Steve Taylor’s Recruiting Stories Offer an Illuminating Glimpse into Tom Osborne’s Program in the 1980s

Steve Taylor says he won the lottery. He grew up in Fresno, California, and later moved to San Diego to increase his exposure. When his high school coach asked where he wanted to go, he had one answer: Nebraska.

Taylor had watched the 1984 Orange Bowl, when the Huskers lost a heartbreaker to Miami in one of the most iconic games in college football history. Nebraska became his dream school—and it turned out the interest was mutual.

“My process was as easy as it can get because I knew where I wanted to go,” he said. “They were my first choice, and Nebraska wanted me.”

This week, on the Common Fan Podcast, we launched Episode 3 of our series focused on Tom Osborne’s coaching career. This episode, Chasing the Crown, looks at TO’s excellent teams of the 1980s, a decade during which the Huskers led the nation in total wins, won five conference titles, and came tantalizingly close to winning two national championships. 

Thanks to Husker legend Steve Taylor and longtime Lincoln Journal Star sportswriter Ken Hambleton for joining us. We covered a wide range of topics—Osborne’s famous decision to go for two in the 1984 Orange Bowl, the controversial loss to Penn State in 1982, the evolution of TO’s philosophy as a head coach, and much more.

A Different Time

Taylor’s story offers a glimpse into a different time, both for Nebraska football and the national college football landscape. “I knew where I was going,” he told us. “I knew the stability was there. The coaching staff, they were by far the best institution at that time. The campus base, the fan base was stupid-crazy, loved football. The facilities were off the charts.” 

Taylor and his high school coach…

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