Raising a Husker: Lance Brandenburgh

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BY TOMMY DAHLK / Lincoln Journal Star

Junior Lance Brandenburgh made a promise after his family moved to Hutchinson, Kan., from York when he was 5.

“Lance was not happy at all about moving,” Barb Brandenburgh, Lance’s mom, said. “When we had all the kids in our car after the movers left, he was 5 and said to me, ‘I don’t care what you and dad do, but when I grow up I’m going back there and am going to play football.’”

Now, the younger Brandenburgh has become a versatile force in the Blackshirts’ linebacking corps. The junior from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kan., has played every linebacker position for NU.

Chuck Brandenburgh, Lance’s father, said he isn’t surprised that his son is easily able to play multiple linebacker positions, because Lance was always pretty advanced as a kid.

In fact, very advanced.

“He was always really competitive and advanced,” Chuck said. “Just always competitive. I remember when he was just 3 he was ridding his bike without training wheels on.”

Most kids can barely even talk when they’re 3, but Brandenburgh somehow was able to master a bike.

Barb said Lance’s childhood was full of memories.

“He was definitely all boy,” Barb said. “I have memories of putting up the Christmas tree. He wasn’t even 2 yet and he grabbed the Christmas tree balls and yelled, ‘Ball, ball, ball.’”

Lance would go on to messing around with Nerf balls at a young age and started wrestling at the age of 4.

Soon, Brandenburgh was playing football, baseball and basketball. In high school, in addition to being the star quarterback and linebacker, Brandenburgh played basketball his last three years of high school and maintained a 97 percent average in the classroom.

Despite all the non-football success, Brandenburgh still knew he was going to someday play for the Huskers.

Barb said Lance stated his desire again in an English assignment when he was 8, just three years after moving from York.

“They were supposed to write about who they would like to meet if they could meet anyone in the world and what they would ask them,” Barb said.  “He wrote that he would like to meet Coach (Tom) Osborne and ask him what you needed to be able to play football at Nebraska. ... So, you see, it has always been a dream of his to be able to play football at Nebraska.”