THANK YOU. IT WAS 1983. I WAS 11 YEARS OLD. DIE HARD PENN STATE FAN YEAR BEFORE PENN HAD WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. NOW, SOME PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM MIGHT DISAGREE WITH THAT, BUT FOR ME, THEY HAD WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AND MY FATHER, YOU KNOW, HE’S MY MY DAD’S A TEACHER AND MINISTER AND WE GREW UP WE WERE LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY, HAD A CHANCE TO GO OUT AND SEE THE KICKOFF CLASSIC, A CHANCE TO TALK TO COACH OSBORNE. I RELAYED STORY AND I WAS WATCHING THE PENN STATE LIONS TAKE ON THE NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS. AND ON THAT DAY, NEBRASKA WON 44 SIX. AND I CAN STILL REMEMBER WALKING BACK TO THE SUBWAY WITH TEARS IN MY EYES, WONDERING WHY NEBRASKA HAD TO DO THAT TO US. FAST FORWARD TO 1994 AND I WALKED ON AT PENN STATE AND FOUND A WAY TO FIND SOME WAYS TO GET ON THE TEAM AND PLAY. AND WE HAD AN UNDEFEATED SEASON AND THE BIG TEN BEAT OREGON 38 SIX AND NEBRASKA WENT OUT AND PLAYED THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI AND BEAT THEM. ONCE AGAIN, THERE WERE TEARS IN MY EYES AS WE FINISHED WITHOUT A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. AND NEBRASKA DID, AND I THINK ABOUT LAST SATURDAY, SATURDAY MORNING, AND MY WIFE. TREV TALKED ABOUT GRINDER’S, JUST SORT OF I KNOWS WHO MY WIFE JULIE IS. MY WIFE JULIE WOKE UP YESTERDAY MORNING AT SIX AND PUT THREE DOGS, THREE KIDS AND A SPRINTER AND DROVE 12 HOURS BACK TO CHARLOTTE, GOT THERE AT 11:00. I HEARD THE KIDS CLOSE TO 30, WAS UP AT FOUR AND SHE’S HERE SMILING. SHE’S A GRINDER. SHE’S THE BEST. AND UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA. THAT ONCE BROUGHT TEARS MY EYES WHEN I WAS 11. AND BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE. IT BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES BECAUSE SHE’S BEEN TELLING ME THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS KNOW SINCE THE VERY FIRST DAY THAT I GOT A PHONE CALL ABOUT A JOB AND A UNIVERSITY AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COMING AT US. SHE HAS SAID THIS PLACE, THESE PEOPLE, THIS IS THE RIGHT FIT FOR US. THIS IS THE RIGHT FIT FOR OUR FAMILY SO ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD TO ME, MY WIFE JULIE, MY SON BRYANT, MY DAUGHTERS VIVIAN, LEONA. THANKS FOR PAYING ATTENTION TO ME, GUYS. I WANT TO THANK HUSKER NATION. I WANT TO THANK THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA. I WANT TO THANK CHANCELLOR GREEN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. BUT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE IF IT WEREN’T FOR PRESIDENT. TED CARTER. THIS WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE IF IT WAS NOT FOR TREVOR ALBERTS, IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE IF IT WAS NOT FOR ANGIE ALBERTS BECAUSE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS WE FOUND WHAT WE’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR. WE FOUND LEADERSHIP. WE FOUND ALIGNMENT LIKE HOW HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU PUT NUMBERS LIKE THIS UP ON THE WALL? HOW DO YOU HAVE THE GREAT SEASONS? HOW DO YOU HAVE FIVE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS? YOU NEED LEADERSHIP AND YOU NEED ALIGNMENT. AND I’VE LEARNED THAT LESSON. I’VE LEARNED THAT NO MATTER