Loren Lippincott
Bryan grew up having one ambition in life, to be a football player. In high school he did well academically, was devoted in his faith and spent every available moment practicing football and getting stronger. Upon high school graduation Bryan was recruited by an instate Division 1 college to play football. He was an excellent punter and by his senior year in college Bryan was second in the nation, averaging 41.4 yards per punt. He also played defensive back as a safety. In Bryan’s second year of college football he started 11 games. They finished six and three with three ties. But after that year the best he could do was second string, due to a back injury and competition from others on the team.
Throughout much of Bryan’s college career he drove across his state, 157 miles, to visit his girlfriend, Cherry. He proposed to her three times, then after he discovered she had gone out on a date with a football player at her college, he drove over to see her and they found a justice of the peace and got married.
At Bryan’s college the basketball coach, Johnny Dee, was a personal friend of the personnel director of the Green Bay Packers. Dee encouraged the Packers to take a chance on this outstanding punter and good allaround athlete with outstanding character.
Bryan was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 17th round and was the 200th pick. Bryan and Cherry moved to Wisconsin from the University of Alabama, where in his senior year with the Crimson Tide he had zero wins and 10 losses.
In Bryan’s first year with the Packers they lost twice as many games as they won. The second year the Packers had three times as many losses as wins. In the third year they had one win, one tie and 10 losses. When the coach resigned and a new one was hired, Bryan felt certain his days with the Packers were numbered.
The new coach began by holding up a football and saying to his players, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” He began with the basics. That coach was Vince Lombardi and Bryan stayed on the team. Under Lombardi’s leadership Bryan became the best of all time at his position.
With mostly the same players, that first year under Lombardi, the Packers went 7-4. In year two they won their division championship. The third year they were the world champions. It goes without saying they had mastered the basics!
In 1977 Bryan was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame... as a quarterback. Readers may remember him by his middle name which was Bartlett – Bryan Bartlett “Bart” Starr.
As in Bryan’s case, in the political world, hardships nearly always precede victories. Consider a 23-year-old who ran for his state legislature and lost, finishing eighth out of 13 candidates, getting only 277 votes in his home county. The following year he started a general store with a business partner. The business failed, leaving him deeply in debt.
At age 25 he was elected to his state legislature, but lost a bid to be speaker at age 29. Five years later he attempted to run for the U.S. House of Representatives, but was passed over, and failed. At age 45 this ambitious man sought a U.S. Senate seat, but was soundly defeated. Four years later he ran for the same seat again with the same result.
When he was 26, the love of his life died. Seven years later he married, but their marriage was riddled with strife. At age 41, when their 3-year-old son died, both of them entered a deep depression from their loss. But he kept trying and at age 47 he sought the vice presidential nomination, receiving fewer than 100 votes at the party convention.
However, at age 51 this perennial loser was elected the 16th President of the United States. Despite setback after setback, Abraham Lincoln’s persistence was remarkable. His failures taught him resilience, sharpened his political acumen and honed his ability to connect with the people, which proved critical during the Civil War. His leadership and tenacity we honor yet today.
Loren Lippincott represents Legislative District 34 in the Nebraska State Senate. Read his column in the Nance County Journal.