Always a Husker

After the 2008 season, I was prepared to leave for the NFL.

Don't get me wrong, I loved Nebraska and everything they had done for me and my family, but finishing out my last year of eligibility didn't make sense to me at the time.

I was practically attached to the hip of my trainer, Mark Mayer, as he worked tirelessly with me every day leading into that 2008 season on how to be a professional and prepare my body and game for the next level.

Going to the NFL wasn't even about me, either.

It was about taking care of my family, who had always been the number one priority in my life.

Ironically, the sole reason I came back to Nebraska for the 2009 season was because of my mom. As an educator and my father being a mechanical engineer, education has always been the foundation of the life they've provided for me and my sisters.

Finishing my degree wasn't an option for my mom.

She told me to come back and play one more season or finish my degree at a later date.

So, I decided to come back for that 2009 season, and as always, my mom was right.

It was the best decision for me.

It was the best decision for my family.

And, ultimately, it was the final chapter I needed to cement my legacy knowing I gave everything I had to a university and football program that has given so much to me.

As a 2024 inductee to the Nebraska Hall of Fame, that means more than I can possibly say because I wouldn't be the man I am today without my journey on and off the field at the University of Nebraska.

Blessing in disguise

No one becomes a Hall of Famer overnight.

That sounds obvious, but as an 18-year-old, you don't always have that perspective.

You fall into that trap of buying into your own hype, thinking you're just going to walk in and everything's going to come easy for you.

Well, I found out real quick that's not how my collegiate career was going to go at Nebraska.

After just two games, I had knee surgery that took me out for almost the entirety of my freshman year, forcing me to take a medical redshirt.

That was an excruciatingly difficult time in my life. Being so young and far away from home while dealing with a major injury like this, I experienced just as much mental anguish as physical pain during that year.

But it was also a blessing in disguise in a way because it forced me to slow down.

I learned so much during that period of my life about what it means to be a college athlete in taking care of my body, balancing class and football, and being responsible with my parents over 1,500 miles away.

Looking back on it now, with 13 years playing in the NFL and the abundance of surgeries I've had, I'm kind of thankful for that first one because it taught me so many things about myself.

I grew immensely as a young man during that freshman season, and I'm beyond grateful for the lessons I learned in the face of adversity.

Embrace the uncomfortable

Believe it or not, the NFL wasn't even on my radar for a lot of the time that I was at Nebraska.

Like most kids, my dad was my hero, so I wanted more than anything to earn my degree and be a mechanical engineer like he was.

I went in a slightly different direction by earning my degree in construction management, but when I arrived at Nebraska, I knew what I wanted.

I was here to play football, earn my degree, then go back to Oregon and help with my dad's business.

Our journeys, though, aren't always so linear.

In fact, there was another instance when I considered leaving Nebraska.

Not for the NFL, but to go back home to Oregon State.

I can't say it enough – my family means everything to me – and being so far away from them tore me up inside.

I was desperately homesick.

But I vividly remember Coach Pelini challenging me.

He coached all those studs at LSU who went on to play in the NFL, and he asked me, "Why can't you be one of those guys?"

That's when I began to think — you know what, he's right.

What was stopping me from being drafted to the NFL like the guys that came before me like Jay Moore and Adam Carriker?

Coach challenged me, so I decided to challenge myself by not going back home because that would've been the safe and comfortable thing to do.

I owed it to myself to embrace the uncomfortable knowing not only the potential I had here at Nebraska, but also how much I would grow as a human and build my character by facing that challenge head-on.

I didn't know what was in store for the rest of my career at Nebraska, but I had the right attitude and mindset to tackle anything that came my way.

Proud of you Suh! https://t.co/MeA1zdBTxK

— Bo Pelini (@BoPelini) August 17, 2021

Rising in the rain

As I continued to put in the work and improve my game each season, I never would've achieved that level of success without countless people that have blessed my life.

One of those people was David Harvey, who's still one of my best friends to this day.

We arrived at Nebraska at the same time, so he was there with me from the beginning through all the ups and downs.

I remember during the 2009 season, we were in Columbia playing Missouri in an absolute downpour.

Husker fans will remember it well.

We were down 12-0 entering the fourth quarter and Carl Pelini told us, "Guys, if we're going to win this game, we're gonna have to do it on defense and find a way to get a turnover."

I got an interception off Blaine Gabbert, and we got another interception on defense and forced a couple of turnovers on downs to mount a monster fourth-quarter comeback.

Doing everything I could to take that game on my shoulders to give us a victory, I'll never forget David telling me, "You're starting to separate yourself. You're starting to make a name for yourself."

That's something that will stay with me forever.

Knowing that belief he had in me, along with my teammates and coaches, allowed me to have the confidence to play at a high level and achieve success beyond my wildest dreams on the field.

A lasting legacy

When I think about my induction into the Nebraska Hall of Fame, my mind goes in so many different directions. But first and foremost, as I've alluded to throughout, this induction is so much bigger than me.

I don't know where I'd be without Mark Mayer and my strength and conditioning coach, James Dobson. Those guys gave me all the tools, resources, and support I needed to sustain a career playing over a decade in the NFL.

David [Harvey] was my rock throughout my time here with the Huskers, along with Cody Glenn. They were my closest college friends, and I knew I could always lean on those two to talk through anything and vice versa.

Keith Mann was also invaluable to me. There isn't a single person who better prepared me for speaking to the media throughout my time at Nebraska and in the NFL than Keith. His guidance and knowledge have helped me more times than I can possibly count.

Like almost anything in life, whether it's sports, business, education, etc., it takes a team to collaborate and achieve success collectively. I'm incredibly grateful to have always had the best team in my corner that helped me get to the Hall of Fame stage.

It'll be beyond special to take in that ceremony and share that moment with my family. While my twin boys may be too young to understand, one day I'll explain to them that Lincoln, NE is where I was a boy that turned into a man.

Where I found my home away from home.

Where I discovered the impact I can make on this world both on and off the field.

And honestly, I can't think of a better legacy than that.