A Tackle Which Could Not Be Broken

The sad saga of former Nebraska running back running back Lawrence Phillips has ended, as Phillips was found dead in his prison cell this morning. The death is being investigated as a suspected suicide.

As gifted as Phillips was on the field, he was equally poor in decision making in life off the field. With Phillips facing life in prison, he was being held accountable, appropriately so, for some of those actions, some very serious in nature.

We wrote about Phillips back in April of 2015, noting that a lacking toolbox of skills to get through life tackled him. In the post, we noted 1620 The Zone Sharp & Benning co-host Damon Benning, a former 'Husker tailback who once roomed with Phillips, shared his conflicted thoughts on Phillips with an extremely sincere, emotional and eye opening reflection of sad series of events which led to the position this gifted but troubled individual finds himself in.

One tackle Lawrence could not avoid was his troubled upbringing, where he was abandoned and abused among other negative things. Phillips, who was smart and personable on occasion, was and is infested with demons he is ill-equipped to escape from.

Former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne was reached for comment, and said the following: "All his correspondence with me in spite of circumstances have been fairly upbeat," Osborne said. "Things weren't going in a good direction for him. All I can say is I feel very bad," Osborne said. "I guess we feel like we did what we could for him. Whatever it was, it wasn't enough."

Previously, Osborne had said  “I never got any indication that he had lost hope or given up, But when you’re that far away, it’s hard to know just from a letter what’s going on. We certainly tried to do what we could in Lincoln. But I feel bad because whatever we did apparently wasn’t enough. It’s a tremendous waste of a life that could’ve gone in a different direction. Who knows where Lawrence is now, but it could’ve turned out a lot better than it did. I’m really sorry about that."

Another life, which after a very poor start had chances to turn the corner to happiness and prosperity, ends in sadness. At the end of the day, Phillips could not escape the demons of his past. Perhaps Lawrence is at peace now.

Lacking Toolbox Screwed Phillips

Lawrence Phillips

Last week, former Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips, already serving a sentence of 25 years, is suspected in the death of a cellmate in Kern Valley prison in California.

The saga of Phillips has left the wonderful folks in Nebraska with a stain that will not go away.  Phillips brought a lot of joy to Nebraska fans displaying his immense talent on the gridiron. LP was brilliant on the field, with physical talent that potentially could have have led him to be one of the top running backs of all time.

However, his actions off the field, most notably after he left Nebraska for the National Football League, have left nothing but sadness and a series of victims.

One tackle Lawrence could not avoid was his troubled upbringing, where he was abandoned and abused among other negative things. Phillips, who was smart and personable on occasion, was and is infested with demons he is ill-equipped to escape from.

1620 The Zone Sharp & Benning co-host Damon Benning, a former 'Husker tailback who once roomed with Phillips, shared his conflicted thoughts on Phillips with an extremely sincere, emotional and eye opening reflection of sad series of events which led to the position this gifted but troubled individual finds himself in.

This was as powerful of thirty minutes of radio I have heard in many of moon, and I salute Damon Benning for sharing his heartfelt thoughts on this difficult situation as his perspective as a media member, former teammate and friend from back in the day.  POWERFUL STUFF!

Dr. Tom Osborne, who was coach at Nebraska during the time Phillips played at UN, caught tremendous flak from the media when after suspension, Osborne re-instated Phillips before a Fiesta Bowl matchup with Florida, which Nebraska won easily 62-24.  As Benning noted, there was more to this story, and Osborne needs to make no apologies, and deserves respect.

Phillips needs to be held accountable for his own actions; and he is.  But his story is sadly not unique, as the list of many young athletes, and normal youngsters, with bright futures have for whatever reason taken the wrong path and derailed if not terminated the opportunities presented them. Like many others, with an individual like Phillips, blessed with charm, intelligence and incredible physical abilities, failing to be adequately equipped to withstand the pressures of life, the potential of that individual to be a thriving member of society is lost.

Although the reasons behind these failures are voluminous and worthy of a few semesters of sociology classes, the decline of marriage and the family unit with the number of children being raised by one parent, grandparents or others, seems a root cause.  The divorce rate, particularly among blacks, has increased dramatically since the mid sixties, seemingly related to the policies of The Great Society.  The demise of the family has directly had a negative impact on the children, with children raised by single parents much more likely to live in poverty having their future success significantly threatened.

