Friday, September 09, 2011

Nebraska vs. Miami 1994 Orange Bowl

There is not much on TV so I turned the channel to the Big Ten Channel and they're replaying one of the Big Ten's Greatest Games.  It is somewhat ironic since Nebraska played their first game as part of the Big Ten Conference last week.


The game is the National Championship game between Nebraska and Miami on January 1, 1995. 


I find it interesting as Warren Sapp and Ray Lewis played for Miami.  They're playing for the NFL is well known. 


And then there is Lawrence Phillips who was a running back for Nebraska. A huge waste of talent who didn't have his head on straight. Lawrence came from a broken home and his problems continued while in college. There was a lot of controversy at the time because many believed that Osborne gave Phillips too many chances.  Maybe so.  


I researched Lawrence Phillips on Wikipedia and he was drafted but his pro career was a bust as well as his personal life. You can read all about LP on Wikipedia but Phillips has a roof over his head as an inmate in the California Prison system for 30-something years.


The biggest tragedy is in regard to Brook Berringer who was a QB for NE at the same time as Tommie Frazier. Berringer brought spark to this particular game however it is painful to hear Brent Musberger talk about Berringer's accomplishments as he is a licensed pilot and he hopes to be a commercial pilot someday. The camera's pan over to his mom and sister in the stands cheering on brother and son.  


Two days before the draft in 1996, the plane Berringer was flying along with a friend went down in a field and both were killed. Two lives cut short too soon.


Nebraska won the Championship game.  Nebr 24 vs Miami 17.







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