New book chronicles fall of NU football
Johnny Perez and Luke Nichols
Issue date: 10/18/07 Section: News
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Editor's Note: Jonathan Crowl is a sports reporter for the Daily Nebraskan. His responsibilities include coverage of the Nebraska football team. All of the reporting and writing for his book, "The Nebraska Way," was done independent of his role as a Daily Nebraskan reporter. He provided a copy of the book to the Daily Nebraskan in advance of its publication.
A book written by a University of Nebraska-Lincoln student charges that the recent decline in the success of Nebraska football can be attributed to the abandonment of cultural values that once gave the program strength.
The book, "The Nebraska Way," was written by Jonathan Crowl, a senior English major, and it devotes substantial discussion to the past half century of Nebraska's storied football program.
But several chapters contain accounts of animosity, frustration and alienation within the Athletic Department during the tenures of former athletic director Steve Pederson and NU Coach Bill Callahan.
The book also includes an account of profane criticism from Callahan toward former football coach Tom Osborne, who was described as "trying to run things from Washington" during his tenure in Congress.
Osborne was named NU's interim athletic director after Pederson was fired this week.
Using several sources, Crowl also discusses the firing of former football coach Frank Solich, the hiring of Callahan, changes to the team's walk-on program and changes in the management style of the team and the Athletic Department.
The book should be available in some bookstores by early November and will be published by the independent publisher iUniverse Inc.
Its foreword was written by former head football trainer Doak Ostergard, who Crowl relied on heavily as a source.
Ostergard joined the Athletic Department in 1984 and was fired abruptly in February 2007.
Editor's Note: Jonathan Crowl is a sports reporter for the Daily Nebraskan. His responsibilities include coverage of the Nebraska football team. All of the reporting and writing for his book, "The Nebraska Way," was done independent of his role as a Daily Nebraskan reporter. He provided a copy of the book to the Daily Nebraskan in advance of its publication.
A book written by a University of Nebraska-Lincoln student charges that the recent decline in the success of Nebraska football can be attributed to the abandonment of cultural values that once gave the program strength.
The book, "The Nebraska Way," was written by Jonathan Crowl, a senior English major, and it devotes substantial discussion to the past half century of Nebraska's storied football program.
But several chapters contain accounts of animosity, frustration and alienation within the Athletic Department during the tenures of former athletic director Steve Pederson and NU Coach Bill Callahan.
The book also includes an account of profane criticism from Callahan toward former football coach Tom Osborne, who was described as "trying to run things from Washington" during his tenure in Congress.
Osborne was named NU's interim athletic director after Pederson was fired this week.
Using several sources, Crowl also discusses the firing of former football coach Frank Solich, the hiring of Callahan, changes to the team's walk-on program and changes in the management style of the team and the Athletic Department.
The book should be available in some bookstores by early November and will be published by the independent publisher iUniverse Inc.
Its foreword was written by former head football trainer Doak Ostergard, who Crowl relied on heavily as a source.
Ostergard joined the Athletic Department in 1984 and was fired abruptly in February 2007.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 45
Dan Armstrong
posted 10/18/07 @ 7:18 AM CST
Better have some impeccable sources or his you-know-what is probably going to wind up in court.
Nick
posted 10/18/07 @ 8:20 AM CST
Where can I buy the book? Its not online anywhere that I can find.
Things Bother Me
posted 10/18/07 @ 10:12 AM CST
I would call Doak "impeccable"!
Matt in Omaha
posted 10/18/07 @ 10:53 AM CST
Not taking sides either way, but I can certainly see Bill C's side of things. Some people are wrapped up in Husker football to the point of unhealthy fanaticism, and he was only saying the same thing that Tom Osborne had said during his early years: Husker fans need to understand that winning isn't EVERYTHING and graduating players is one of the primary goals of NU athletics. (Continued…)
Red Stripe
posted 10/18/07 @ 11:42 AM CST
Gee, Doak, no personal vendetta there. So a disgruntled ex-employee writes a "tell-all" to get back at his boss who fired him. Get over it and grow up ankle-wrapper. (Continued…)
Mark
posted 10/18/07 @ 11:45 AM CST
If Doak is your ONLY source...then credibility lacks. I'm not a lawyer, but usually when witnesses have a bone to pick with the defense (ie. they were fired by the defense), they are usually discredited as a witness. (Continued…)
Nick #2
posted 10/18/07 @ 11:45 AM CST
Word to that Matt.
I don't like the idea of taking a couple snide comments somebody made in private and blowing them up to characterize their entire attitude towards a person or a place. (Continued…)
Brad
posted 10/18/07 @ 11:51 AM CST
I can't say that I know anyone but myself perfectly, but I do not believe these statements about what Callahan said. In the brief time I have talked to him he was a very sincere and kind guy - and by all rights he should have been yelling at me at the time. (Continued…)
bradr
Brad
posted 10/18/07 @ 11:54 AM CST
I can't say that I know anyone but myself perfectly, but I do not believe these statements about what Callahan said. In the brief time I have talked to him he was a very sincere and kind guy - and by all rights he should have been yelling at me at the time. (Continued…)
Matt in L-Town
posted 10/18/07 @ 11:57 AM CST
"We've done a lot of positive things that added to the traditions of what Nebraska's all about," Callahan said. "We do understand Big Red football."
"It really comes down to one thing, and that's winning," Callahan added. (Continued…)
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