We have got to fix this, and as Benning pointed out, get folks back to having concern for others, with confidence and pride to respect themselves in effort to maximize the wonderful opportunities we are presented with.

Timing is everything, and two candidates have announced their intent to win the presidency.  One, Hillary Clinton, seeks to continue and increase the role government plays in our lives, thinking they can better dictate the path our young people take to success.  Marco Rubio makes the case that the government cannot and should not take the place of the family, and that we need to reclaim the family supporting marriage with parents raising children with responsibility and accountability, thus allowing youngsters the freedom to pursue their dream no matter where the lead.

Having taken an incredible path reaching high levels inclusive of a career in the National Football League, at the end of the day, Phillips could not escape the demons of his past.  As Benning so appropriately noted, he did not have the tools in his toolbox, for which we are all saddened.

The investigation into the death of Phillips cellmate remains under investigation, and no charges have been filed as of yet reports The Omaha World Herald.  However, the death has been ruled a homicide by strangulation.

Range of Emotions in The Good Life

 

As Gary Sharp of Sharp & Benning in the Morning on 1620 The Zone in Omaha accurately summarized, on a day when sports, politics and life came together on a Tuesday in Nebraska, a "full range of emotions" littered the landscape from the Harper-Schramm residence halls on 14th Street in Lincoln up to Leavenworth Street in Omaha.

With voters heading to the polls from Sydney to Bellevue, a puzzling story surfaced involving a pair of University of Nebraska athletes. NU long-distance runner Lucas Keifer and starting linebacker Josh Banderas were arrested and charged with felony theft as evidence appears to indicate they stole approximately seven locked bikes from the UNL campus.

Keifer and Banderas both attended Lincoln Southeast HS.  Banderas is the son of Tom Banderas, an outstanding tight end in the mid eighties for the Big Red.

By all accounts, testified to by Zone co-host Damon Benning, Banderas would be among the last of the football roster to be suspected of such activity.  However, as one of the culprits stated, it was a bonehead move.

No kidding.  If only they had stopped for some crab legs.

Meanwhile, the proclamation of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R:KY, that every Tea Party candidate would be "crushed everywhere" went down in flames.

Ben Sasse, a candidate backed by Tea Party stalwarts such as Sarah Palin, Sen, Ted Cruz, R:TX, Club for Growth, Sen. Mike Lee, R:UT, and Glenn Beck, won going away.  Shane Osborn, no relation to famed Nebraska football coach and politician Dr. Tom Osborne, seemed like a decent candidate, but had some issues with regard to his Navy past and informed the audience of The Glenn Beck Program on radio of his involvement with Grover Norquist of Americans For Tax Reform, whose cozy relationship with Muslim interests give many cause for concern.

While we are at it, Pete Ricketts,  President and Director of Platte Institute for Economic Research, won the GOP primary in a close one over Jon Bruning, who had just lost a Senate race to now Senator Deb Fischer.  Ricketts, son of J. Joseph Ricketts, Founder of Ameritrade and owner of The Chicago Cubs, a fiscal and social conservative, won the endorsement of Sarah Palin.  Ricketts is almost assured of victory in the general, with a substantial lead in recent polling.

So, it was a big win for The Tea Party, much to the dismay of Senator McConnell, who should know better than to mess with Sarah Palin.  The Tea Party victories are just beginning. 

Some good folks, who stuck their neck out, lost races but can hold their heads high as we certainly appreciate their participation in the debate.  We listen to voices rather than attempt to quiet them.

Maybe those living The Good Life could have closed this day with some baseball at TD Ameritrade Park, where I am told hamburgers were two for one.  But, this is not a food show.

Sadly, those hopes ended with the wheel of a bus going round and round. The college baseball game with Nebraska facing Creighton scheduled for Tuesday night at TD Ameritrade Park was canceled due to travel issues.  After having their flight canceled after defeating Michigan State in East Lansing, the Big Red baseball team traveled back by bus.  However, they were unable to arrive in Omaha in time for the first pitch.

A fitting closing for a day which encompassed a wide range of emotions; mixing life, politics and sports.  Don't Tread On Me and GBR!

