Customer Reviews

Diary of a Husker

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

David Kolowski breaks new ground with this book, not really a sports book, not even really a football book, but a book that looks into the life of a young man faced with the challenges and potential glories of big-time college football. This was obviously written while in the thick of the action, in the heat of the moment and David's reporting of the days events quickly evolve into a behind-the-scenes introspective that strips the seemingly hubristic facade off of Husker football and shows fans what really happened during these five up and down years, directly from the perspective of a player. This unique look into the glory, the pain, the pride, and the sacrifices that these young men face is a must read for every fan, every player, every coach, and every parent.

Diary of a Husker is the tale of a walk on player for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. Dave Kolowski is a Nebraska boy who lives his dream of playing for the home state Nebraska Cornhuskers. However, at times, he feels the dream has turned into a nightmare of constant practices, conditioning sessions, a life of football to the seeming exclusion of everything else, and playing through some of the most turbulent times in Cornhusker history. Diary of a Husker is an easy read and the 450+ pages fly by as one gets pulled into the inner world of Husker football. While some might see this as indictment of the system, former coaches and players, and the frustration of wondering if Dave will ever play, it is the thoughts and feelings of a young man who has to balance the incredible pressures of playing for one of the most scrutinized college teams in the Nation where the very mood of the state of Nebraska seems to hinge on how the fotball team does while balancing school requirements and the fact that college players are still teenagers and young men. You "see" the warts of the team as well as the greatness and commitment from players and coaches alike. I highly recommend this book especially if you want an insider's perspective of the Huskers as lived by one of the many young men who aren't in the spotlight, but nonetheless are key to the success of the team. Finally, for those of you who have aways wondered what happens to football players after they stop working out, lifting weights, and eating so much, check out the pictures of Dave as he progresses from high school football player to college player to former football player and college graduate.

I have not yet finished the book, I'm about half way through it now. But from what I have read so far it is really great! It really gives you a great perspective of an average day of a Cornhusker Football Player! I had no idea what the Players went through from day to day and what it takes to be a part of one of the Best Programs in the Country! David did a wonderful job putting this book together! Thanks Dave!

I am not all the way through this book yet, but so far it has been very interesting. Coming from a person who is not a big reader, it has definitely kept me interested whenever I get a chance to read at night. It is not the best-written book I have ever seen, which makes sense being a diary of a college football player, but as a die-hard Husker fan, it's very intriguing to see all of the behind-the-scenes accounts that I never knew about.

I enjoyed this book. I have 2 nephews entering college in the athletics program - this was eye popping and interesting. I met the author at a bookstore months ago and just finished the book (I don't have much time for reading, but I do try). I felt like this was a glimpse into the life of a football player, I cried a couple of times, laughed quite a few times and generally enjoyed a very nice read. Thanks for this unique look into the strange world of college football. I'll give this book to my dad, a lifelong Cornhusker fan.

I bought this book hoping to get a unique insiders insight into some of the major issues happening during a topsy turvy time in Husker Football. What I got was many items that were very lightly covered and some hot topics which were not even mentioned at all. A perfect example is the quarterback controversy between Eric Crouch and Bobby Newcombe that was only mentioned in the Forward by Crouch where he makes a half-hearted effort at patting himself on the back. The diary did provide a glimpse into the life of the average non-scholarship Husker football player. For this reason I gave the book a 3-star, however I feel the author missed several chances to provide an in-depth and cutting edge look at a team in turmoil. Reading the book you learn more about the per-diem paid to the athletes and what kind of meals they ate but less about more pertinent topics. I feel the author was afraid to bring real issues to the forefront.

Redshirt long snapper Dave Kolowski's Diary of a Husker is one man's chronicle of what life was like in the hectic world of collegiate football. Beginning with the winter of his high school senior year, Kolowski walks us through the process of how he got into the Husker program as a Red Shirt, and, over time, he chronicles his rise to a starter.

This did not give us any real insight into the raw emotions of what a player must feel. Gary Shaw's expose' of Texas Longhorns football "Meat on the Hoof" although written in the spirit of bitterness, did give the reader a better vantage point of what life was like on the inside. Kolowski's narrative was, at times, sterile and somewhat juvenile. His random parenthetical explanations were a little more insightful than his journal entries. Otherwise the book wound up being a C- work in the end.