CHATHAM, Ill. (WAND) - Lessons in life and football go hand in hand. Among the most notable - making the most of your chances. Bryan Pruitt, the offensive line coach for Glenwood High School football, has passed on the message to his players for nearly a decade. He's shown them that hard work, determination, and focus, are the tools needed to overcome obstacles and failure.
"Everyone makes mistakes," Pruitt says. "The biggest thing I preach to the guys is - it's next play, next game, next season kind of mentality. It's important to learn from our mistakes in anything we do in life."
Pruitt knows full well what it takes to triumph. After struggling to meet minimum requirements to pursue college sports as a high school student, he was given special permission to compete at the next level. Pruitt walked-on as a lineman at the University of Nebraska. In the pursuit of excellence, he and his teammates won the 1994 NCAA college football national championship.
"I was a two-time loser," Pruitt admitted. "I didn't have a high enough ACT score and I didn't have a high enough GPA. [I] Thought I was going to a community college and then had the opportunity to apply and actually got accepted to Nebraska."
The 90s Cornhuskers were known for their walk-on program, but today's rosters are entirely different. In the past, roster limits were non-existent. At Nebraska, there was a freshman program where athletes could prove themselves worthy to the varsity coaches. Pruitt said at the time he joined the Nebraska program, they had 200 rostered players, including around 35 offensive linemen.
"Every day you're just fighting and clawing to work your way up just to get your name noticed," Pruitt said.
Fortunately, his grit paid off. Out of 175 walk-ons, he was one of just five hand-picked to the varsity squad. Pruitt remembered what it was like to first have the chance to throw on the red and white uniform.
"The first opportunity I got to suit up, I remember very vividly walking in the locker room and seeing the jersey hanging up in your locker, it's got your name on it." he said. It was in that moment Pruitt knew he was doing everything right.
Under Head Coach Tom Osborne, Nebraska was known for tough, hard-nosed, run-it-down-your-throat football, and they let their opponents know it.
Pruitt says, "We would tell the defensive linemen what we were doing - try stopping it, and almost laugh at them because we were just so good."
In his senior season, the 1994 huskers led the nation in rushing, averaging over 392 yards per game, totaling over 4,700 yards. The Huskers ran 1,000 more yards than anyone else, largely thanks to what became known as - “the Pipeline”. It was the nickname given to Nebraska’s offensive front. Anchored by players like Zach Wiegert, the original pipeline was molded by a will to win and the tests they faced even in practice.
"I backed up Brenden Stai who got drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers," Pruitt says. "The other guys - New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals - the guys were really good, but they were also really smart. They were driven and pushed every day by other coaches, other players and they were just hungry."
Pruitt, while a non-starter, was in the heat of the action. He broke open holes for the run game and came up with big hits on the kickoff team. The dominance of the program led them to back-to-back title games in 1993 and 1994. Each year Pruitt was at Nebraska, the team won the Big Eight championship and advanced to play in the Orange Bowl. In '93 they fell to Florida State on a missed last second field goal. One year later, Nebraska emerged again to play Miami for the crown and a slogan stapled to their redemption campaign.
"Our motto was 'Unfinished Business' so we were there to do something," Pruitt said. "We went out to a couple of events with Miami - the Hurricanes - and they were laughing at us. They thought we were a joke, this Midwest team and we're not able to compete with them because they're the speed, the glitz and all that other stuff. So we were out, again, to prove everybody wrong."
Nebraska, powered by the offensive line, did just that. Despite facing an early deficit, the Cornhuskers topped #3 Miami, 24-17 for the national title. The victory set the program on course to become a dynasty by winning championships in 1995 and 1997 as well.
While Pruitt says his group of guys can take some credit in laying the foundation for success, he admits the pieces needed to win were laid down before he arrived in Lincoln.
"There were a lot of guys that really buckled down and started showing guys how to do things the right way," he said."
Upon graduation, Pruitt coached other programs while also serving as a SWAT team member with Illinois State Police. Eventually, the Midlothian, Illinois, native found his footing in Chatham. There he has gained the respect of players and students, not just for the rings he has, but the adversity it took to earn them.
"The biggest thing that I push is academics, especially being a guy that didn't do his academics in high school," Pruitt says.
As yet another season approaches, Pruitt's appreciation for the game only grows stronger, as does his relationship with the Chatham community. The coach says he doesn't have plans of moving elsewhere anytime soon. His kids are Glenwood graduates with interest in pursuing careers in sports as well. The connection between Pruitt and the Huskers and Titans programs will last forever, as will the stories he shares from along his journey.
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