Brian Rosenthal: Stuntz doesn't mind discussing his 15 minutes of fame
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You’d think talking to Mike Stuntz about Black 41 Flash Reverse would elicit just a few sighs or eye rolls from Stuntz. I wouldn’t blame him.
Approaching Stuntz out of the blue with talk of his famous touchdown pass against Oklahoma is like running into a TV weatherman on the street and immediately asking him about the forecast. Or that pain in your neck you suddenly have when you realize the total stranger you’ve been talking to is a chiropractor.
But four years later, talking about one of the biggest plays in Nebraska football history is certainly no pain for Stuntz.
“I don’t dread it. It’s not a bad thing,” Stuntz said. “People want to talk about it, and it’s something I enjoy talking about.”
For any Oklahoma fans reading this who haven’t keep tabs, yes, Stuntz is still playing for the Huskers. He’s a fifth-year senior, the guy who tossed the 63-yard touchdown pass to quarterback Eric Crouch on Oct. 27, 2001, in Lincoln.
That’s when Stuntz was a true freshman. A quarterback-turned-receiver who would switch back to quarterback the next season, after Crouch left.
He’s now a reserve safety who rarely plays.
Oh, there was some trickery in the Pittsburgh game, when Stuntz lined up at I-back, caught a pitch and looked to toss the ball some 20 yards into the end zone.
Everyone was covered. Stuntz ducked and ran for minimal yardage.
“It was quite a bit different,” Stuntz said, when asked to compare that play with his TD pass against the Sooners.
What would Stuntz give to run some form of the play Saturday against OU?
“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Stuntz said, smiling. “I don’t think anyone’s falling for it anymore. That might just be trouble.”
And no sense messing with history.
Stuntz’s play was, is, and always will be a classic. One of the marquee highlights from the OU-NU series that ABC will play Saturday coming back from commercial breaks … along with Johnny Rodgers’ punt return and Keith Jackson’s reverse.
“That was the biggest game I’ve ever been involved in. By far,” Stuntz said. “One versus two, Nebraska-Oklahoma. I mean, between the tradition and bowl implications and everything like that, that was a huge game. For us to win it, and the way we won it, was probably the most exciting thing that’s ever happened.”
A good enough game that you’ll still see it played on ESPN Classic. Imagine if you’re Stuntz, sitting around late at night, and suddenly one of the few plays of your entire career is playing on TV.
“I run into it occasionally,” Stuntz said. “I wouldn’t say I sit down and watch it all that often. It’s like a movie you’ve seen before. You know how it ends.”
Of course, Stuntz, at the time, had dreams of bigger things. Starting at quarterback, leading Nebraska to conference titles and national championships. The same dreams many youngsters have when they set foot in Lincoln.
“It doesn’t work out as often as people think that it does,” Stuntz said. “For every Eric Crouch that has come through here, there’s probably 25 guys who wanted to come in and start and win the Heisman (and didn’t.)
“I think the hardest thing to deal with, for me, has been my own expectations. I expected a lot out of myself, especially the time after that happened. I kind of thought of it as a jumping off point, if anything, not a pinnacle, I guess.”
Stuntz, though, has no regrets.
“I don’t think you’re going to meet a guy who enjoys the game of football who just sits around and thinks about what didn’t happen,” he said. “Things just keep on going. You can’t expect to hold onto the same things forever.”
Nebraska fans, though, will hold onto Stuntz’s play forever. Is he OK with being remembered for one single play … and being asked about it all the time?
“Absolutely,” Stuntz said. “It’s a great moment in Nebraska football history. It was just fun to play any part in that at all.”
Wonderful.
Now, Mike, about your girlfriend being Tommy Lee’s tutor …
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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