[Husker] 1961

[Kenneth McKillip]

The loss today was truly historic.  It is really difficult to grasp how long it has been since the Heritage Huskers had a losing season.

In 1961 I was in the first grade in a one room school house that had no running water - no plumbing of any kind.

Our telephone was a rotary dial and we had a party line.

We drove my Dad's turquoise and white 1958 Chevy.  No one I knew had FM radio, air conditioning, power windows, power brakes, power steering, or automatic transmission.  Those new 1962 Chevy Impalas that I look back on so nostalgically weren't out yet.

All of my grandparents and some of my great-grandparents were alive.  Now only one of my parents is alive.

John Kennedy was inaugurated in 1961.  Very few Americans had heard of a place called Vietnam or the Beatles.

Most Nebraskan's had not heard of the legendary Bob Devany - must less Tom Osborne or Barry Switzer or Johnny Rogers.

Most of the current population of the world was not born.  Most of today's players Dad's were not born.

We had not yet put a man in space.  Four function hand held calculators did not exist.  Most Americans had not flown on an airplane.

We will never have another winning streak like the Heritage Huskers had in our life times - most of us won't live that long.  If we had kept Frank and his new staff we'd have had a 50 year streak celebration the end of this decade and the 80 year celebration before I checked out - just my opinion, but I believe it with all my heart - and, more importantly, we would still have all of the things that set us apart as the good guys.

I keep thinking of Barney saying "tell them I'm a Cyclone now".  No Barney, you'll always be a Heritage Husker in my heart like all of the others who paid the price for the streak.  Just not a PH.