Then & Now: Beau Reid

Then & Now: Beau Reid

Compiled By Dave Brandon (Photo

Courtesy NU Media Relations)

Nebraska basketball Hall

of Famer Beau Reid was a four year letter winner at

Nebraska from 1988-1991. While at Nebraska, the 6'8"

Reid excelled both on and off the court, as he led the

Huskers in scoring and assists in 1989, while also

finishing in the top ten in career assists. Off the

court, Reid was a two time Academic All-Conference, and

two time Academic All-American.

HHC recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Beau

and seeing what he thought of then, along with where he

is now.

HHC: Beau, thanks for taking the time to join HHC and

update everyone on your life.

BR: No Problem. I'm a fan of the site and have already

posted a Norm Stewart story on the message board about

the black road uniforms under the call sign Husker40.

HHC: You were the only player to come to Nebraska in

Danny Nee's first season ('86-'87) and also appear in

the NCAA Tournament. ('90-'91) What was it about Danny

Nee that brought you to Nebraska, as you first signed a

national letter of intent to play for him at Ohio

University?

BR: I signed with Coach Nee at Ohio U, after him

watching me grow up, speaking at my Father's high school

basketball camp for several years in a row. He pulled me

out of the crowd after my sophomore year and had me do a

shooting drill, and I did the entire thing without

missing. He told me he wanted me to go to Ohio U that

day. I honestly signed with him prior to my senior year,

because I thought he was going to get the Ohio State

job. Eldon Miller had been told he wouldn't be retained

after his last year of his contract, and he stopped

recruiting. So a bird in the hand....

HHC: After sitting out '86-'87 as a redshirt, your first

season at Nebraska in '87-'88 went well, as you finished

third among Big 8 freshman in scoring, as well as

leading the team in 3-point percentage. However, the

highlight of the year had to have been the game winning

shot you hit to beat the eventual national champion

Kansas. Tell us what you remember about that game, and

was that the individual play you were most proud of

while at Nebraska?

BR: The thing I most remember about that game, outside

of the final play, was Danny Manning hitting me so hard

on a back pick, that my feet left the floor and I landed

about 8 feet away out by half court. As I rolled over

thinking "what the ****?,” he was standing over me with

his hand out to help me up. As he pulled me up, he said,

“Welcome to the Big 8, rookie,” and giggled as he ran

down the floor. Funny thing is he smiled and shook his

head after that shot went in, and later congratulated me

in person when we were thrashed two weeks later in Allen

Fieldhouse. Upon entering that game, I proceeded to

shoot an airball on my first shot, and affectionately

became known in the Phog as Air-Beau for the rest of my

career. Actually the play I was most proud of was the

shot against Michigan State my senior year. I felt like

that win catapulted us into a different level, and gave

us confidence that carried throughout that entire year.

HHC: We must next tell you that we'd really appreciate

it if you could have a son soon - actually, more than

one son, who is also 6'8" and can both shoot AND pass

the ball like you could. The reason we say this is the

fact that you led the team in both scoring and assists

in your sophomore season of '88-'89, and finished in the

career top ten for Nebraska assists. What enabled you to

posses the art of being a precision passer and precision

shooter, at least for your size?

BR: I actually am way ahead of you. Have a Daughter,

Olivia age 8 (Swimmer and dancer. She's going to be

tall, so we'll introduce her to volleyball this year at

the coliseum, assuming I can get my paws on a couple duckets), and two sons....Nolan age 6 (very tall and

actually athletic, elbow is naturally in already, a good

sign), and Grant age 2 (born rough neck, future football

player). I could handle the ball and pass it because I

grew very late. I was still 5'9" in 9th grade, and

played point guard my whole life up until that point.

That worked out well for me. I was a Division 3 player

until I grew 6 inches in three years. Throw in the fact

that I was a coach’s kid and a gym rat, and I guess I

had a fondness for the great pass that got the ball to a

player in such a way that it was natural for them to

complete the play. Brian Carr passed the ball like that.

