HIS visit came three-and-a-half months after the Nebraska football team had won the 1971 National Championship.
I was a seventh grader at Raymond Central Jr.-Sr. High School (located 15 miles northwest of Lincoln) and the date of April 22, 1972 offered more excitement than any anticipated December 25 of my toddler years.
As the snow from the winter of 1971-72 disappeared and gave way to rain showers, University of Nebraska Head Football Coach Bob Devaney’s popularity continued to climb. Demand for the 56-year-old Devaney as a guest speaker at high school athletic banquets across the state had also grown. Devaney agreed to speak at Raymond Central all-sports banquet, and the Central student body was all a-buzz. It was going to be a treat to have someone speak who knew something about winning. Raymond Central did not have a great athletic program. The 1970 and 1971 football teams lost every game. In 1970, the Mustangs scored only one touchdown, which came in the final game of the year against Gretna. I held fast to the superstition that IF Central lost their Friday night football game, Nebraska would win its game the following day. This superstition greatly annoyed my older brother, who started every game for the Mustangs from 1970-72. Of course, it was a total coincidence that Nebraska had undefeated teams in 1970 and 1971 while Central went 0-9 both years.
Devaney’s speech, which lasted about 20 minutes, was laced with funny stories and jokes. He commented on how nice a facility the Central High gym was and half-heartily joked that he should bring Nebraska’s basketball team to Central to play their home games, instead of in the dingy NU Coliseum.
Devaney had my mother laughing so hard she nearly cried when he told a joke about his wife taking fifth-grade boys on a field trip to a racetrack. As the story went, Mrs. Devaney had to take the boys into a bathroom and lift each boy high enough to reach a urinal. One boy seemed especially heavy. “Are you in the fifth?” asked Mrs. Devaney. “Hell, no,” was the response. “I’m riding Bluebird in the third!” I think Mom especially appreciated that joke because Mrs. Devaney’s first name was the same as hers: Phyllis.
Devaney’s sense of humor wasn’t contained to his public speaking appearances. He also shared his wit during his radio and television shows. Prior to the 1971 Colorado game, Dave Blackwell was interviewing Devaney for KFAB Radio (in Omaha) and Blackwell told the coach that odds-makers had tabbed Nebraska as a 14-point favorite over the ninth-ranked Buffaloes. Without missing a beat, Devaney quipped, “Well, obviously those guys drink a lot.”
As Devaney wrapped up his speech to the full house at Raymond Central, he turned serious as he shared his recollection of Nebraska’s come-from-behind victory over Oklahoma five months earlier. He also read a poem that was called “One Iota More” about what it took to become a champion. The text of a portion of his speech is printed in the book, Bob Devaney, Portrait of a Winner, which was written by Hollis Limprecht and James Denny of the Omaha World-Herald later that year. Devaney basically gave the same speech at the Trumbull, Neb. High School athletic banquet later that spring, and Limprecht and Denny used it in the opening chapter of their book.
Prior to dinner, Dad encouraged me to approach Devaney and ask for his autograph. I walked to the head table, which was located on the north side of the gym. Devaney was seated by the podium and was visiting with our athletic director, Dennis Siedel. Devaney smiled as his eyes met mine, and he quickly signed my banquet program. My voice was a bit shaky when I told him it would be an honor if he would let me shake his hand. Devaney obliged. I told him what a privilege it was to meet him and then wished him luck in his attempt to win a third straight national championship. Devaney thanked me, and I turned and retreated toward my chair. I figured everyone in the gym was staring at me, so I kept my eyes fixed on my chair until I returned to it, which was in the back of the gymnasium.
Devaney spoke right after dinner and then apologized for not being able to stay for the awards presentation, because he had to return to Lincoln as soon as possible. After receiving his second standing ovation of the night, Devaney was escorted out of the gymnasium by Mr. Siedel. I vacated my seat and keeping an inconspicuous distance followed them out the gym door and into the lobby. I stopped and watched as Mr. Siedel and Devaney then walked down the long hallway and exit through the building’s south door. The best part of the night was over. I was ready to go home and add Devaney’s autograph to my growing collection of Cornhusker memorabilia.
I’d only met the legend once, but 49 years later, it’s still a vivid memory!