Former Husker breaks silence over drug test
By David Wilson
Staff Reporters
Former Nebraska split-end J.R.
Edwards, who was dismissed from
the Comhuskers for disciplinary rea
sons earlier this summer, told his side
of the story at a press conference
Wednesday.
Edwards said the first two times
that he tested positive for marijuana,
his parents were not notified, which
broke a school policy. He also was not
given a hearing and said Osborne
broke promises.
Osborne, who was given a copy of
I
Edwards’ statement, said Edwards’
comments were not completely accu
rate.
Edwards said he had smoked mar
ijuana in high school and his mother,
Janet Banks, told NU Receivers
Coach Ron Brown of the problem
while Edwards was being recruited
out of Lincoln Southeast High School
in 1996.
“My mother suggested to Coach
Brown that I be tested for marijuana,”
Edwards said. “Coach Brown ordered
the test in April of 1996, when I was
still a senior in high school. My moth
er was informed by a University offi
cial that the test was negative, howev
er, I know that there is no way the test
could have been negative. Coach
Brown promised my mother that he
would keep her advised of any prob
lems that came up with me so that
they could work on resolving them
together.”
Osborne said that on one occur
rence a player had been tested before
arriving on campus. The player’s par
ents had given permission and the
test was negative, Osborne said.
“If we had confirmed knowledge
(of a drug problem) we would be real
ly concerned about it and we would
need to know an awful lot about it,”
Osborne said. “We certainly don’t
make a practice of going out and
recruiting players who are using
drugs.”
When he reported to practice as a
freshman in August 1996, Edwards
said, he tested positive for marijuana
and was required to attend peer group
counseling with other athletes who
had tested positive. Edwards said he
did not inform his parents because he
assumed that the University would
notify them.
“That’s their job,” Edwards said.
“My job is to go there and play foot
Please see EDWARDS on 4
A good ribbing
Photos
by
Michael Warren/DN
Above: LARRY ROEHMER, guitarist for the band Not All
There, performs at Lincoln’s first-ever RibFest Saturday
evening. Not All There is best-known in Lincoln as the
house band for the Zoo Bar, which Boehmer owns.
Left: FREO FLEMINGS (or as he says, “better known as Fat
Fred”) practices the craft that has made him famous.
Flemings’ ribs won the Great American Rib Cookoff in
Cleveland, Ohio, earning the title of “Best Ribs in
America.”
Ambassador
to address
UNL grads
From Staff Reports
Franklin A. Sonn, South Africa’s
first black ambassador to the United
States, will deliver the commence
ment address at UNL’s graduation
ceremonies Saturday afternoon.
Sonn, an education and business
proponent in his native land, was
appointed by South African
President Nelson Mandela in 1995.
Before his appointment as
ambassador, Sonn -- a trained
teacher and former college president
— had been a significant figure in the
country’s move toward democracy
while other high-profile black lead
ers were in jail or exiled. While
Mandela was in jail, he acknowl
edged Sonn’s political contributions
in a letter praising Sonn’s efforts in
the movement.
Sonn stepped back from direct
political involvement when SOuth
Africa broke with apartheid in 1990.
He focused his work instead on com
munity and business organizations.
He joined the boards of major South
Africa Investments Limited, an
industrial holding company con
trolled by black shareholders.
Sonn has keen interest in educa
tion and business promotion and will
meet with various businesspeople
and government officials, including
Lt. Gov. Kim Roabk, during his visit.
UNL professor
gets award
From Staff Reports
Fred Luthans, George Holmes
Distinguished Professor of
Management at the Univeristy of
Nebraska-Lincoln, received the
Distinguished Management Educator
Award for 1997 from the Academy of
Management Tuesday at an academy
meetin in Boston. The award is pre
sented annually to one outstanding
educator by the academy, the profes
sional association of management
professors with more than 10,000
members worldwide.
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