HOW FERTILE THE SEED IS, MAN HAS GOT TO BE IN GREAT SOIL FOR FOR THE PLANT TO GROW. I COULD HAVE TAKEN A YEAR OFF. SOME PEOPLE MIGHT THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, MY WIFE WAS TIRED OF ME AFTER SIX WEEKS. AND WHILE THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT TRUE, THAT’S NOT WHY I’M HERE TODAY. I’M HERE TODAY BECAUSE AS I TALKED TO TREV, THE PASSION FOR FOOTBALL WAS REBORN INSIDE ME. THE PASSION FOR A YOUNG WAS REBORN INSIDE OF ME. WHEN WE CAME TO LINCOLN AND WE SNUCK INTO LINCOLN AND WE DROVE AROUND, WE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS IS A PLACE THAT’S COMMITTED TO GREATNESS. THIS IS A PLACE THAT’S COMMITTED. LOOK AT THIS FACILITY THAT’S COMMITTED TO PLAYER DEVELOPMENT. THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT LOVE THEIR UNIVERSITY, THAT LOVE THEIR STATE AND LOVE THEIR FOOTBALL TEAM. SO AS PEOPLE ASK ME, WHY I AM HERE, BECAUSE THIS IS THE RIGHT FIT IT’S THE RIGHT TIME. AND IF I HAVE ONE MESSAGE FOR YOU, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY DO IT. WE CAN ABSOLUTELY GET THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA, THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA FOOTBALL EXACTLY WHERE IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE. IT WILL BE HARD. IT TAKE TIME, BUT IT WILL BE DONE. SO THANK YOU, TREV. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT CARTER, FOR SETTING A VISION FOR US THAT MADE US MADE US DECIDE TO CALL THIS HOME. I WANT TO ECHO WHAT TREV SAID. I THOUGHT IT WAS AWESOME WATCHING THE TEAM ON ON FRIDAY PLAY AGAINST IOWA. AND I’M SITTING THERE WATCHING IT AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, HEY, IS THIS GOING TO BE THE TEAM THAT I COACH NEXT YEAR? COACH JOSEPH AND HIS STAFF JUST SHOWING TREMENDOUS LEADERSHIP. THE PLAYERS ON THAT TEAM. I’VE HAD A CHANCE TO MEET THE TEAM, TALK TO SOME GUYS, JUST SHOWING THE LEADERSHIP TO KEEP THAT TEAM TOGETHER. AND AGAIN, THAT’S WHAT I HOPE THAT I BRING. BECAUSE IF THERE’S ONE THING I’VE LEARNED IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS AFTER MY MY FIRST DAY IN COLLEGE IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, IT’S THAT ANYBODY CAN LEAD WHEN THINGS ARE EASY AND THAT’S CONVENIENT LEADERSHIP WHO STEPS UP WHEN THINGS ARE HARD, WHO STEPPED UP FOR THIS TEAM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON WHEN THE COACH IS GONE AND GUYS CAN GO EITHER WAY, LIKE WHO STEPS UP WHEN WE HAVEN’T HAD THE SUCCESS AS A PROGRAM THAT WE WANT WHO’S GOING TO STEP UP AND FILL THE VOID, STAND IN THE GAP. AND I’M HONORED THAT I’VE BEEN CHOSEN FOR THAT. AND I’M JUST ONE SMALL PIECE OF IT. LEADERSHIP ISN’T JUST A POSITION. IT’S A WAY OF LIFE. AND I HOPE AND I’LL START TODAY, I CAN PROMISE YOU THIS I’M GOING TO RIP THIS SUIT OFF SOME TIME TONIGHT, AND I’M GOING TO GO BACK TO MY OFFICE AND I’M GOING TO START TO RECRUIT AND START TO DO ALL THE THINGS. BUT I AM HONORED TO SAY THAT I HAVE A CHANCE TO LEAD THIS FOOTBALL PROGRAM WHEN PEOPLE ASK WHY, BESIDES LIVING HERE IN LINCOLN, BESIDES THE LEADERSHIP THAT I FOUND, BESIDES THE OPPORTUNITY AND JUST JUST THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT MY SON, YOU KNOW, HE’S A HE’S THIS YOUTUBE GENERATION. I HAVE SEEN THE TUNNEL WALK MAYBE 5000 TIMES. I HAVE SEEN POST-GAME CELEBRATIONS. I’VE SEEN THE HYPE