They were known for their Peterbilt Truck tattoos, and for playing along with All-American Grant Wistrom, but now they'll be known for their golf ball investments.

Christian Peter and younger brother Jason, who helped Nebraska to national football championships in the 1990s, were together in Lincoln as part of the group of more than 30 former Huskers playing in the third annual Grant Wistrom Foundation Golf Tournament.

Sharing one set of golf clubs, the Peter brothers, both retired from the NFL, started off with four dozen golf balls for the scramble tournament at the Quarry Oaks Golf Course near Ashland.

"I hear this is one of the toughest courses in the state and it's so windy and hot, we're not going looking for a lot of balls in the trees," said Jason Peter, who played on national championship teams in 1994, 1995 and 1997.

Christian Peter, who helped lead the Husker defenses on the 1994 and 1995 national title teams, appeared to have the more refined golf game.

"I'm going to learn to play this game yet," he said.

Christian Peter is married and a father. He and wife, Monica, have a 3-year-old daughter and are expecting another child this summer.

Christian works in vending sales in New Jersey.

Jason, a former first-round pick who played with the Carolina Panthers,  was the subject of an HBO report on drug use among NFL players. He is living in California and is an assistant high school football coach and counselor.

"Grant called and asked us to come and for Grant, we'd do anything," Christian Peter said.

Another one of the former Huskers golfing Saturday was Chris Dishman, an offensive lineman who played from 1993-96. Dishman, who has played eight years in the NFL, is still going through knee rehabilitation. He retired a year ago after seven years with the Arizona Cardinals, but was signed by the St. Louis Rams for a season. He was a starter until he tore a ligament in his knee.

"My agent is talking to about five teams, but I still have to complete the knee rehab," said Dishman, who lives  with his family near Garland. "If I don't sign, I hope to keep helping as a volunteer coach at Lincoln North Star. I think the Gators are going to be pretty good this year."

Lincoln High graduate and former Husker offensive tackle Brian Nunns, also a member of NU's 1994 and 1995 championship teams, is easily one of the most in-shape Huskers not still playing in the pros.

Nunns gets more than his share of daily workouts. He is in his sixth year running The Edge gym in Lincoln.

He said he was concerned about recent attention given to arrests of three local men suspected of distributing illegal steroids. "There is no worse publicity for health clubs than the talk of steroids," he said. "We won't put up with steroids at our place. If I even suspect somebody of using them, I will confront them and could dismiss them.

"Women make up a majority of our clientele, and we get a large number of high school athletes and they don't want to even be around someone using steroids and neither do I," he said. "It's stupid for the guy who thinks he can get pumped up on steroids and hit the bars to pick up women or who just wants to look good in a swimsuit. It's just as dumb for athletes to use steroids."

Diane Brendel has been helping run the Wistrom Foundation for three years.

She said the foundation, which benefits pediatric cancer patients, has doubled in size in the last year. "We about tripled in size after the first year and doubled that last year and will probably double again this year," she said. The foundation holds various fund-raisers throughout the year. The Lincoln banquet and golf tournament, raised more than $10,000 last year.

"I get as big a kick out of seeing the kids we can get to camp or the parents we can give a break to as I do playing football or seeing my old teammates," Wistrom said.

Wistrom was one of the finalists for the Byron "Whizzer" White humanitarian award last year.

Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or at khambleton@journalstar.com.