Walk Ons Huskers' Edge
A fascinating look at the long history of the University of Nebraska's "walk-on" program, which allows native Nebraskans to play for the Cornhuskers football team without a scholarship.
Coach Bo Pelini
Whether from Alliance to Auburn, or Ogallala to Omaha, there is a never-say-die, hard-working attitude that unites Nebraskans. That attitude is exemplified by the special way football is played at the University of Nebraska and the honored tradition of the Big Red walk-on program.Athletes from mostly rural Nebraska towns walk-on to play football for their home state without scholarships, sometimes turning down scholarship to other schools, just to get a chance to perhaps one day make the team.
A new NET Television special, “Walk Ons: Huskers’ Edge,” tells the story of the University of Nebraska’s football walk-on program, following the young men raised with Nebraska values and dreaming of becoming Huskers and playing in Memorial Stadium.
“Walk Ons” looks at the history of the walk-on program at Nebraska, including Langston Coleman, who in the early 1960s became the first Husker walk-on when he joined Bob Devaney’s squad. The official institution of the walk-on program began in 1973, the first year of Tom Osborne’s reign as Husker head coach, because of a NCAA reduction rule in the number of scholarships that could be offered.
Utilizing both vintage and contemporary footage, “Walk Ons” demonstrates how the walk-on players have contributed to Nebraska’s success on the gridiron. Viewers also meet two current Nebraska walk-ons as they aspire to become part of the Big Red team.
What is consistently voiced throughout the program is how the walk-on athletes exhibit a hard work ethic, loyalty and the concept of never giving up -- attitudes representative of Nebraska’s tradition of blue-collar values