Since Matt Rhule and the rest of his staff have arrived in Lincoln, they’ve gone out of their way to make it clear that they very much respect the history of Nebraska football. Rhule himself talked quite a bit about how he was a fan of the Huskers from afar on the day he was officially announced as the new head coach.
Other coaches have similarly made comments about how much they appreciate the culture of Nebraska football and the people who love it so much. Special Teams coordinator Ed Foley might have done the best job of this.
Not only has Foley talked about how much he likes the Huskers and respects the program, but he’s gone out of his way to embrace everything Nebraska. That even included a stop at Runza as one of his first official acts after being hired. On Thursday though, Foley went above and beyond and likely ingratiated himself to Nebraska football faithful in a way that isn’t going to fade anytime soon.
Foley was out in the state, getting ready for the dead period to officially end on Friday when he paid a visit to the family of a beloved former Husker who passed away far too young. The Nebraska football coach stopped by the family of former punter Sam Foltz and took a picture with Foltz’s dad.
If that wasn’t moving enough, Foley made it clear that this wasn’t just a way to show he really did love the Husker culture but was also a way to really understand it.
“Great to spend time at the Foltz house to better understand his greatness and legacy,” the coach wrote in the caption of his post on Twitter.
It should come as no surprise that after the coach posted the tweet, Nebraska football fans came pouring out to show how much they appreciate the move.
This definitely brought me to tears 😭 Husker fans appreciate you’re willingness to really dig deep into who we are. 🙏 Thank you for being a Husker #GBR
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jpr33) January 13, 2023
These guys get it. 🙏🏻
— Paul Graham (@paulgraham47) January 13, 2023
Absolutely love the respect and tip of the cap. This staff already knows the history and the traditions. Blown away by attention to detail to what is sacred. All N.
— Professor Sniffy (@PSniffy) January 13, 2023
Incredibly refreshing to see a coaching staff truly excited about being at Nebraska & embracing the history and legacy of the program.
— Jeff Waddington (@JeffWaddington) January 13, 2023
More than a few Nebraska football fans voiced their pleasure at seeing a staff that actually seemed excited to be in Lincoln, even if very few of them actually had ties to the Huskers previously.
It is the kind of gesture from Ed Foley that could pay dividends both in the state and outside it, as other players and recruits see how truly devoted the coaching staff is to its players and the traditions of the program.