VIDEOS. I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE AND I DON’T KNOW, NEBRASKA WELL ENOUGH YET, AND I HOPE YOU’LL BEAR WITH ME BECAUSE I WANT TO EMBRACE EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE UNIVERSITY IN NEBRASKA AND THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA’S FOOTBALL PROGRAM. BUT I FEEL LIKE I FEEL LIKE THROUGH HIM AND THROUGH SOME SOME FRIENDS OF MINE WHO HAVE PLAYED HERE, THAT THIS IS EXACTLY RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME. AND LET ME SAY IT AGAIN, I BELIEVE WE CAN DO IT. SO THANK YOU TO MY FAMILY. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ASKED ME WHAT OUR VISION IS AND OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO WE WANT TO HAVE HEISMAN TROPHY WINNERS. WE WANT A WOMAN MAJOR AWARDS. WE WANT TO WIN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS. WE WANT TO WIN NATIONAL BUT, GUYS, I’M A I’M A DAY BY DAY GUY. I’M A PROCESS GUY. I’M A WHAT’S WHAT’S NEXT PERSON? AND I CAN JUST TELL YOU THIS, THAT I WANT TO BUILD A TEAM THAT’S TOUGH. I WANT TO BUILD A TEAM THAT’S HARDWORKING. I TOLD THE TEAM THAT TODAY, LIKE THE PRICE OF GLORY IS PAID IN HERE AT 6 A.M.. THE PRICE GLORY IS PLAYED ON THE RECRUITING TRAIL LIKE WE ARE GOING TO WORK HARD. I CAN’T SAY THAT ANYBODY ELSE, BUT HARDER THAN WE’VE EVER ASKED OURSELVES TO WORK BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO THIS IS GOING TO BE HARD. YOU CAN’T WIN THREE GAMES AND THEN WIN FOUR GAMES AND THEY JUST COME TO WORK EXCITED ABOUT JUST, HEY, WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT? SO WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN. AND THAT PLAN INVOLVES WORKING HARDER THAN THE NEXT MAN. WE’RE GOING TO BUILD A TEAM THAT’S TOUGH. THAT’S HARD WORKING. WE’RE GOING TO COMPETE AT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. THERE’S NOT A GAME THAT I EXPECT TO EVER WALK INTO WHERE WE DON’T EXPECT TO WIN. WE WANT TO HONOR THE PEOPLE WHO TAKE THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY LIKE IT IS SUCH IT IS NOT A BURDEN, BUT A RESPONSIBILITY ON ME AS THE COACH TO KNOW. THERE WILL BE PEOPLE FROM ALL ACROSS THE STATE WHO TAKE THE MONEY THAT THEY MAKE WITH THEIR HANDS AND WITH THEIR WORK AND WITH WITH WITH JUST THEIR DAILY TOIL. AND THEY SPEND IT TO COME WATCH OUR TEAM PLAY AND YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU CAN’T WIN EVERY GAME, EVERY YEAR. IT JUST DOESN’T HAPPEN. BUT YOU CAN CERTAINLY BE A TEAM THAT PEOPLE ARE PROUD TO WATCH. THAT’S THE TYPE OF TEAM I WANT TO BE FROM THE SPRING GAME TO A PRACTICE TO A MAT DRILL TO AWAIT LISTENING SESSION TO A MEETING. I EXPECT OUR GUYS TO BE TOUGH. I EXPECT THEM TO WORK HARD AND I EXPECT THEM TO COMPETE. AND I EXPECT THAT BECAUSE I AND MY STAFF WILL DO THE SAME THING EVERY DAY. THAT’S SORT OF OUR VISION FOR HOW WE ARE. YOU KNOW, WE’RE WE’RE WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE A NEW NO NEW SPREAD TEAMS AND WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE LIKE THAT. WE’RE GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN OLD SCHOOL TYPE OF A TEAM. WE’RE GOING TO BE A PHYSICAL YOU KNOW, WE’LL BE BALANCED. AND YOU GUYS I KNOW YOU GUYS LAST LOTS OF QUESTIONS. WE ALWAYS BETTER DO WHAT THE PLAYERS WELL BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY I DON’T BELIEVE YOU CAN WIN IF YOU CAN’T WIN THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. WE WANT TO HAVE FAST PLAYERS, EXPLOSIVE PLAYERS. WE WANT TO HAVE SPEED, WE WANT TO HAVE GREAT QUARTERBACK PLAY. