My first job out of college was at a newspaper in the town of Stuart, Florida, which is close to West Palm Beach. Though you had to walk sideways through my small apartment, I did live three minutes from the ocean. This was 2003, a good fall for Howard Schnellenberger and Florida Atlantic football. FAU had just started a football program in 2001, but here they were rolling along to the Division I-AA seminfinal game in the program's third year.

While FAU was in the midst of its playoff run, I traveled to Boca Raton (where FAU is located) to do a story on Schnellenberger. I remember the interview very well for three reasons:

1) It was with Howard Schnellenberger and I was born in Nebraska. You grow up in Nebraska during the 80s and 90s and you can't help but see the clip about 150 times of Howard in his suit coat after NU's failed attempt at a deuce in the 1984 Orange Bowl.

2) His voice. Pat Forde rightly described it in this excellent story as "a voice that could be mistaken for the Almighty's."

3) I locked my keys in the car. I was stuck in one of the school's parking lots for about four hours after the interview. I was waiting there so long for the locksmith that I actually saw Howard leave the premises (likely for dinner), then return, then leave again.

Now, I realize a lot of people around here think of Schnellenberger for two things: 1) Guy who got in the way of The Scoring Explosion's moment, and 2) His lackluster showing at Oklahoma, going 5-5-1 in one season.

But look at what he's done at FAU. Not bad at all. As I mentioned, by Year 3 of the program, the Owls were one of the top teams in their division. And by 2007, in just the program's third year at the Division I level, FAU won the New Orleans Bowl. Florida Altantic was the youngest program to ever receive a bowl invite.

The Owls followed that up with a Motor City Bowl win last year after starting the season 1-5.

Why am I talking so much about the man with the white mustache? Good reason. On Friday, we'll have a story examining FAU, our first of 12 days of coverage of Nebraska's upcoming opponents.

What does Nebraska's season-opening foe bring to the table? Here's a take sent to us from Marcus Nelson of FAUOwlAccess.com:

"While Florida Atlantic isn’t in Nebraska’s class, when it steps onto the field with the Cornhuskers on Sept. 5 it won’t be the first time the Owls have faced a traditional power. FAU has faced teams from a BCS conference 16 times. OK, FAU is 1-15 all-time vs. BCS conference teams and has been outscored 678-170 in those games. But since FAU beat Minnesota in 2007, coach Howard Schnellenberger has made it clear FAU’s goal when playing the big boys isn’t just to get a big check – he expects his teams to compete even if the opponent has been playing football at a much higher level for a much longer period of time.

On offense, Schnellenberger has the perfect quarterback for the pro-style offense the Owls use in senior Rusty Smith. Smith, a classic drop-back passer, threw for 3,688 yards and 32 touchdowns as a sophomore, and overcame a shoulder injury in 2008 to throw for 3,224 yards and 24 TDs as a junior. Smith’s No. 1 target will be tight end Jason Harmon, who also put up bug numbers in 2007 (63 catches for 825 yards) before missing the 2008 season with a knee injury. FAU will be looking to replace running back Charles Pierre, the only player in school history who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season, but found out during the spring that converted fullback Alfred Morris has a knack for carrying the ball.

FAU’s defense will bare little resemblance to last year’s unit – but that may not be such a bad thing for the Owls. FAU only has three starters back off a unit that allowed 400 yards per game (92nd nationally) and 28.7 points per game (81st nationally). FAU’s anemic pass rush only produced 13 sacks all of 2008, but likely will be improved with emergence of defensive end Kevin Cyrille, who sat out last season after transferring from Western Michigan. The biggest losses are at linebacker, were FAU lost all three starters from last year’s team, The secondary returns two starter, but has a talent in junior cornerback Tavious Polo, who has eight career interceptions."

The Twins have recalled Brian Duensing from Triple-A Rochester. The Millard South product began the season with the Major League club and made one appearance before going back to Rochester (where he's compiled a 4-6 record and 4.66 ERA as a starter). Duensing is to be in uniform for Friday's game against Detroit.

Closer to home, Rosenblatt Stadium will no doubt be abuzz to see Alex and the fireworks that follows Friday's Omaha Royals game. In case you missed it, the second pick of the 2005 draft will be the DH during a one-game injury rehab assignment with the Triple A club before he heads to the Double A team in Arkansas.

Rosenthal will be heading up to the Big O to document Gordon's first appearance at the Blatt since the '05 College World Series, so look for his story online and in Saturday's paper.

This from an Indians.com blog from Cleveland's loss to the White Sox Wednesday night in Cleveland:

Lots of Nebraska football ties in the house tonight. Head coach Bo Pelini, a friend of broadcaster Matt Underwood, and Turner Gill, former Nebraska quarterback and Indians farmhand and current Buffalo head coach, are in attendance. Gill is scheduled to throw out a ceremonial first pitch.

I'd forgotten Gill's a former Indians farmhand.

Bo's beloved Indians have lost 14 of their last 17. Ouch.

A quick follow-up to B.C.'s blog about Big Suh (Bo Pelini's nickname). Or how about Knockemdown Suh? OK, it's been a long vacation . . .

At any rate, the last time Nebraska had a No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft was 1984, when Irving Fryar was selected by New England. He went on to play in the Pro Bowl five times.

