LINCOLN — Ed Cunningham played on the Memorial Stadium turf in the 1990s and has worked Nebraska games from the press box each of the past two seasons as an ESPN and ABC analyst.
His next visit can't help but be different Saturday, though, when Cunningham will be running around with a black-and-white striped shirt and a yellow flag in his back pocket.
“To ask me if I'm a little nervous would be an understatement,” he said.
Cunningham is set to be part of the seven-man officiating crew for the Huskers' spring game. He will serve as the side judge, and the former college and NFL lineman is taking his assignment seriously.
“I don't want to go out there and harm one team vs. another, even though it's an intrasquad game,” Cunningham said. “That wouldn't be fair to the kids.”
Bob Burda of the Big 12 said the league approached ESPN about the idea. Burda said Walt Anderson, the Big 12 coordinator of officials, has tried to find ways to bring transparency and education to the league's broadcast partners, “because they have such an effect on the perception of officiating during a game.”
Ed Placey, coordinating producer of college football for ESPN, took the invitation to Cunningham.
“It was kind of a slam dunk for me,” said Cunningham, 40. “I jumped at it. I always try to do something along the lines of extending my education, so this was really a unique opportunity to learn it from their side.
“I think we all think we would be great officials, so this is a chance to find out.”
The Big 12 put together some materials for Cunningham to study, including a DVD with 726 plays on it. He also attended a three-day winter seminar in San Antonio with other league officials. Including some “dry runs” on practice fields, Cunningham estimates that he has invested 50 to 60 hours in training.
In the Red-White game on Saturday, Gene Semko will shadow Cunningham along the east sideline, although only to help with pre-snap responsibilities, such as substitutions, and not with judgment calls.
Semko was the side judge for the Big 12 championship game last December.
“I don't know that I would be comfortable going out there solo right now,” Cunningham said. “To have Gene literally in my ear and right behind me, and in uniform, that will be helpful.”
Those who could also be in the ear of Cunningham are coach Bo Pelini and others on the staff. Not exactly the security of the broadcast booth that Cunningham shared with Ron Franklin for the NU-Oklahoma game last season and NU-Colorado in 2008.
But Cunningham also played before a Memorial Stadium sellout in 1991 when Washington beat the Huskers 36-21, and he later spent five professional seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks.
“I've already been warned,” Cunningham said, laughing. “Guys have already said get ready for it. That'll be another thing to learn is how you handle it.
“I was an offensive lineman in the NFL — you can't say anything to offend me. The skin's still pretty thick.”
Burda said Pelini and Athletic Director Tom Osborne signed off on Cunningham through Ed Stewart, the Big 12 assistant commissioner and a former Husker linebacker. One of the factors in picking NU was that the atmosphere and crowd size would come closest to replicating a regular-season game.
Cunningham also was going to work the San Diego State spring game last month, but he had to cancel because of family reasons.
The Aztecs drew just more than 2,000 fans. Nebraska is expecting close to 80,000.
“If I look like a fool, they're going to call you on it,” he said. “If I trip and fall, I just hope it doesn't get on YouTube.”
Contact the writer:
444-1042, rich.kaipust@owh.com
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