Players Given Peek at Stadium

After seeing photographs and New Year’s Day television images for years, Nebraska players finally got their first glimpse of the Rose Bowl Sunday. The Cornhuskers gathered for a team picture after meeting with the media and marveled at the size of a stadium that can accommodate more than 106,000.

“I heard we weren’t going to get in there because it was wet, so it was kind of neat to see the atmosphere inside,” linebacker Jamie Burrow said. “We knew it was huge and a lot of people were looking around and saying there isn’t a bad seat in the house.”

Burrow said newer stadiums offer fans and players more amenities, but fall short in character.

“They just don’t have the feeling these older stadiums do,” he said. “I like the way the bowl is set up. There is not the upper-deck-type thing where fans aren’t really in the game.”

Nebraska has not played in the Rose Bowl game since 1941, but Cornhusker Coach Frank Solich and many members of his staff have been on the Rose Bowl sidelines. Solich, in his fourth season as coach, was an assistant in 1984 when the Cornhuskers defeated UCLA, 42-3; in 1988 when Nebraska lost to UCLA, 41-28; and in 1993 when Nebraska beat the Bruins, 14-13.

Nebraska, playing in its 33rd consecutive bowl game, traditionally does a walk-through at the bowl site the day before its games. The Cornhuskers, however, will not be allowed back onto the Rose Bowl turf again until Thursday when they play Miami in the bowl championship series’ national championship game.

“I don’t see that as a problem for us at all,” Solich said.

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Solich and 14 Nebraska players visited the City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte Sunday morning and met with patients and their families.

“As soon as we walked in, their eyes just lit up,” said running back Thunder Collins, who played at Manual Arts High and East Los Angeles College. “I was kind of surprised how much these kids know about football and the BCS and how it works.

“It was a pretty great experience. It touched me and got my heart warm to them because people take for granted what they have. Everyone is not blessed with the abilities that we have. It made me think that I’m really blessed.”

Wingback Troy Hassebroek and offensive lineman Toniu Fonoti said the Cornhuskers make regular visits to hospitals and homes for the elderly in Lincoln.

Fonoti said Sunday’s visit was particularly compelling. “To see them fight and go through that struggle, I look up to them,” he said.

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Nebraska practiced two hours in helmets and shoulder pads and for the second consecutive day it rained throughout. Solich said the Cornhuskers will work out in sweats today and Tuesday.

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The helmet of Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch had been missing since Friday but was returned anonymously Sunday morning. Crouch has been practicing with a newer, plain white helmet.

“It’s back, but we’re kind of glad it was gone because he likes the new one better,” Solich said. “I told him if he practices well enough we’ll put an ‘N’ on the side.”