Wednesday, august 23, 1978
page 42
daily nebraskan
Albuquerque native hopes for success with Huskers
By Mike McCarthy
Phil Trent left family, friends, boosters
and most of life's memories hanging in the
dry lands of Albuquerque, N.M., where
success may have come easier.
Instead, Trent packed his bags 1 1 days
ago and hopped a plane to Lincoln in one
of the paramount decisions of his life. He
said he had to prove a point by taking
the hard route.
A highly recruited back out of Sandia
High School in Albuquerque, Trent is now
on the UNL campus with about 185 other
talented gridders who also are trying to
prove their point-making the Husker
team.
Trent, however, seems to have other
objectives when putting his body through
grinding two-a-day workouts at Memorial
Stadium the past week. That ulterior
motive had its beginning in February when
Trent had to sign the national letter of
intent.
Down to the line
"It was the last day to sign," Trent re
calls. "It was Feb. 14 and I had it down to
Arizona State, New Mexico and Nebraska."
"At first, I didn't want to come here,"
Trent added. "I thought I wouldn't get a
shot to play until I was a senior. But at a
little school, there isn't as much recogni
tion or a chance to go pro."
"I figured I'd go big time. You only go
once in life.''
Trent's decision to attend UNL was
treated with coldness by some University
of New Mexico (UNM) alumni.
"They were mad at me," Trent said.
"Now, they act like they don't know me.
It was getting ridiculous."
Trent said the UNM boosters had pro
mised him a summer job before the sign-
''til,.
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Phote by Bob Paanon
Freshman Phil Trent from Albuquerque, Nil., joins the Husker team as one of the
fastest and youngest ever to join.
ing date, but after that, they said "forget
it." Later, he found work with a transfer
storage company.
Voted Most Valuable Player
The athletic interest schools showed in
Trent is understandable-one day before he
flew to Lincoln, the 6-foot-l speedster was
voted the Most Valuable Player on defense
in New Mexico's All-Star football game.
Perhaps the youngest Husker ever,
Trent also may be the fastest. Although he
won't turn 18 until Nov. 10, Trent has
churned times of 9.4 seconds in the 100
yard dash and below 4.S seconds in the
40-yard sprint.
"First, I want to prove to myself that I
came to the right place," Trent said.
"Some people back home said I shouldn't
have come here, that IH only be a number.
I want to prove to them I made the right
decision."
When he first airived in Lincoln. Trent
had second doubts about corning to UNL.
"When I first got off the plane I called
home," Trent explained. I shouldn't have
done it. I talked to my mom and little
sister wanted to know if she could sleep
in my bed. I was homesick and that only
made things worse."
Hipp was helpful
Meeting players like Husker I-Back
I.M. Hipp has helped ease the transitional
pain for Trent.
"rve talked to him (Hipp) quite a bit,"
Trent added. "He's helped me out in block
ing drills and during the film session he
points out things to me."
Although he's not about to unseed Hipp
during the first weeks of fall practice,
Trent has varsity aspirations. And with
his speed, Husker coaches are likely to
notice.
Says Guy Ingles, UNL's frosh mentor,
about Trent: "He's got a lot of speed. He's
looking pretty good."
Trent said his speed "comes in handy
when I'm being chased by a 250-pound
lineman."
While he waits for fall classes to start,
Trent spends most of his idle hours study
ing Husker plays, writing his girlfriend in
Albuquerque and getting to know Lincoln.
Making the 'big time
And although adversities on the and off
the field sometimes makes it hard for
Trent to prove his point to himself and to
folks back home, he says he knows when
it's time to make "the big time."
Trent says he made "the big time" by
signing with UNL. His next move is to
crack the varsity line-up.
"Fm always thinking about going big
time," Trent said. "But you don't go up
there (varsity) and make a fool of yourself."
k
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