Ex-husker Graham’s
star rising in Arizona
By Vince D’Adamo
Staff Writer
The shoe is now on the other foot
for former Nebraska Comhusker All
American center Aaron Graham.
The previous two years, Graham
was the ringleader of a legendary of
fensive line that helped pave the way
for two national
championships at
Nebraska.
The Arizona
Cardinals spent a
fourth-round draft
choice on Graham
last April.
Unlike Ne
braska, the Cardi
nals have a tradi
tion for the wrong
reasons, ine^arus
have not posted a
winning season
since 1984, and last won a play-off
game in 1948.
Arizona picked up the rear in the
NFC East last year with a 4-12 record.
“At Nebraska, when we practiced,
we knew we were the best team and
everyone was gunning for us,” Gra
ham said. “In the pros, there are no
easy guarantees. It’s a contest, that’s
why you see so many games come
down to a field goal.”
A new era dawned in the “Valley
of the Sun” during the off-season when
the Cardinals hired Vince Tobin as
the new head coach. Tobin was a
defensive coordinator for the India
napolis Colts last year.
Tobin is determined to change what
has not been a good tradition in Ari
zona. Graham said a new attitude is
the first step in that direction.
“We’re trying to establish an atti
tude of ‘Why not the Cardinals in
Athletics
1996?’” Graham said. “Instead of just
assuming we’ll be 4-12 again.
“We’ve got some talented players
on this team and that’s what we’re
trying to focus on.”
Graham had already noticed some
other differences from college to the
National Football League.
“It’s like going to a job everyday,”
Graham said. “Everyone’s got their
own job to do, whereas in college
everyone leans on one another.
“They’re looking to see if you can
go out and do what they ask you to
do.”
Graham has wasted no time im
pressing the Cardinal coaching staff.
He is listed as the second-team center
on the depth chart. In addition, Gra
ham is working as the team’s long
snapper.
“I’m trying not to make mental
mistakes and play smart football,”
Graham said. “The coaches under
stand there will be physical mistakes.
They won’t spend much time on the
mental aspect because they expect
you to know that already.
“It’s tough for any offensive line
man to come in and take over from the
get-go.”
The offensive line is one area the
Cardinals must get better at in order to
rise in an already rugged NFC East
division that includes Dallas, Phila
delphia and an improving Washing
ton team.
The Cardinals allowed 53 sacks
last year.
Graham exceeded pre-draft ex
pectations; scouts projected him as
a fifth- or sixth-round choice. The
Cards took a flier on Graham in the
fourth round.
“I went about where I thought I’d
go,” Graham said. “So I don’t feel like
I got robbed.”
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Tanna Kinnaman/DN
Members of the Schramm alumni gather together for dinner at La Paloma in the Haymarket Saturday
night. Clockwise from center bottom Kurt Klanderud, Denver, Toni McNeff, Lincoln, Tim Hindman,
Hay Springs, Tony Korth, Gretna, Roger Aden, Lancaster, Iowa, and Todd Wolverton, Chariton, Iowa.
Come together
UNL alums still tight after 12 years
By Lon KODison
Staff Writer
After years of pulling all-nighters,
working to pay the bills, and sitting
bleary-eyed through classes, it’s been
hard for some former students not to
feel a tug on the heartstrings when
reminiscing about college days.
And for a group of guys that used
to share the sixth
liUUi VJ1 OClilOlIUli
Hall during their
first two years at
UNL, those tugs
have helped to
keep them to
gether 12 years
after graduation.
Every year, be
tween the 4th of
July and Labor
uq.y, me
Schramm almuni,
their wives and
children gather at the home of one of
li—-:=--—II
me graduates to piay gon, eat Durgers
and hot dogs and generally have an
all-around good time.
“Group members start showing up
around Thursday,” Tim Hindman, a
former mechanical engineering ma
jor, said, “and, depending on how far
they have to travel back, stay until
Sunday.”
They come from various states
around the country, including Ohio,
Kansas, and Minnesota, with career
areas ranging from communications
to construction management. Mem
bers of this alumni crew include Roger
Aden, Jeff Biaer, Tim Hindman, Jon
Johnston, Tony Karth, Kurt
Klanderud, Jeoff McMurtry, Alan
Weeder and Todd Wolverton.
Getting together is great, Hindman
said. He said everybody always has a
good time.
But these former students are about
more than just roasting hot dogs and
playing golf.
Their allegiance and gratitude to
the institution that enabled them to
achieve success, still runs deep and
helps to keep the group bound to
gether year after year.
Hindman explained that it was this
love for their old alma mater that
motivated the group to offer some
thing in return to their beloved institu
tion.
“We’ve reached a point in our lives
when we needed to start giving back
to the university,” Hindman said.
That’s why these alumni will soon
be offering a partial scholarship for
UNL seniors and graduate students.
Although still undecided about all
of the requirements and the date of
availability, Hindman did say that the
$250 scholarship will be need-based
for students with a GPA of 2.5 or
higher.
“We’ve all gone and established
ourselves in our careers,” Hindman
said. “This (scholarship) will be a way
that we can give something back to
the students.”
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