Stigge cut, but not down
By Sam Snyder
Staff Reporter
Former Nebraska punter Mike
Stigge has tasted what irs like to be an
NFL rookie.
Released by the New Orleans
Saints last week, the former All-Big
Eight player now knows what it’s like
to be cut as well.
Stigge joined other former Nebras
ka players Kenny Wilhite, Reggie
Cooper, Tahaun Lewis, Tim Rotner
and Lance Lewis, who were released
from their teams during the preseason.
Despite losing his first NFL train
ing camp battle, Stigge said he was
not discouraged.
“It takes a while for kickers to get
in,” he said. “You have to try it for a
few years.”
Stigge said he was encouraged by
Saints coach Jim Mora and punting
coach Joe Marciano, who both told
him he had the potential to make it as
a punter in the league.
At the Saints’ training camp —
where Stigge was joined by former
Huskere Derek Brown, Tyrone Hughes
and Tyrone Legette—the differences
could be seen between college and
professional football, he said.
“It was a step up,” he said. “Every
body had a lot of talent and was in
great shape.”
-44
At first you’re kind of in awe. But then you
realize that most of those guys are nice and
down-to-earth like you.
„ — Stigge
former Nebraska punter
Punting in the NFL also was more
demanding than college, he said.
“You’re expected to perform to
perfection,” Stigge said. “Every punt
had to not only be good, but it also had
to be placed in the right spot on the
field.”
Stigge had to do that while com
peting with Saints punter Tommy
Bamhardt, a seven-year veteran punt
er like Bamhardt, whom the coaches
gave plenty of second chances.
Stigge said it was a difficult task to
beat out a veteran punter like
Bamhardt, whom the coaches gave
plenty of second chances.
Stigge said even though he kicked
better than Bamhardt in several prac
tices, Ire knew the coaches wanted to
stay with a veteran.
Still, Stigge said his experience
was unforgettable. He earned $500 a
week, traveled to Tokyo, went to train
ww
ing camp in La Crosse, Wis., and
spent a week in New Orleans.
He also hung around some child
hood heroes.
At training camp in La Crosse,
where the Saints and other NFL teams
trained in the “Cheese League,” Stigge
said just being around Kansas City’s
Joe Montana, Minnesota’s Wade
Wilson and New Orleans’ Sam Mills
was an experience.
“At first you’re kind of in awe,” he
said. “But then you realize that most
of those guys are nice and down-to
earth like you.”
This, however, didn’t stop the vet
erans from carrying out a Saints tradi
tion of shaving the rookies’ heads, he
said.
Despite that downside, Stigge said
he would put off going to veterinarian
school for another year. He said he
was anxious to tryout for the NFL
again next summer.
Eagles
Continued from Page 9
Eagles should be playing.
“We’re preparing to beat Nebras
ka, not to just go up there and get
kicked all over the field,” Parker said.
“We’re not flying to Nebraska to be
their sacrificial lambs.”
While Osborne said the Huskers
were in a no-win situation, Parker said
he hoped North Texas could make a
major gain against Nebraska.
“If we win or just play well it will
give our program a lot to build on,”
Parker said. “We’re in a position to
compotetfce blggct footb^l gome
of our season ancfmaybe our lives. If
I told you it was just another game,
you would either classify me as a liar
or a fool.”
But Parker also said his players
needed to concentrate on their duties
instead of being absorbed by the at
mosphere of playing what he consid
ered one of the top five college foot
ball programs.
“We need to focus on doing our
jobs and not who we’re doing those
jobs against,” Parker said. “I don’t
want them to get caught looking at the
big red “N” on the helmet and the
7£000 people in the stands.”
This is not the first time the Eagles
have encountered a Divison I football
power.
Last year, NorthTexas battled both
Southern Methodist and Texas. The
Eagles fell to SMU 28-14, and lost to
Texas 33-15.
While both those losses were re
spectable for North Texas, Parker said,
he was disappointed with the loss to
Texas.
“Nebraska this year and Texas last
season don’t even compare with each
other,” Parker said. “Texas was in a
rebuilding phase, and we missed a
grand opportunity to beat them.”
But like last year’s game with Tex
as, the game with the Huskers won’t
make or break the Eagles’ season.
“If we won the game and then lost
our next 10 because we were thinking
about how meat that game was, then
we wouldrtbt have accompl ished any
thing,** Pmrkor nM. *lt*» m game. It’*
not like if we lose we’re going to die
or anything.”
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Maher
Continued from Page 9
cellent decision.
“There is a much clearer focus for
the first game,” Maher said. “We’ve
been preparing for Nebraska all spring
and fall and we’re ready to play. All
year long, we’ve been working hard
and practicing hard and that first game
we’re ready to let everything out.”
And they’re ready to play against a
crowd that Maher said will probably
“let everything out."
“It will be the biggest crowd I’ve
S'iyed against and that I will
y ever play in front of in my
[aher said. “It is going to be a
lot different. It will be a lot noisier,
and I’m going to have to concentrate
and make sure everyone can hear
me.”
Mahersaidhe is most excited about
playing where some of his idols have
played.
Osborne
Continued from Page 9
dealing with the element of surprise
Saturday. Nebraska coaches weren’t
able to get a good look at the Eagles
since it is bom teams’ first game.
“There will be something that they
do that we haven’t been able to cov
er,” Osborne said. “That always hap
pens in the first game because you
don’t know too much about your op
ponent."
The Eagles finished 4-7 and in fifth
place of the Southland Conference in
1992. They return 17 starters, includ
ing nine on offense.
“They’re a fairly good-sized team
with reasonably good talent,” he said.
“They’re good enough that if we’re
not playing well, they will give us
problems, we have to come in and try
to play our best.”
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