(Picture credit Lewis Thune)
LINCOLN — “Nebraska’s greatest asset is its people. It has been an honor to serve them.”
So will be inscribed the plaque to accompany Dr. Tom Osborne’s bust, which will forever grace the Nebraska State Capitol.
Surrounded by state representatives, university personnel, and former players, Nebraska’s greatest football coach officially became just the 28th person in 65 years to be inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame, and the first to be inducted while still alive.
Osborne’s son Mike delivered the invocation for the event held in the Nebraska Capitol Rotunda, before Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission Chair Sara Crook rose to recognize the many people involved in making such a day possible – as the induction required a change to Nebraska law.
Crook then recognized former Huskers broadcaster Jim Rose to deliver a few remarks on Osborne’s living legacy.
“Knowing Dr. Osborne as we all do, he’s gotta be thinking ‘what’s it gonna take for you people to leave me alone?’” he said. “Until today, our hall required eligibility to be the day of mortality plus 35 years. And though that policy assured induction of only the most enduring among us, it also robbed today’s Nebraskans of recognizing and amplifying the pathway of life for the outstanding still with us.”
In addition to the three titles with Nebraska football, he lays claim to the three titles of coach, congressman, and doctor – as well as a lifelong commitment to education and mentorship. Governor Jim Pillen, who was coached by Osborne, hailed the day and the man.
“This is about a guy that I’ve loved for five decades,” he said. “There’s nobody in the history of the state that has done more for young people his entire life, who just happened to be one of the greatest football coaches of all time.”
After a brief stint in the NFL, Osborne returned to his home state of Nebraska and compiled one of the most prestigious coaching careers in the history of college football. He never won less than 9 games in 25 years as Nebraska’s head coach. He was 1990s coach of the decade, 1994 coach of the year, a Big 12 champion, a 12-time Big Eight champion, and a 3-time national champion including with the 1995 Huskers, widely regarded as the greatest college football team in history.
With his wife Nancy, he also founded TeamMates Mentoring, and still serves as a mentor himself. Additional stops in his notable public life included time as the University of Nebraska’s athletic director and three terms as the United States Representative from Nebraska’s 3rd Congressional District.
A chuckling Pillen recalled breaking his back early in his tenure as governor and receiving two impromptu visits from a concerned coach Osborne.
“The day after Suzanne got me back to the mansion, who showed up the second day? Coach… then three days later, who shows up again? Coach.”
Pillen praised Osborne for believing in him from 1974 onward, and for the many TeamMates mentees he’d similarly inspired. In further recognition of Coach Osborne, Pillen said he’d personally discussed Osborne receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom with President Trump.
“He said, ‘What I love about Tom is all those years of winning games and having incredible teams, he never once wanted any personal recognition.’ I said yes, Mr. President, that’s Tom Osborne.”
Pillen also thanked the Osborne family for sharing coach Osborne with the people of Nebraska. When Osborne at last took the podium, he expressed nothing but gratitude for those who’d stood beside him, including Pillen, who he thanked for saving his job in the first place.
“We got beat four straight times by Oklahoma, and um – the fans were, to put it mildly, restless.”
He went on to describe “The Hit” from Jeff Hansen that jarred the ball loose from the hands of Heisman winner Billy Sims just three yards from the end zone. Pillen famously recovered the fumble to seal an improbable 17-14 win for the Huskers – the first of Osborne’s 13 wins against the Sooners.
“Without that recovery, I don’t think I would’ve been around much longer.”
With that, Osborne briefly thanked the many TeamMates members and the rest of the audience, including former players and his successor at Nebraska football, Frank Solich. Naturally, he ended his remarks rather quickly in order to “hang around” with those gathered
“Enough comments have been made… Thank you all for coming, I appreciate it. And I’ll hang around a little while. That’s what you do when you get old, hang around,” he said to a good deal of laughter.
Matthew Placzek briefly took the podium to unveil the bust he’d carved, a 1990s-era Tom Osborne with crossed arms looking straight ahead.
“Dr. Tom has created a legacy that will endure for generations to come. It is my hope that this sculpture will honor that legacy while inspiring, motivating, and encouraging Nebraskans for many years to come.”
Fittingly, the event ended with a chorus of “Dear Old Nebraska U” for Nebraska U’s single greatest coach.
— Lewis Thune is a writing fellow with The Plains Sentinel.