Kiley Timperley/DN
La Tonya Rodgers takes time to reminisce the athletic careers of her family members.
Namesake inspires competitive edge
Rodgers’ pride investment not left in Heisman trophy case
“Johnny Rodgers is your dad?"
This is a typical response from
people when they discover my lin
eage. I never thought much of it.
When I was younger, he was just
“Dad." I knew he played football,
and he had a "nice" trophy sitting in
a glass case in his living room.
As I became older and more
sports conscious — which was al
most inevitable in my family — I
began to appreciate the great ath
lete my dad was and the signifi
cance of the Heisman T rophy in the
glass case.
Johnny Rodgers is more than
“Johnny thejet,"thefootball player
—- much more. He is the one who
taught me to believe in myself. He
taught me about priorities and the
importance of education.
Though we’ve sometimes had
our differences, he is a wonderful
father. I’ve learned immeasurable
things from him, and I am proud of
to be his daughter.
On the same token, I am ex
tremely proud of my brother Terry,
for two reasons particularly. The
pressure was on him since he was
a little boy to follow in my father's
footsteps.
When he decided to play foot
ball for Nebraska, I knew it would
only be expected for him to get one
of those “nice” trophies like my
father. Yet, when the injuries arose
and he made the brave and intelli
gent decision not to play anymore,
as fast as the fans ran to get his
autograph, they dismissed him.
I felt a lot of the hurt and frac
tured pride he felt. I think he has
learned, as 1 have, that the hurt goes
away and the pride heals, and fam
ily will always be there for him. He
realized that it would be better to
be healthy and strong than to be in
pain for namesake.
I am most proud of him because
he graduated from high school and
college. Like my father, he is more
than a footbaII player who wore the
No. 20 jersey for Nebraska. From
him, 1 learned that sometimes we
have to do things in life that may
hurt at the lime, but it will be much
belter in the long run. The -hurt
goes away and we go on.
I was an athlete as well. I started
running competitively when I was
6 years old, for a track club called
the Colorado Sun. In middle school,
I picked up volleyball and basket
ball, but my height became a factor.
Many times I reflected on my
father’s and brother’s accomplish
ments and dug deep within myself
to find the competitive spirit that
could outweigh the norms of these
sports I wanted to participate in.
I played on and played well. I
played basketball throughout high
school and one year in college. I
continued running track through
high school, but I chose to end it
there.
I had the potential to do great
things with my athletic career, par
ticularly track and field. Instead I
chose the field of mathematics to
compete in. In my opinion that
was, and is, the belter investment.
I find that even as a math major, the
competitiveness still arises.
Once again, 1 have the potential
todogreatthings. Thistime, though,
I am going to capitalize on it. Just
think, one of these days someone
will be asking my father, “LaTonya
Rodgers is your daughter?"
LaTonya Rodgers is a senior mathemat
ics major and Diversions contributor
hlack students stereotyped as athletes
In Lincoln we have a stereotype
that’s going around. Black students
here are always being associated
with athletics.
I here is no problem with the
association, because I’m proud of
what skills my body can perform.
Ilie problem deals with the treat
ment that goes along with the asso
ciation.
Regardless of whether you are
male or female, if you are a black
student on this campus, you will be
immediately confirmed as an ath
lete unless otherwise told. This
bothers me to the highest level.
Yes, it’s a fact that Nebraska is
practically an all-white state with a
small black (African-American)
population, but just because the
majority of the people are white
docs not mean that all other colors
do not exist.
For people of all colors and
creeds to come together and unite
as a people, each race shou Id come
together as a unit.
It’s so sad to say that the black
race has problems that arc not only
caused by outside sources, but also
within our own people, both of
which help to keep us at the bot
tom.
I’m not giving advice to anyone
on how they should treat people,
or even how they should act. I just
want you to think about what I say.
Hassan Muhammed guided me
correctly to always think about it.
And just because you’re thinking
doesn’t mean the whole world is
going to change, but somewhere
out there some parts of it will.
Remember, what goes around
just might come back around.
Will Thomas is a senior criminal justice
major and a Diversions contributor.
Caveman
Continued from Page 8
QUESTION 2: Why do men
watch sports?
I have a theory for that as well.
A lot of things in life make people
horribly angry, and people are of
ten made more angry because they
can’t do anything about the thing
that made them angry in the first
place.
And people like watching some
body go up to whoever pissed
them off and do something about
it. Somehow, the fans like to think
that the athlete on the field is bash
ing the opposing team for the fans
themselves. (This is partially cor
rect, because the athlete bashes his
opponent so that the spectator will
come back next week and pay $40
to watch the athlete again.;
QUESTION 3: If men like things
requiring physical prowess, why
don’t they like things like the ballet?
Men don’t like the ballet for two
basic reasons. First, ballet dancers,
although in excellent condition,
don’t kill each other. They lift
women and whirl around all night
to classical music.
QUESTION 4: Why would men
rather watch the Super Bowl than
perform The Ultimate Sport with
women?
The Ultimate Sport can be done
any time, any place — The Super
Bowl comes only once a year.
QUESTION 5: Why do athletes
do disgusting things like grab their
crotches in front of 80,000 people?
Because they want to. Anyone
who thinks what they do is disgust
ing can by all means go up to them
and say it.
QUESTION 6: Do these answers
apply to all men?
No. Some men don’t like violent
sports. Some men like the ballet.
On the other hand, some women
like violent sports and wouldn’t go
to a ballet if their lives depended on
it.
The men these answers apply to
are called Real Men, or men who
still havesomeCro-Magnon in them.
For more information on Real Men,
I’d suggest Bruce Feirstein’s “Real
Men Don’t Bond.” And now to our
last question:
QUESTION 7: Can women ever
turn Real Men away from sports?
No, but they can always get
revenge. Silting in front of the tele
vision, burping, and scratching
during an episode of “One Life to
Live” is the best way of doing this.
Or women could always tackle
their boyfriends during the Super
Bowl and order the other men out
of the room.
That’s all the time I have. I’m
pretty tired from answering ques
tions. And anyway, the Cubs are
playing in 10 minutes.
Jan Calinger is a freshman news-edito
rial major and a Diversions contributor.
THE WHY HOME S&s
* Martial Arts Books
* Holistic Healing Books
* UFO Books
Go to the UFO CONFERENCE April 30 - May 2, $5 per speaker.
3231 S. 13tja In the Indian Village Shopping Center 421-1701
Hours M-F: 10-7 Sat: 10-6 Sun:12-5
UNL Weightlifting Club I
Presents Mr. & Ms. Collegian
Body-Building Championships
April 24,1993
City Union Ballroom
2:00 Pre-judging - $1 admission
7:00 Show
$3 w/student I.D. $5 non-student
