LINCOLN, Neb. — Maurice Purify’s time at Nebraska has been marked by some of the most traumatic events of his life, none of which had anything to do with football.

It would be easy for the senior wide receiver to wind up his career with the Cornhuskers and never look back.

But when he and 28 other seniors play their final home game Saturday against Kansas State, Purify says, he’ll reflect only on the positives.

“I had some good times here and a lot of bad times,” he said. “The good times are going to override the bad times. I’m going to miss this place — just being here, the atmosphere of games, how many people came out, the Tunnel Walk, the snow.

“I’m not going to miss the cold weather.”

Purify arrived from San Francisco City College in 2006 amid much fanfare. At 6 feet 4 and 220 pounds, he had all the makings of an NFL-style receiver.

But Purify has not tapped his full potential. There have been flashes, to be sure. All you have to do is look back at last week’s game at Kansas, when he was the lone bright spot in an embarrassing 76-39 defeat. He caught seven passes for a career-high 158 yards and three touchdowns, including a one-handed grab for a score.

Other games, he was hardly a factor. Learning Bill Callahan’s West Coast offense hasn’t come easily for Purify, and it has limited his playing time.

A five-game losing streak that has left the Huskers 4-6 has not made things better.

“I didn’t expect this,” Purify said. “I thought we were going to be pretty good. I thought we were going to be one of the top teams in the country, and things have not been working.”

Purify’s life off the field, however, has rendered the on-field problems insignificant.

A bar fight and drunken-driving incident in May led to a fine, a year’s probation and drug and alcohol counseling.

His brother, Ronald “Tay” Spears, was shot to death in Oakland, Calif., in August.

His girlfriend, Reia Shapiro, died in a car accident in Pasadena, Calif., in September.

Coach Bill Callahan said the tragedy molded Purify into a more serious, more mature person.

“For a young man to handle the things he’s handled in his own personal life is commendable. I admire him,” Callahan said. “He’s hopefully going to be an inspiration for some of the kids that he’s worked with off the field.”

On the field, the Kansas game was Purify’s best showing in two seasons at Nebraska.

Last year he scored a career-long 63-yard touchdown to help the Huskers nearly upset Texas, and he caught the game-winning pass late in the fourth quarter against Texas A&M.

This year he disappeared for long stretches in the middle of the season, catching only one pass against Oklahoma State and just three against Texas A&M.

Against the Jayhawks, he won most of his battles against star cornerback Aqib Talib.

“It showed me a lot,” Callahan said. “When you get matched up against a high-caliber corner like Talib, you’re going to have an opportunity to be recognized and written up by the pro scouts as a guy that made big plays.”

Quarterback Joe Ganz, who was starting for the first time in place of the injured Sam Keller, went to Purify all day on downfield routes.

“It was just the right plays at the right time,” Purify said. “Coach Callahan made some calls where I was the first read, and I was open.”

Ganz looks forward to throwing a lot more to Purify in the final two regular-season games.

“The chemistry has been there,” Ganz said. “It is easy to have chemistry with a guy who is such a freak athlete like that.”

On the Net: University of Nebraska-Lincoln athletic department: http://www.huskers.com