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THROUGH THE WEIGHT ROOM AND RECRUITING, WE WANT TO HAVE A PHYSICAL TEAM THAT CAN CONTROL THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, CONTROL THE GAME. I BELIEVE THAT’S THE TYPE OF TEAM THAT CAN WIN IN THE ELEMENTS. THAT’S THE TYPE OF TEAM THAT CAN WIN ON THE ROAD. HAVE A LEAD AND KEY BELIEVE THAT’S THE TYPE A TEAM THAT NEBRASKANS WANT TO SEE. AND FINALLY, HOW BECAUSE IT’S ALL IT ALL SOUNDS GOOD. PRESS CONFERENCES ARE FUN. BUT HOW HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT BESIDES JUST THE WORK? AND I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US TO UNDERSTAND THAT FOOTBALL HAS CHANGED COLLEGE. FOOTBALL HAS CHANGED EVEN IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, SINCE I LEFT. AND I’LL PORTAL TRANSFER ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS. AND I THINK FOR ALL OF US, WE CAN WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT WE’VE DONE. WE CAN CELEBRATE THE PAST. WE CAN LEARN FROM THE PAST. BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE AN EYE TO THE FUTURE. THE GAME IS CHANGING AROUND US AND WE HAVE TO CHANGE WITH IT. WE HAVE TO RECRUIT PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BE NEBRASKA MEN. WE HAVE TO RECRUIT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WEAR THE N. WANT TO PAY THE PRICE FOR THIS TEAM. YEAH, WELL, I KNOW THAT THERE’S, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME SALARY STUFF. NOW WE CAN GO THIS GUY CAN GET THIS. THIS GUY CAN GET THAT. AND WE’LL BE INVOLVED IN ALL OF THAT BECAUSE WE WANT TO BRING THE BEST PLAYERS HERE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I WANT PLAYERS WHO WANT TO COME HERE, WHO WANT NOT JUST GRADUATE. THEY WANT TO BE EDUCATED. THEY WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES IN THE CLASSROOM, TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES TO EDUCATION. I WANT TO BRING PLAYERS HERE AND I WANT TO HAVE A PROGRAM THAT IMPACTS THE COMMUNITY THAT WHEN YOU SEE A NEBRASKA FOOTBALL PLAYER, YOU KNOW THAT WHEREVER YOU ARE IS BETTER FOR THEM. HAVING BEEN THERE, THAT THEY WILL ALWAYS LEAVE THE PLACE BETTER THAN THEY FOUND THAT. I WANT TO BRING PLAYERS HERE WHO MAKE THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY BETTER. LIKE YOU’RE YOU’RE NOT GOING TO SEE ME AND MY FAMILY HANGING OUT LIKE YOU’RE GOING TO SEE US AT THE LOCAL DINER. YOU’RE GOING TO SEE US AT THE SALT LAKE. THAT’S WHO WE ARE. WE DID NOT COME HERE TO LIVE IN SECLUSION. WE WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY. AND I WANT PLAYERS WHO WANT TO DO THE SAME THING, GET EDUCATE, GET EDUCATED, GRADUATE BUT IMPACT THE COMMUNITY, IMPACT THE CAMPUS, AND THEN PLAY GREAT FOOTBALL. AND I WANT GUYS THAT WANT TO BE PRO FOOTBALL PLAYERS. I’VE HAD A CHANCE TO COACH IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE TWICE. SO MANY PLAYERS HAVE LEFT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AND GONE ON TO THE NFL. AND WHILE TALENT GET YOU THERE, CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY AND WORK ETHIC AND PROFESSIONALISM WILL KEEP YOU THERE. IT STINKS. GETTING FIRED. BUT IF THERE’S ONE GREAT THING THAT CAME OUT OF THE DAY THAT I GOT