Trades pigskin for horschide
Yactor chases diamond job
by WARREN OBR
Assistant Sports Editor
When Frank Vactor opened
the 1969 football season as the
Cornhuskers top I-back, it
looked like a dream-come true
for the Pennsylvania junior.
Joe Orduna had been sidelined
by a knee injury and now
Vactor was starting on a major
college football team.
But then, in a classical Wally
Pipp story, Vactor was injured
in the season's second game.
Jeff Kinney replaced Vactor
and went on to Sophomore of
The Year honors in the Big
Eight. And in 1970, Vactor
found himself behind both
Kinney and the recovered
Orduna. Vactor never started
another game.
Pipp, was the New York
Yankee first baseman who was
injured and replaced by Lou
Gehrig. Gehrig then started
every game for the next ten
years. The Pipp-Vactor
comparison fits in another
way.
It is in baseball that Vactor
is now competing. Although he
hasn't played any serious
'V
. -v
baseball for over four years, he
opened the season as the
Husker's starting leftfielder.
I ALWAYS
wanted to play baseball, but 1
never could because 1 never
really had a position sewn up
on the football team and 1 had
to play spring ball," said
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Vactor. "I've got no regrets
about football though. It's ,
been very good to me. And
being No. 1 was a great way to
go out."
Vactor first came to
Nebraska in 1967 turning
down scholarship offers from
30 other schools He admits his
brother Ted, who started for
two seasons for the Huskers
and who now plays for the
Washington1 Redskins, had a
big influence on his decision.
Before entering school,
though, Vactor went to the
Pittsburgh Pirates training
camp. And now four years
later, he hopes to get another
try out.
"I'm hoping to play some
pro ball because that's really
what it's all about," said
Vactor. 'If I have a good year
in the Big Eight, there should
be some feelers, tut whether
I'm picked up or not 1 want to
try out."
VACTOR ADMITS that the
odds are against him right now,
but he's "not really worried
about it. My main worry right
now is being 1 00 for the Big
Eight opener this Friday at
Colorado."
In the Huskers' opening
game of the recent Houston
series, Vactor had two hits
including a triple. But
following the triple, he pulled a
hamstring muscle and sat out
most of the rest of the series.
Vactor's speed should be his
biggest asset in baseball while
his only real problem will be
"getting my timing back at the
plate."
Graduating in June with an
elementary education major
and a physical education
minor, Vactor could coach or
teach in the future, but he
would prefer to coach.
"Coaching would be nice,
and I like to work with young
people," said Vactor. And
asked where he would settle,
Vactor said it would definitely
be in Pennsylvania or on the
West coast.
Looking back at his career,
Vactor would definitely have
had a better chance to start on
any other Big Eight team. But
it is not his philosophy to ask
"what if".
"I have no regrets," ' Vactor
concluded, "and I can't look
back."
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Scottsbluff Sen. Terry Carpenter pronounces Bob
Devaney's name De-Vain-ey instead of De-Van-ey. He yells
"Go Red" instead of "Go Big Red." He has been a constant
critic of many aspects of the University of Nebraska.
But Tuesday he quarterbacked an amendment to a bill
which would provide funds to build a new fieldhouse at NU.
LB 87, which adds an additional five cent tax on cigarettes to
be divided evenly between a fieldhouse and a new state
office building, advanced first reading with ease 41-3.
The landside victory is significant. An emergency clause,
which is included with the Bill's third reading, needs 33
votes to pass. The clause would provide for immediate
construction plans on the field house.
Carpenter: ""Devaney deserves it"
Devaney, who took Carpenter to lunch last week before
he introduced the bill, was introduced by the Scottsbluff
lawmaker Tuesday.
"I am introducing to you the most distinguished citizen
this state has had in a long time," Carpenter said of
Devaney. "Bob Devaney has done more for Nebraska's
publicity than any person recently.
"I'm not saying football is the only thing in this state,
but many people around the country take a stateon
the success of it's football team.
"I'm not saying if this is good or bad," continued
Carpenter. "I'm just saying that Devaney and his coaches
have made athletics an important part of the state and we
must recognize this. He deserves a new fieldhouse."
Strong opposition by Omaha Sen. Richard Proud was
voiced. But only two other senators joined Proud in voting
against the measure.
Where does Exon stand?
But one person's opinion that is still unknown is Gov. J.
3. Exon. Exon's views are tested on two fronts by the bill.
Exon ran on a campaign of reduced spending, but he
also takes pride in Nebraska athletics. "1 dont think
Nebraskans are proud enough of their No. 1 football team,"
the governor charged last month. 'I hope by next year all
Nebraskans wear No. 1 buttons with pride."
Lincoln Sen. Roland Luedtke, the original introducer of
the bill to tax cigarettes for building a new state office
building, said Exon has not yet expressed his opinion.
Nebraska's athletic department, although pleased that
Exon took an interest to express how he feels about
Nebraska being No. 1 in football, may feel shortchanged
about his statements.
Just because Nebraska is No. 1 in football doesnt mean
the school is No. 1 in other sports. On the contrary,
Nebraska's minor sports usually fall in the Big Eight second
division. But with the claim that Nebraska is No. 1,
out-of-staters are getting a distorted picture of the entire
athletic program.
Facilities help recruiting
Devaney, in addressing the Legislature Tuesday, said,
Nebraska's facilities are definitely below most Big Eight
schools.
"When we bring in a recruit we don't show him the
swimming pool in the Coliseum," said Devaney. We tell him
that it is being painted because we're too ashamed of our
facilities to show him."
Cornhusker Basketball Coach Joe Cipriano, in discussing
recruiting two weeks ago, said a survey shows that 85 per
cent of the athletes select a college because of its facilities.
"I'm at a disadvantage in recruiting," said Cipriano.
"Other Big Eight schools have great basketball facilites to
show off."
Iowa State and Missouri will move into new fieldhouses
next year. Oklahoma and Colorado have new facilities
under consideration. And Kansas. ..well what can be said for
a 17,000 seat complex and a basketball team that produces
year after year.
Nebraska, the nation's king in football, is lacking in
athletic depth. LB 87 is the answer.
Thursday
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PAGE 14
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1971