in West Point, Iowa, Foecke recorded 19 kills and a .385 hitting average in Nebraska’s championship win over Texas in Omaha.

First-year freshman running back Devine Ozigbo also showcased his athleticism on a nationally televised stage. The Sachse, Texas, native led Nebraska with 87 yards rushing on 21 carries in the Huskers’ 37-29 come-from-behind win over UCLA in the Foster Farms Bowl in Santa Clara.

Ozigbo was one of 19 first-time Nebraska football letterwinners who were honored at Sunday’s recognition event. The N Club, which started in 1890, now has 7,000 Huskers who have earned a varsity letter.

It was a good feeling to get my letterman jacket and join the N-Club today with my brothers! 1 down 3 more years to go! #GBR

A photo posted by nick gates (@nick_gates68) on Mar 6, 2016 at 4:44pm PST

Metcalf: Earning the Letter N Was a Huge Honor that Proved She Belonged

Sunday keynote speaker Nancy Metcalf (pictured above) is one of Nebraska’s most decorated student-athletes ever. Metcalf’s remarkable ability to prioritize her academic and athletic accomplishments paved an incredible road to success from 1997-2001. She became a consensus All-American, an Academic All-American of the Year and an NCAA Top Eight Award winner, the highest honor bestowed on an individual student-athlete

Receiving her Nebraska degree as a marketing major, Metcalf spent 12 years as a member of the USA National Team and competed in the 2004 Olympic Games. She has played professionally for teams in Puerto Rico, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Brazil.

"The N Club provides us with so much opportunity in the community,” Metcalf said.  “Nebraska student-athletes know what that means and how important it is. For me, my first year was terrifying. I came from a small town (Hull, Iowa) and I realized what an important priority the University of Nebraska is. When I got my letter, it was a huge honor for me and still is. It’s an experience that made me feel I belonged here."

Coach John Cook, plus Nancy Metcalf and Nebraska administrator Pat Logsdon, flank first-time letterwinners.

John Cook Branded Building Tradition and Insisted Doing It the Right Way

“As a student-athlete, you know what that letter N stands for and you become a part of that history,” Metcalf said. “Even when I played for the national team and felt the pride of wearing USA on my jersey, I represented Nebraska because that’s where I learned what you do, how you react and how you carry yourself.

“This University cares about tradition,” Metcalf said. “We reflect a Husker athletic program that we can be proud of. That’s something Coach (John) Cook branded in us. He insisted that we were going to build tradition and we were going to do it the right way. We wanted to be good people, not just good student-athletes. The N-Club is a huge honor for everyone who’s earned the varsity letter. It’s a source of pride and responsibility.”

Keith Zimmer agrees. “Short of a team championship and a college degree, perhaps no accomplishment is more meaningful than earning a University of Nebraska varsity letter,” said Zimmer, Nebraska’s senior associate athletic director for N Club and Life Skills. “The N stands for many different things to many people. To me, the N represents respect. It’s no small feat to become a collegiate student-athlete, let alone a varsity letterwinner who can balance the rigors of Division I athletics with academics.”

Gifford Woke Up Every Morning to Alarm Blaring Johnny the Jet's Radio Call

Representing all 33 letterwinning honorees, Nebraska linebacker Luke Gifford (pictured above) earned the opportunity to share his closing remarks at Sunday’s ceremony.

“I can’t tell you how honored I am to speak on behalf of 32 other student-athletes receiving their first letters today with me,” Gifford said. “This means more than you could possibly imagine. I grew up in a family where Nebraska sports runs through our blood. My mom tells me I watched the 1995 national championship game from my Johnny Jumper hanging between the door way.”

A graduate of Lincoln Southeast High School, Gifford said every bedroom he had growing up was painted red with a Nebraska bedspread. Even throughout high school, “I woke up to my alarm clock blaring that ‘Johnny the Jet Rogers just tore ‘em lose from their shoes’,” Gifford said. “I was a typical Nebraska kid with a dream of playing for the Huskers.”

Growing up in Nebraska, “I always knew it was a special place,” he said. “There’s so much tradition of excellence in both sports and academics. I think all of us can agree that people who live and follow Nebraska are family. Our fans are unrivaled.”

Gifford agrees with Zimmer. Earning a varsity letter at Nebraska is no small accomplishment. “All of us who are receiving these jackets today have worked countless hours before the sun ever rises, and this letter is proof that it’s worth it,” Gifford said. “Every time I see an athlete wearing a letter jacket, I know how much they’ve been through. We’re traveling the same journey and we’ve met our first goal. We need to keep moving in the same direction on the field and in the classroom, so we can carry on this great tradition. I can’t wait to see what this group accomplishes.”

Nebraska soccer coach John Walker and Husker/Canadian Olympian Christine Latham flank letterwinners.

Nebraska Fall 2015 First-Time Letterwinners

Football (19): Freedom Akinmoladum; Tyson Broekemeier; Ross Dzuris; Tyrin Ferguson; Jerald Foster; Nicholas Gates; Luke Gifford; Christopher Long; Luke McNitt; Stanley Morgan Jr.; Jordan Ober; Devine Ozigbo; Antonio Reed; Anthony Ridder; Michael Stoltenberg; Adam Taylor; Mikale Wilbon; Aaron Williams; Dedrick Young II

Women's Cross Country (5): Elizabeth Carpino; Kendall Cast; Nicole Colonna; Ashley Geisler; Elizabeth Kirby.

Volleyball (4): Olivia Boender; Mikaela Foecke; Kenzie Maloney; Brooke Smith. 

Soccer (4): Caroline Buelt; Kristi King; Amanda McClanahan; Leslie Rowell.

Men's Cross Country (1): Wyatt McGuire.

Nebraska cross country coach David Harris is pictured second row left. Former Husker student-athlete Sherri Elwood Macfee is far right and Nebraska Athletics' academic counselor Mike Nieman second from right.

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