THE PHONE CALL THAT THAT’S LONGER THAN WHAT THE CAROLINA PANTHERS IT WAS ALL OF THE PLAYERS WHO PLAYED FOR ME THAT ARE PLAYING IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE OR GOING TO MEDICAL SCHOOL OR GOING TO BUSINESS SCHOOL. WHO ALL SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, COACH? MY LIFE IS WORTH HAVING BEEN A PART OF THE PROGRAM. IT’S NOT ABOUT ME. IT’S ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE THAT TOUCHED THEM. AND SO AS WE COME HERE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA, IT IS MY INTENT TO LEAVE THE UNIVERSITY A BETTER PLACE FOR US HAVING BEEN HERE, IT IS MY INTENT TO MAKE NEBRASKANS PROUD. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR EVERY PLAYER WALK ON OR SCHOLARSHIP, YOUNG OR OLD, FOR EVERY PLAYER THAT COMES TO PLAY FOR US, THAT COMES TO TO PRACTICE IN THESE FACILITIES AND SIT IN THESE MEETING ROOMS, I WANT THEM TO LOOK BACK SOMEDAY AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE, MY PERSONAL LIFE, MY FOOTBALL LIFE, IT WAS ALL BETTER FOR HAVING BEEN A NEBRASKA CORNHUSKER. I’VE GOTTEN CALLS AND TEXTS FROM GUYS KNOW WHO PLAY HERE, GUYS THAT I DON’T KNOW WHO PLAY HERE, AND THE PRIDE AND PASSION THAT THEY ALL FEEL FOR HAVING BEEN HERE, WORN THE JERSEY AND BEEN A CORNHUSKER. I WANT ALL THE FUTURE GENERATIONS TO FEEL THE SAME SO I WILL DO MY UTMOST BEST. I WILL DO MY UTMOST BEST TO RESPECT THE TRADITION, RESPECT THAT, HONOR. AND I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS WILL TRUST ME TO TAKE US TO ANOTHER PLACE, TAKE US INTO THE FUTURE, BECAUSE IT CAN HAPPEN. AND AS TREV SAID, THE TIME IS NOW. THE TIME IS NOW. AND IT’S NOT REALLY JUST ABOUT ME. IT’S REALLY ABOUT ALL OF US, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BE ALL IN. IF YOU WANT TO SEE SOMETHING FAIL, HAVE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE STAND AROUND AND WAIT AND SEE IT FAIL. IF YOU WANT TO SEE SOMETHING SUCCEED, EVERYBODY SEE. EVEN WHEN YOU DISAGREE, JUST MOVE AHEAD AND PUSH AHEAD. IT’S GOING TO TAKE EVERYBODY. EVERYBODY WHO BLEEDS RED TO GET THE NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS TO WHERE THEY THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE. BUT WE WILL DO IT. BUT WE’LL HAVE TO DO IT TOGETHER. IT’S MY HONOR. IT’S MY FAMILY’S HONOR. I WANT TO ASSURE. I THANK THEM AGAIN. I WANT TO THANK MY MOTHER AND FATHER WHO COULDN’T BE HERE, BUT WERE SO CRITICAL OF MY LIFE. I WANT TO THANK ALL THE PLAYERS OF THE CAROLINA PANTHERS. THAT PLAYED FOR ME AT THE BAYLOR BEARS AND THANK ALL THE PLAYERS WHO PLAYED FOR ME AT THE TEMPLE OWLS. I WOULD NOT BE HERE IN THIS MOMENT, IN THIS ICONIC PROGRAM IF IT WASN’T FOR THEM. AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK ALL THE PICTURES IN THE BACK, WHOEVER THAT PICTURE OF ME WITH THE NEBRASKA RED, THAT’S GOT TO BE AT LEAST TEN OR 12 YEARS AGO. AND I DON’T LOOK THAT GOOD ANYMORE. I WANT TO THANK THAT PERSON. FINISHED WITH THIS AS WE WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND THERE WERE BUMPS AND HURDLES AND TREV HAD TO OVERCOME SOME THINGS, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTUALLY. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF FORCES AT WORK ANY TIME, ANY TIME THINGS GOT DIFFICULT. MY WIFE WOULD LOOK AT ME AND SHE’D SAY, ADMIRAL, SHE LOOK AT ME. SHE’D SAY, TREV, TRUST THE PEOPLE. I TRUST THEM. I’M