These Are The True Awards Of Manly Sport

Evil seems to be gaining strength in America, but not in Lincoln, Nebraska on Saturday.

For those of us who treat the color and pageantry of college football as a religion, there are three seasons; National Signing Day, spring practice culminating with annual spring games and the excitement of the regular season.

Although the south is rampant with this enthusiasm, many across the fruited plain are as well.  Nowhere is the support for the home team any stronger than in Lincoln, Nebraska, home of the five time national champion Nebraska Cornhuskers, who hold the record for the longest home sellout streak in the nation, continuing at over 300 even with a dismal economy.

After wicked weather postponed last seasons spring game, a day of sunshine was expected at Memorial Stadium on Saturday for the Red-White game.  For those who could be among the 60,000 who were able to attend, the game was broadcast live on The Big Ten Network.

Many fans, eager to get a glimpse of the progress of some of the young Huskers who are expected to contribute to a young team next fall, it was a youngster who stole our, and the nations, heart on this day.

Jack and Rex Burkhead

Rex Burkhead, a standout running back from Plano, Texas who exhausted his Nebraska career last year in an injury riddled senior season, had befriended a pediatric cancer patient in young Jack Hoffman.  Throughout last season, Hoffman and Burkhead forged a friendship Burkhead visiting Hoffman after treatments and with Hoffman having an opportunity to visit many practices of the Big Red.  Hoffman meant a lot to the entire team, and led the 'Huskers on to the field in a home game versus Wisconsin last fall.

But on Saturday, as the spring game was nearing conclusion, a magical event took place as Jack Hoffman got the opportunity of a lifetime.  Please see the following video:


All Big Ten quarterback Taylor Martinez re-entered the game along with Jack to run the pitch sweep to the right, and Jack Hoffman got loose.  Hoffman gave glimpse of former 'Husker greats Mike Rozier or Ahman Green breaking into the next level. 

There truly is no place like Nebraska, as BTN analyst and former 'Husker running back Damon Benning said on the broadcast, as Hoffman hit pay dirt.

I had tears in my eyes watching this live from my living room.  At the Orange Bowl in 1971, someone asked me what the "N" on my hat meant.  An Alabama fan sitting next to me replied, "Nice People."  That was very well put.

There have been many moments over the years, but I cannot recall being more proud to be a Cornhusker than I was on Saturday.

As the story has appropriately gone viral over social media and the cable news networks, many have described this touching event in outstanding fashion.  BTN, the Omaha World Herald, the Lincoln Journal Star, ESPN, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post and FOX News.

Jeffrey Koterba, cartoonist for the Omaha World Herald, gave us an overview of those in the Scarlet and Cream.

 

For those instrumental for putting this action together, inclusive of Burkhead, and via ESPN, former Husker Jeff Jamrog and current fullback CJ Zimmer, may I extend the heartfelt thanks from 'Huskers everywhere. “Obviously, Jack is a young man who has touched the hearts of a lot of people,” Husker coach Bo Pelini said. “People have got behind him and he’s become a big part of the team. … I thought it was a pretty special thing” reported the LJS.

 

The academic excellence of the football team is second to none, and while Nebraska is not quite the team they used to be under legendary coach Dr. Tom Osborne, the program is on solid footing both on, and off the field under Bo Pelini.  I saw that on Saturday.

 

But like most of America, particularly those of us fortunate enough to be fathers, the spirit of the action touched our hearts. As Lincoln Journal Star columnist Steve Sipple quipped, "The day belonged to Jack!"

 

The team coming together for Jack Hoffman on Saturday was a testament to the words engraved on the northwest corner of Memorial Stadium, Courage; Generosity; Fairness; Honor; In these are the true awards of manly sport.  

 

Engraved at the southwest corner reads "Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game; In the deed the glory."

 

Jack, and all those fighting these terrible diseases, exhibit courage we all can be proud of.  We all pray for their victory. The action on the field Saturday when Hoffman took the field on Saturday was a most moving gesture indeed, capturing the hearts of the nation.

 

With any luck, the extended awareness this act of kindness brought to the country on Saturday will help expedite the finding of cures for those who fight these diseases on a daily basis .  #TEAMJACK

 

There truly is no place like Nebraska.  Well done Big Red! Very well done. N #GBR