Osborne, Husker Icons Signing Free Autographs Friday

Video Showcases Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame

Lincoln Hall of Fame Exhibit Will Honor Tom Osborne

Sports Hall of Fame Honors Past, Inspires the Future

Randy York’s N-Sider

Official Blog of the Huskers

Have you ever wanted to get an autograph from the legendary Tom Osborne? How about a signature from 2001 Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch? Why not go for the trifecta and get an autograph from Nebraska softball icon Peaches James?

Opportunities to get all three autographed photos are available Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame Foundation (NHSSHOFF) at 500 Charleston Street in Lincoln. The exhibit hall is north of NU softball’s Bowlin Stadium and located inside the Nebraska Schools Activities Association headquarters.

“It’s rare to get a Hall of Fame coach and two legendary Huskers in the same building with free admission, free photos and free autographs,” said Chuck Johnston, NHSSHOFF’s executive director. "We want people to see what we have. Take the time and bring the kids and grandkids. I even suggest bringing your team because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

“We’re excited to name our football exhibit in honor of Coach Osborne," Johnston said. "He was a Hall of Fame coach, Nebraska’s athletic director at a very important time and a U.S. Congressman in our state’s third district.”

Friday’s event, featuring a limited number of 8x10 glossy photos and personal autographs, will be part of a busy Friday night for Osborne, who will head to Memorial Stadium to celebrate five inductees into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame. Osborne coached three of the 2016 inductees – the late Dean Sukup, a placekicker in 1978-79; Scott Raridon, an offensive lineman from 1981-82-83 and Kris Brown, the placekicker for two Husker national championship teams while lettering in 1995-96-97-98.

All-America pitcher Peaches James was the fourth Husker softball player to have her number (42) retired.

Osborne Praises Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame Improvements

Osborne has visited the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame. “They keep upgrading and improving it,” he said. “They have a lot of interactive video and kiosks that show when Hall of Fame members competed and what they did. It’s an interesting place and they’ve done a really nice job building it up. I think visitors will be educated and entertained at the same time.”

On Wednesday, Osborne reflected back on his 25 years as Nebraska’s head coach and the Huskers’ tradition-rich culture. “We’ve benefitted from this state’s high school talents but we also benefited a great deal from the kind of people they were,” Osborne said. “Many probably fit the definition of overachievers. They had great work ethic and good character, so I think they had a mentality that began to permeate our whole program at Nebraska. They were a big part of who we were as a team, and a lot of those guys ended up being really good football players.”

Osborne was the position coach for Nebraska when Johnny Rodgers won the Heisman Trophy. He also has a good relationship with Crouch, another Nebraska high school hall-of-fame inductee who won a Heisman Trophy.

In High School, Osborne Excelled in Football, Basketball, Baseball and Track

A native of Hastings, Neb., Osborne excelled in four high school-related sports. In 1955, he was the all-state quarterback, a starter on the Class A state championship basketball team, the state champion in the discus and state runner-up in the 440. He also started on a Legion baseball team that won a state championship.

“I grew up in an era where I kind of expected to play,” Osborne said. “I didn’t particularly have one favorite sport. I loved football and when basketball came around, I loved basketball. I really enjoyed track until I had to run the 440. I always felt that track and football worked well together because of the importance of speed and other things.

“I enjoyed playing all sports,” he said. “The more competitive situations that you’re in, the better it served you because you know and understand for certain how to compete. You get confidence from all those different scenarios.

Tom Osborne Realizes, Understands How Sports Specialization Changed the Standard

“Unfortunately, too many kids, for whatever reason, go down paths of specialization, sometimes very early,” said Osborne (pictured above in high school track, football and basketball). “Some of that has to do with select teams that play 60 or 70 basketball games. In the spring and summer, they play all kinds of baseball games or gymnastics or swimming or whatever sport you want to name. To be competitive, you’re narrowing it down to one sport fairly early.”

Conversely, Osborne grew up in an age without specialization and benefitted from it in a unique way. Before his high school graduation, Osborne received full scholarship offers at Nebraska in both football and basketball. He spurned both opportunities because neither Husker head coach would allow him to play for both programs.

His decision worked out in a uniquely successful way. At Hastings College, Osborne became the Nebraska State College Athlete of the Year. Drafted by the 49ers, Osborne was a quarterback for San Francisco for one year, then played two seasons as a wide receiver for the Washington Redskins.

Now you know the rest of the story and why Tom Osborne is so willing to split his time and support high school sports and college football back-to-back.

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