Oct 6, 2018; Madison, WI, USA; A Nebraska Cornhuskers helmet sits on the sidelines during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
By Ben Axelrod on

Through his first eight games as Nebraska’s head coach, Matt Rhule has led the Cornhuskers to a 5-3 record and 3-2 mark in the Big Ten.

Some things, however, are bigger than football.

That was the message that Rhule sent to his players as he addressed the pink breast cancer awareness sticker on the back of the Nebraska helmets.

“As you walk out this tunnel, men, for the first time, the University of Nebraska, we have a pink ribbon on the back of our helmets. Obviously, that’s for all the wives, the moms, the sisters that have been affected by breast cancer, man” Rhule says in the video. “It’s even greater than that. It’s a way for us to honor the people in our lives — our mom, our grandmom, our girlfriend’s mom, our aunt — the people in our lives who have fought for us. Because ain’t no one of us here of our own accord. Picking you up, taking you to school, fighting for you, taking a second job, battling. Maybe keeping you away from the hard things in your life. She took it on so that you could just be a kid. Who is that for you? Maybe it was a dad, maybe it was a coach. But men, they fought for you. They were warriors for you.”

Rhule knows first hand the devastating impact that breast cancer can make. According to The Charlotte Observer, his mother is a breast cancer survivor, while his mother-in-law died from the disease.

“She’s gonna honor the way that her mother taught her to fight,” Rhule says of his wife in his speech to his team. “This ain’t emotional, this is joy, man. We’re here because of the ones that love us. So if you don’t have family here today, walk by my wife, walk by my daughters. You got family.”

After the video of Rhule’s speech went viral on Wednesday, many took to social media to weigh in.

https://twitter.com/ChancellorBrew1/status/1720118263063966121

[247Huskers]

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

View all posts by Ben Axelrod