Go Be Great and Go Big Red

My son and I have been Nebraska football fans our entire lives.

But we don’t just bleed Husker red through the good times – we’re there for the ‘bad,’ too, which has always been very important to us.

It’s easy to be a fan when you’re raising trophies and storming the field; however, when those losses start piling up and things are looking bleak, that’s when your loyalty is truly tested.

That’s what we love about Nebraska, though. As a general rule, no one jumps on or off the bandwagon.

Every Saturday, no matter the record or who the team’s playing, you show your support.

That’s what living in Nebraska during the fall is all about!

We recently had the privilege of opening the doors for the 400th consecutive sellout game against Illinois, and we can’t tell you how ecstatic we were for that opportunity. We’re as die-hard as they come, but Nebraska football is about so much more than wins and losses for us.

Through the ups and downs and whatever life throws at us, that university and football program has always been there for us as an escape, to heal, to cheer, to love, to support, and everything else in between.

Our life stories simply cannot be told without the moments, memories, and lifetime worth of joy that Nebraska football has brought to our lives.

An unforgettable experience

With Husker fandom spanning multiple generations in my family, Larry Jr. really didn’t have any other choice but to be a Husker fan.

I always joke that I would’ve disowned him had he supported any other team.

But in all seriousness, sharing that bond with him supporting Nebraska, in addition to both of us being retired from the Air Force, has created a special connection that means the world to both of us.

Besides, if it weren’t for my son, I wouldn’t have had the honor of taking part in opening the doors at the 400th consecutive sellout game because he was the one that entered the sweepstakes and won.

He told me over dinner one night that we had won and were opening the doors at the tunnel walk to the Illinois game, and I just couldn’t believe it.

I bet he told me at least six or seven times before I finally began to realize that he was serious and wasn’t pulling my leg.

Once we got to Memorial Stadium and pinched each other to make sure we weren’t dreaming, it was a surreal feeling to say the least.

To see all these players you watch every week on TV within feet of you was something neither of us could get over.

These guys are so much bigger than you can possibly imagine!

The other thing was, as season-ticket holders on the 45-yard line, we’re used to a pretty darn good view. But nothing compared to the view we had that day.

We both remember looking around and seeing 90,000 people surrounding us and seemingly looking directly at us. Now, we both knew they were focused on the players and couldn’t have cared less about us, but still, that was a viewpoint neither of us will ever forget.

Nebraska came up short in overtime, but that did not undermine what a truly unforgettable experience that was and a night that we’ll both cherish forever.

A dream season

Between the two of us, we’ve seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows with Nebraska football, but much like the majority of this great fanbase, our support has never been close to wavering.

Nebraska football is so much more than a team to us. When it comes down to it, Nebraska football is family.

They’ve always been there for us, and we’ll always be there for them.

Personally, I needed Nebraska football more than ever back in 2021. I’d just been diagnosed with stage three cancer and given no more than a year to live.

Talk about life flashing before my eyes.

What I didn’t want to do, though, was sulk and feel sorry for myself.

That’s when Larry Jr. and I decided to cross off a bucket list item we’d always talked about: going to every Nebraska football game, both home and away.

Making those memories on the road together in East Lansing, Norman, Madison, and more is something we’ll hold in our hearts forever, but there was something else that made all of those games so memorable.

That 2021 Nebraska team was a statistical anomaly.

Besides the nine-point loss to Ohio State, they lost every game by one possession.

And we were there for every single one of those painful and excruciating losses during that 3-9 season.

The analytics suggest it was nearly impossible for them to lose those nine games in the way they did. So, if we brought any bad luck or put a curse on that 2021 team, we both sincerely apologize!

All kidding aside, while that may have been the best-worst football season in the history of Nebraska football, I’m indebted to that season because I needed something to take my mind off my diagnosis.

I did what I loved with the person I loved, and I couldn’t be more grateful to Nebraska football for instilling so much life in me during that season.

Nebraska may have lost nine games that year, but for us, it was nothing short of a dream season in so many different ways.

As you can see, I’m still here and proud to say I’ve been cancer-free for a little over a year now.

I can honestly say I feel like the most blessed man on earth to have an absolute angel of a wife by my side, the best friends and family a guy can ask for, and a Nebraska football team that always keeps me going.

Big Red gratitude

Opening the doors for the 400th consecutive sellout really just made both of us sit back and realize how fortunate we both are to be fans of such a first-class university and football program.

Nothing would make us happier than to see Nebraska compete for national championships every year, but we also understand it’s more layered than that.

“Go Big Red” is so much more than first downs and touchdowns; it’s supporting these young men on and off the field to be leaders and stewards in their community. As fans, we never want to lose sight of the impact these players can have on this state outside of football.

My wife, bless her heart, grew up in Texas, so she was a little late to the game on the Husker fandom.

The running joke in our family is that my wife initially misunderstood the “Go Big Red” chant for “Go Be Great.”

She doubled-down on the joke by getting me a picture years ago with a verse from Joshua 1:9 that says, “Go Be Great. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

That picture is still hung up in our house to this day, and we just think it’s perfect, you know? Go Be Great, along with Go Big Red, are our family mottos.

It’s difficult to imagine our lives without Nebraska football in it, which is why we’re so eternally grateful for everything that program has given us.

From being on the field at the 400th game, to the countless Husker parties, to the unforgettable memories attending games, to the cancer diagnosis and that 2021 season; there simply aren’t enough words to express our full gratitude.

If our story can serve as any source of inspiration to anyone out there, it would be to find what you love and are passionate about, and wrap your arms around it.

As our story has proven, that passion can get you through just about anything in this life, and it’ll bring you more fulfillment than you ever thought possible.

Go Be Great.

And Go Big Red!