Fan Day: More than 8,000 turn out to meet Huskers

Warm temperatures and long waiting lines didn't seem to dampen the enthusiasm Sunday inside Memorial Stadium as an estimated crowd of more than 8,000 turned out for the Nebraska football team's annual Fan Day.

Cornhusker players and coaches, seated at tables with their Sharpie pens at the ready, spent 90 minutes on their day off from preseason practices signing autographs, posing for photos and chatting with Big Red fans.

Nebraska sophomore tight end Mike McNeill said he enjoyed the event and appreciated the turnout.

"They're definitely faithful fans and it's fun to have all the little kids come out and even the older people, too," McNeill said. "Your hand gets a little tired from signing and it gets a little hot, but it's fun.

"It's really great to see this many people come out and support us."

While the lines were lengthy for nearly every position group, the hands-down star of the show was Bo Pelini. The line to get an autograph and/or picture with the first-year head coach stretched more than 250 yards at one point and was still nearly 100 yards long as fans were given a 15-minute warning that Fan Day was drawing to a close.

Former Aurora resident Kathy Jaeger, who now resides in Lincoln, said she's very excited for the 2008 season, which kicks off Aug. 30 against Western Michigan. Jaeger added that she's optimistic that Pelini and his coaching staff can quickly turn things around for the Huskers, who posted a 5-7 record last season.

"It's a new beginning," said Jaeger, whose family has had season tickets in the North Stadium for several years. "We can only go up. We can't go any further down than we were. I think maybe 8-4 for the regular season."

Jaeger said she agreed the decision made by Tom Osborne -- Nebraska's coaching icon who took over as athletics director last October -- to change head coaches and bring in Pelini.

"We needed something new," Jaeger said. "It wasn't going to get any better with what we had."

Tim McKee of Lincoln and his 11-year-old son, Ian, were also among the Fan Day participants. McKee said the event has become sort of a regular preseason ritual for him and noted that this year's event had a slightly different feel.

"Last year, it seemed like everything was centered around Sam Keller," McKee said of the Arizona State transfer who started the first nine games at quarterback for Nebraska in 2007. "This year, it seems like it's more centered around the whole team and probably Coach Pelini."

After young Ian chimed in that this season is about "redemption for last year" for the Huskers, Tim McKee said he's excited about Nebraska's prospects this fall.

"We're looking forward to surprising some people," McKee said. "I really think this is good group of kids."

Bill Claussen of Lincoln, who brought his 11-year-old son Walker, said he's also optimistic, but added that his only hope is that the Huskers return to playing a hard-nosed, physical style of football. That smash-mouth approach was perhaps what Nebraska was best known for during its string of 35 consecutive bowl game appearances that stretched from 1969 to 2003.

"I think everybody just wants them to play hard, play with passion and play Nebraska-style physical football," Claussen said. "If we see that, we're happy. Eight wins -- nine would be great -- but eight wins and we'd be happy."

Like Claussen, Jaeger said she's looking forward to seeing a coaching staff that respects Nebraska's traditions.

"I really, really like the emphasis on the walk-on program coming back," Jaeger said. "I think it gives the program some additional spunk. It kind of feels like the old Nebraska is back again."
 

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