HHC: Just as fast as things were going great for you in

your sophomore campaign, you encountered a torn ACL in

your right knee prior to your junior season, which

effectively created a lost season for you. Would you

agree with that statement, or did '89-'90 serve as a

springboard for you in what would be a memorable senior

season?

BR: 89'-90 was a very difficult year. I had worked

harder than I ever had before to prepare for that year.

My Father had recently parted ways with Coach Nee's

staff, and I was actually scared I might become a

by-product of that soured relationship. So I was

absolutely in peak form, when that injury happened. Then

I busted it to come back when I saw how bad we were that

year and actually was booed in the Missouri game that

year at home. I like to think the fans were booing

because it was obvious I wasn't 100% and they wanted Nee

to realize I shouldn't be out there. During that game

Anthony Peeler and Doug Smith stood next to me on the

free throw lane and asked me if I was crazy. Told me I

shouldn't be out there, and that they wouldn't do that

for anyone. But I had been forced to redshirt as a

transfer, and it was going to be a lost year. Nowadays,

I would have probably been granted a 6th year, but that

was unheard of back then.

It did become a springboard, because of the talent that

was sitting out that year. Our B team would rock the

starters by 30 late in that year. Our team was Me, Pike,

Chubb, Moody, Farmer, and Jaime Cole (who could shoot

the lights out). It got so bad late in the year, that

Rich King with get in trouble early in practice on

purpose, so he could be demoted to the "white" team.

That B team later turned into the tempo change we had in

90-91. Our starting five was a big brutally physical

crew that could pound you in the half court, and then

Moody, Pike, Chubb, and Farmer would come in and turn

the heat up to a full court track meet. It was a great

contrast. Ramos threw a wrench into that rotation.

HHC: Everyone knows about the amazing '90-'91 season in

which you returned to the NCAA tournament for only the

second team in school history en route to winning 26

games and finishing in the top ten. Pick out your three

favorite moments from that season, either off or on the

court, and tell us how electric the Bob Devaney Sports

Center was by the end of the year?

BR: By the end of the year? It was electric from day

one. Michigan State game was the first home game that

year and it was so loud that you could see people's

mouths move, be standing right next to them, and not

hear a sound. Deafening. Still miss the dueling bass

guitars in the Devaney Center. That place used to just Rock.

As for my top three moments for that season, here they

are:

1. Carl Hayes dropping 26 on home state team Illinois

and running past the Illinois bench and yelling at Lou

Henson after every score yelling "Shoulda recruited me!"

2. Chris Cresswell (Who was redshirting as a transfer)

dunking straight over the top of Tony Farmer in a

scrimmage. Tony talked his fair share of trash, as we

all did, so we all teased Tony pretty bad. We even had

it put on the pre-game highlight video we'd watch to get

fired up. People were laying on the floor laughing. I'll

never forget that pre-game as long as I live.

3. I remember watching our football team get pounded

like 41-3 by Georgia Tech....maybe it ended up 41-20,

can't remember, in Green Bay Wisconsin and then going

out the next night and beating a darn good Wisconsin

Green Bay team on their hostile home floor (Beer flowed

freely in that arena). Coach Nee needed a police escort

out of that arena at the end of his radio show, while

being showered with beer. I remember him running into

the locker room and shouting that we just beat an NCAA

tournament team on their home floor. With the refs

against us, the crowd out of control, and an excellent

college basketball team opposing us. I think that's the

night he starting believing in us. It gave us a little

swagger heading into the Big 8 season, if a swagger is

possible for a team that went 10 and 18 the year before.

Honorable Mention :

Jim Bane's atrocious call with 50 seconds left in Allen

Fieldhouse. Called a charge on Ramos from past half

court, when the official under the basket had signaled

blocking foul-basket good - and one. If the three point

play counted and it would have with Ramos shooting 80

some percent from the line, we'd have been up 3 and they

would have had a tough time catching up. Single worst

call of my career.

