Sometimes, just a nudge can help you make that career-changing, life-altering decision.

Dan Boever and a dairy farmer were standing under a cow in a dairy parlor.

ìApparently, the cow had just had too much grass to eat because a second later we were covered in used grass,î Boever said.

It was right then that Boever, the former All Big Eight Husker shortstop, decided to pursue a new career.

ìI had tried insurance and I was traveling 50,000 miles a year selling dairy chemicals, and it was time for a change,î he said.

Boever qualified for the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship in 1997. He could hit the ball about 330 yards. He didnít win but he met Art Sellinger, who helped plan a career in golf for Boever.

Now, some 12 years later, Boever is the senior world long drive champion and he makes about 150 dates a year showing off his driving ability as well as a series of trick shots.

ìItís a good way to make a living and I donít end the day covered in cow left-behinds,î he said.

Boever grew up on a farm in Remsen, Iowa. He was a star baseball player and ended up at West Arkansas Junior College.

Two years later, he was part of John Sandersí team at Nebraska, which included Turner Gill at shortstop and future major-leaguer Bill McGuire at catcher.

ìI loved it at Nebraska,î Boever said. ìIíll always be a Husker. I love getting back to Nebraska and I love running into folks around the country who holler, 'Go Big Red.íî

In 1983, Boever led the team in hitting (.383), hits (77), home runs (12), RBIs (72), runs (62), doubles (22) and triples (8).

ìI keep in touch with Paul Meyers (in the NU athletic department) and guys like Howard Hawks (namesake of the Hawks Championship Center),î he said. ìAnd I follow along and hope the teams do well.î

Boever played in pro baseball for six years before he hung up his spikes. He met Dr. Pat Clare, a Lincoln orthopedic surgeon and still a Husker team doctor, just a couple of months after completing his eligibility as a Husker.

ìI didnít want to meet him that way, but I had torn the ligaments in my right knee in a freak injury - celebrating our fourth win in a row in rookie ball.î He worked his way through the Cincinnati Red organization until quitting in 1989.

ìI had always been able to hit the ball a long way, in baseball, softball, golf, whatever,î Boever said. ìFriends were always trying to talk me into pursuing a golf career.î

Boeverís regular 370-yard-plus smashes finally became a hit when he performed his first public exhibition in 1997.

Now, Boever has a regular spot on the Golf Channel. He plays around the country in exhibitions, clinics and in pro-ams. Heís going to be in Iraq for an exhibition soon.

ìAll that because I hit the ball 80 to 100 yards farther than almost everybody, but a few, on the planet,î he said.

As always, Boever also shares his tips for hitting the ball farther: ìRelax, you wonít kill it by trying to kill it; be solid in your grip, balanced in your stance - maybe a little wider than your shoulders - and play the ball on the inside of your left heel.î

Boever added, ìTry a nice, loose grip. Grip pressure means a lot, and try swinging 90 percent of what you think is your hardest swing. Make solid contact, and the ball will go.î

Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or khambleton@journalstar.com.