A Cup of Coffee and...The Joys of Senior Day

This has to be the best time of year.  I love Thanksgiving week, the joys of college and pro football, NASCAR just wrapped up and the seasons just started for the NBA, NHL, and college basketball.  But, late November brings a pain to my collegiate heart.  Why, you may ask?  Quite simple, and it's wrapped up in two words: Senior Day.

My college football love, Nebraska, will participate in three Senior Days before the year is up (at Kansas, vs. Kansas St, at Colorado).  Nebraska this year was led out onto Memorial Stadium's turf by 13 deserving seniors led by Ndamukong Suh and Barry Turner.  Immediately, I was taken back some, remembering when those guys first stepped foot onto the turf. 

The beginning of their collegiate careers mirrors the beginning of college football every April when spring ball kicks off.  The fans have the joy that winter is now over—time to see what the ole ball team has in store for the year.  The papers have updates every day talking about the new starters and starting spot battles. 

There are the early arrivals, those high school seniors that graduated school early to enroll in January.  It's the type of stuff that makes every fan go, "this is the year."

At the beginning of Suh's career, he was part of what was supposed to be the Nebraska rebirth under Coach "Wild" Bill Calahan.  Well, he is a member of a rebirth alright, the rebirth under Coach Bo Pelini.  A part of a defensive transformation that has put the Big 12 and most of the rest of the nation on notice. 

When Pelini took over in December of 2007, Nebraska football and its fans were at a low point which had not been seen since the 1960s.  Suh's career was at the same point, all hype, not much substance.  The same could be said about the Big Red. 

Things had to be torn down and rebuilt in the old image.  What a difference two years under the guidance of Coach Bo Pelini have made.

As we watched Nebraska and what was the junior class last year learn and grow, there was a beauty to it, even in the losses.  The close call vs. Texas Tech, the Virginia Tech game, the beauty that was the kick and the pick vs. Colorado (which on the pick, the tip was made by a senior, Zach Potter).  Last year's senior day was won with the help of some fine seniors.  

We now are nearing the finish line on this college football season.  The Big Red have Colorado on Friday, Texas in the Big 12 title game, and a bowl game left.  This year has brought more learning and growth.  We have seen this group of seniors fight, scrap, and win during a year that most viewed as a rebuilding year. 

Remember the talk in March; wait 'til the 2010 college football season.  Well, Suh and the rest of the seniors wanted to make this year the year.

They fought hard each game.  They won the "coveted" Sun Belt early year title.  There were two losses, Virginia Tech and Iowa St, that very well could have been wins.  There was the unmistakable hope against hope, you have got to believe win against Oklahoma. 

They clinched the Big 12 title with a dominate defense and a offense that is learning to find its way through this torrential college football storm.  They have made Husker Nation proud.  As the prayer goes, "day by day, we get better and better 'til we can't be beat, won't be beat."

Now, as the lights have dimmed at Memorial Stadium for the last time in 2009, that group of fine seniors trek on towards bigger goals.  Three more wins is what they ask. 

Three more chances to prove they have learned and grown during their careers, as has the rest of the team this year. 

Three more opportunities to cement their place in Husker lore. 

To the big seniors, Suh, Turner, Lawrence, Asante, Holt, Brooks, Meyer, Hickman, Christensen, Cammack, Dillard, Koehler, and O'Hanlon, thank you for the memories.