Black uniforms at Iowa State. I made the mistake of

complaining about a call in front of the Iowa State band

and from that point on was booed every time I touched

the ball. Late in the game I was fouled and went to the

line to shoot a 1+1 and we were down one or tied. It was

deafening and they called time out to ice me. Hilton was

14K strong booing as loudly as they could. I walked over

to the bench and without missing a beat, coach Nee says

with a grin, "you'd better make these F-ing free

throws." I made the first, and looked over at Coach Nee

who had this big goofy grin on his face. The crowd

renewed their booing as the official hands me the ball

for the bonus, and I made the second. We knock it loose

on the other end, and I get fouled again. By the time I

made the fourth free throw, they were barely booing.

Maybe the most satisfying feeling I ever had in a game.

Similar to my freshman year when we beat Oregon on their

home floor and Henry T. Buchanon got fouled with no time

on the clock and waived his arms to the crowd for them

to get louder and promptly drilled them both to win the

game. Unreal.

There are a million other moments that I remember, but

those are the ones that come rushing to the front of my

brain.

HHC: Which on-court memories do you treasure most while

at Nebraska? Also, could you please add a colorful Danny

Nee story or two to our growing archives? We figure

you'd be a good guy to ask, as you were around him for

parts of six years!

BR: On court memory, was probably having Steve Smith

from Michigan State give me five while running off the

court, after I had just made the three pointer to beat

them. It was a little thing, but it was classy of him,

especially after the amount of trash that guy talked

during that game. Funny trash.

Most of my Coach Nee stories are of his anger and

probably aren't funny. But I'll give it a shot.....

We went to Coach Nee's house as a team one year for

Thanksgiving, and his son Kevin was very little, and

very active and ornery. Coach Nee got frustrated with

him and shoved him into this room that had iron bars

like a prison, with a keyed gate (Previous owners had

owned a bank and had a safe in this "prison room". Kevin

started to cry, and Coach Nee told him he'd be in there

till morning if he kept it up, and when he turned

around, our entire team was looking at him with our

mouth hanging open, and without missing a beat says "You guys keep missing free throws, and you'll be in

there too."

HHC: Before we get to where you are today, tell us about

what it was like balancing basketball and school, as you

were just as great of a student as you were basketball

player. Did you spend a lot of time in Love Library, or

are you just naturally as smart as we are?

BR: Actually, I was famous at the bookstore for turning

in my text books with the cellophane still on them. I

went to class, sat in the front row, and took good

notes. I actually was really good at multiple choice

exams, and cruised through college by going to class and

taking good notes. I didn't go to law school because of

my dislike of reading text books. Figured I wouldn't

exactly thrive in a situation where reading textbooks

determines what you learn.

HHC: That's what we thought - Hey, what are you up to

today? Are you using that Finance degree and MBA you

earned, or did you go a different direction?

BR: I have been in the insurance industry since I got

done with my MBA. Didn't think I'd be selling employee

benefits when I got done with that MBA, but I always say

you don't choose your career, it chooses you.

HHC: And did all the time you spent between basketball

and your studies enable you to find Miss Right while in

Lincoln? And, we figure if we are the ones pushing your

kids

to play basketball and not you, she has to be okay with

it, right?

BR: I met my wife the very first day I moved to Lincoln.

She was working in the Devaney Center business office.

Most attractive red-head I had ever seen. Chased her for

a year, before she caved, and we've been together ever

since.

I think she knows that basketball will be part of the

athletic agenda. Its been part of my life since I could

walk, so Nolan and Grant are going to go to a lot of

games and receive tons of useless yet brilliant advice.

HHC: Sorry to pester you about the kids, we're

just very passionate about Husker Hoops.

Hey, before you go, we've set you up an e-mail account

at [email protected] so that Nebrasketball

faithful can drop you a line. Are you cool with that?

BR: Would love to. I'll be hitting your message board

too. I love to talk hoops. Thanks for having me.

HHC: Great! Thanks a lot for your time Beau - we hope

you like HHC and regret that we weren't around when you

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