A Story From The Stands - What Have Former Nebraska Football Players Learned From The Game - Frosty

GREAT PLAY FROM A GREAT NAMEtop-notch, be accountable for what you do, and be
You can be sure plenty of folks will remember "thepatient. That's just the way it is." Frosty got knocked
play." It came in the second quarter of the 1973around on the scout team and was "Blackshirt bait"
Orange Bowl game against Notre Dame when Johnnybefore he earned his day in the Memorial Stadium sun.
Rodgers threw a touchdown pass to FrostyHis first varsity touchdown came on a Van Brownson
Anderson.pass during a Utah State game. "It was off of a hook
"I wasn't supposed to be in for that play," Frostypattern out and up," Frosty remembered as a smile
Anderson said. "We knew the play would be therecame across his face. "He almost overthrew me and I
and it would be an easy six." It was and the rest of thehad to lay out for it but I got it."
night was a disaster for the Fighting Irish. But, that's notPatience and practice paid off as the talented split end
the game that Frosty thinks of as his best game.inched up the depth chart. He made the ABC Sports
"The Wisconsin game was my best game," he said.highlight films with a clutch 3rd. down and 15 yard catch
"We kept getting behind and then I finally scored andagainst Colorado. "It was a precise seventeen yard
put Nebraska ahead. I thought that would do it butdown and out pattern and I caught it."
Wisconsin came back and scored. That's when TonyNot everything went the Husker's way during Frosty's
Davis went to work with one of his three rushes forsenior year. "We went to California to play UCLA and
about 30 yards each." Nebraska won.Mark Harmon and they beat us. I lost my starting job
"Someone came up and made a comment that I hadat that game," Frosty said. Oklahoma also throttled
something like nine catches and 160 yards," Frosty said.Nebraska, 27-0. "It took almost seven years before I
"I didn't think much about it even though it turned out tostopped taking that Oklahoma defeat personally."
be an I-back type of performance."In spite of the losses, Frosty earned All-Conference
It's not surprising Frosty might turn in a memorablehonors at his split end position and also academic
performance against a Big 10 team. He comes fromhonors. "I met Mark Harmon at the academic event
Big 10 roots. His father, Forrest, Sr. who was betterand he told me they were really afraid of Nebraska. I
know as "Forddy" coached basketball at Michiganwas surprised by that."
State. The family moved to Scottsbluff where his dadThe pro scouts noticed Frosty, too. The New Orleans
accepted a basketball coaching position. FrostySaints drafted him in the eighth round as a wide
became a standout for Scottsbluff and caught thereceiver. His pro career lasted two years. During his
eye of Nebraska coach Jim Ross during afirst season, he went in late in the first half against the
Scottsbluff-Fremont game.New York Jets, with Joe Namath at the helm, and
Coach Devaney knew Frosty's dad from his days asseparated his shoulder. "They had to keep me
an assistant football coach at Michigan State.because of my contract, but I got cut the next year."
"I always assumed I would be headed for MichiganThat ended football for Frosty Anderson. Frosty is still
State but when the Nebraska offer came, I thoughtin great shape and is an avid runner. "Not the marathon
what the heck and signed," he said. Not bad decisionstuff," he quickly pointed out. "I don't have time for that."
when you consider that only two years later, theIf he turns around in his office chair just a little, he can
young Scottsbluff star would be wearing a Nationallook out his 11th floor office window and see Memorial
Championship ring.Stadium but the football memories don't consume him.
Like all freshmen players in those days, Frosty started"When you have kids, you soon find out that they
in the Nebraska freshman football program. That teamaren't impressed that you played for the Huskers.
only had one loss. "We lost to the Kearney State firstThey just want their diapers changed. It didn't take long
team," Frosty said.for me to move on."
"Jim Walden was our freshman football coach," FrostyHe has become a unique fan, too. "People need to
said. "He was my first experience with a 'south-mouth'remember that they are just kids. Kids don't hear you.
and he preached three things: be ag-ile, be mob-ile andNobody had to tell me we played a bad game or we
be hos-tile. Frosty red-shirted his sophomore year.lost a game. We knew it. It's just a game."
"I'm what was known as hope of the second team,"Not in Nebraska, Frosty, especially with a great name
he said. "To play at Nebraska, you have to belike yours.