The Huskers since have had 13 first-round selections:

2007 -- Adam Carriker, 13th overall to St. Louis
2005 -- Fabian Washington, 23rd to Oakland. Ran super-fast 40 at combine
1998 -- Grant Wistrom, 6th overall to St. Louis, and Jason Peter, 14th to Carolina
1997 -- Michael Booker, 11th to Atlanta. Tall and rangy corner who had huge Fiesta Bowl but never did much in NFL.
1996 -- Lawrence Phillips, 6th to St. Louis. Was overweight early in pro career, lost a step or two, and you know the rest of the story
1994 -- Trev Alberts, 5th to Indianapolis. Beset by injuries in NFL.
1992 -- Johnny Mitchell, 15th to Jets. What an athlete
1991 -- Bruce Pickens, Atlanta, 3rd to Atlanta. Yes, 3rd overall. He ran backwards very quickly; and Mike Croel, 4th to Denver (yes, I left Croel out of the original list; "thank you" to those who corrected me).
1989 -- Broderick Thomas, 6th to Tampa Bay
1988 -- Neil Smith, 2nd to Kansas City. Sat next to big Neil in my basketball coaching class at NU. He was pretty quiet.
1987 -- Danny Noonan, 12th to Dallas. Used to see him at the horse races in Columbus after he was drafted (I worked at the track).

"So just who is this guy named Suh?" That's what is being asked on a Sporting News story that offers summer projections at where guys might go in the next NFL Draft.

"It's been a while since the Blackshirts have had such a dominant player, but Ndamukong Suh looks the part of the next great front-line mauler," writes the Sporting News in answer to its own question.

Sporting News goes on to conduct a mock 2010 draft, and guess who they have as the No. 1 pick?

One more question: As the national media (particularly the NFL pundits) become more aware of Ndamukong, what do you set as the over-under on how many "A Man Named Suh" headlines there are leading up to the draft?

Offseason is the time for optimism, no matter the sport, no matter the school.

Take Nebraska basketball, for instance.

Sek Henry is about to undergo surgery on both of his knees, and he's still brimming with optimism.

Henry's goal? Top three in the conference.

When I asked why top three, he said because that would guarantee the team's second goal, which is to make the NCAA Tournament. When I pointed out that a top 6 finish in the Big 12 next year would likely meet that same goal, Henry pointed out that Kansas State finished fourth last year and didn't qualify.

Fair enough.

Henry, by the way, will be sidelined six weeks.

In a story I wrote a couple of weeks ago about how strong the Big 12 Conference will be this winter, I mentioned Kansas recruit Xavier Henry.

I should have mentioned that Henry, who'd originally committed to Memphis, and his brother, C.J. Henry, never signed letters of intent with the Jayhawks.

That's of significance now given KU coach Bill Self is meeting with the Henry family tonight in Oklahoma City to try to convince the brothers to stay with Kansas. Kentucky -- surprise -- is now on the radar screen.

Seems as though father Henry took offense to this story that appeared in Sunday's Kansas City Star.

See? Recruiting drama happens everywhere.

UPDATE: It now appears the Henrys will keep their commitment to Kansas.

(Just needed a little more attention, that's all).

They don't get talked about very much, but the Husker graduate assistants are important pieces to the program's puzzle. They do a lot of work for few peanuts. Basically every coach, no matter how great, was once a G.A.

Among the current Husker grad assistants is Youngstown native Ross Watson, who was profiled in this story by the Tribune Chronicle in Warren, Ohio.

The 25-year-old Watson gets a huge compliment from Bo Pelini in the article: "He'll be a star in this business. You just give him some time."

Aside from being a potential coach on the rise, Watson is also an entertaining tweeter.

Watson, who works closely with Bo and Carl Pelini, is in his second year of three as a Husker grad assistant. He said the Husker staff does "the little things right every day in practice."

"The way he practice is so unique," Watson said of Bo Pelini. "The effort he and the entire staff demands from the players, it's tremendous. Those guys bust their butts in practice every single day. Those are the things that will make you a great team."

To honor the 300th consecutive sellout of Memorial Stadium, NU will wear "throwback" uniforms from 1962 when it plays Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 26. The sellout streak dates to 1962, which was Bob Devaney's first season at Nebraska.

The jerseys then had a simple design with softer-edged numbers and no white stripes on the sleeves. The helmets were white but had no red stripe along the middle, and they didn’t have the red ‘N’ on each side that has become associated with Husker football. Instead, the player’s number appeared on each side in black.

The uniforms will be designed by adidas and auctioned in full set (pants, jersey and helmet) to the public on huskers.com later this fall. The auction will begin during the first week of fall practice and continue through Oct. 4, with minimum bids starting at $500.

Nothing in recruiting surprises me anymore. And nothing involving Lane Kiffin really surprises me anymore. So, here you go:

Tennesee has received a commitment form 13-year-old Evan Berry, younger brother of Vol player Eric Berry. Part of the 2013 recruiting class, the quarterback/safety will start high school this year.

"It's the only college I know and it seems the best for me," Evan Berry told Rivals.com. "My dad went there and my brother is there now. I know I can do the same things there. I have a real friendly relationship with the coaches there. I know I don't know them too well but I know I will have plenty of time to get to know them."

Ain't that the truth?

But before any Husker fans get to mocking, it's worth reminding that Husker volleyball coach John Cook recently received commitments from twin eighth-graders. So it goes.

Thoughts?