Getting stopped by a state trooper en route to his first official visit to Nebraska could have easily convinced FCS Western Illinois placekicker Pat Smith that a transfer to the Cornhuskers just wasn’t meant to be. In fact, Smith’s near-ticket had the opposite effect.
Over the weekend, Smith was pulled over for speeding shortly after crossing the Iowa-Nebraska border. Upon explaining to the Nebraska state trooper that he was a kicker who was exploring the possibility of transferring to Nebraska, the trooper did something unexpected.
“(He) took my insurance card and went back to his car,” Smith told the Quincy (IL) Herald-Whig. “He then waved me back to his car. We spent about 15 minutes talking about the Huskers.”
Instead of ticketing Smith, the officer let him off with a warning. The experience convinced Smith that Nebraska was where he wanted to be.
Only in a place like Nebraska do law enforcement officials also serve as recruiters.
