Football Fans, What is a Hawsker?

09 Oct, 2012

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Written by Dawn Garica

What is a Hawsker?

Okay, I have to admit I am a Hawkeye by nature (University of Iowa grad here) but don’t hold that against me because I am a Husker by marriage. We call that being a Hawsker in our house!

Although I am a Hawkeye, I have to tell you, it isn’t hard being a Husker, too. It seems a fair trade in our household rivalry. I wear RED in the morning if Nebraska plays a morning game, GOLD in the afternoon and vice versa. Cooler weather means I wear my Black and Gold cargo pants with a long-sleeved Red Husker shirt. One Saturday during college football season, my family wears Gold – of course that is when Nebraska has a bi week, but I get my day.

I watch the Huskers on TV more than I watch the Hawkeyes, but I live in a testosterone Husker happy village. I have been to more Husker games than Hawkeye games since marrying into a Huskeropoly. And, I proved just how much I like the Huskers on my wedding day almost 13 years ago by patiently waiting for my groom to pull himself away from the Husker game playing on the TV in the men’s dressing room. Go Big Red!

Tour of Memorial Stadium

Kids on the N

I graciously accepted the greatest wife and mom award yesterday when my family toured Husker Memorial Stadium with my Husker-loving family. As we waited on the steps near the Tom Osborne statue, many of the popular football players passed by and my ten-year-old son’s mouth curved into the biggest smile. It was a proud mommy moment. After all, I made the call immediately after I found the postcard in the mailbox for the free tour.

Even for a Hawkeye on the wrong side of the border, I fell more in love with Husker Nation after the 45-minute guided tour. The momentum behind the tour guides was contagious. I felt the glory behind the tradition when I smacked the picture of the horseshoe going into the tunnel (since the game was out of state the night before, it was just a picture because they travel with their good luck charm). I could feel the momentum building as we walked the red carpet through the tunnel, out the stadium doors onto the field where the notorious Huskers play. The only thing that could have made it more vibrant would have been the tunnel song blaring above us. After viewing the stadium from the players view, the kids and I ran the full length of the green turf, the light breeze behind our backs. It was definitely a glorious moment.

Magnificent hand painted pictures of the best players since the late 1800s, jerseys, and photos of NU football legends lined the walls, murals and slogans colored the inside of the building, trophies of all sorts stood tall in glass cases – even the Heroes Game trophy they won against Iowa last year. We watched the current football players work out – just a few hours after an out-of-state game. Impressive!

Husker Fan by Choice

Near the end of the tour, we were invited a seat on the floor in the small Heisman Trophy room, lights dimmed, surround sound around us. The tour guide said it was the next best thing to being a part of the Husker game and she wasn’t far off.

If you ever get a chance to tour Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, be sure to do it. It made a Husker fan out of me – by choice.

Feature photo source

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