A major part of Nebraska's football legacy sits in an Elkhorn closet, encased in a stainless steel box.
To most fans, it is the embodiment of a great career, a lifelong goal for any who dream of playing college football. But for Eric Crouch, the 67th Heisman Trophy is never the first thing that comes to mind.
He first remembers shaking his mother awake, aware that she needed to get to her second job on time. As she ran out the door every morning, he'd turn and resume cleaning the house and look after his brother, Kyle. Not the typical arrangement for an 8-year-old, but after his parents' divorce, it's what Eric was used to. Other adults in Crouch's life took notice, including his YMCA basketball coach, Jim Brown.
"Eric was always responsible, even as a little boy," Brown said. "His mother always worked two or three jobs, and Eric looked after everything. Most third graders aren't built like that."
It was Crouch's mother, Susan Sanchez, who first introduced him to Brown. Both were working at the same hospital when Brown told Sanchez of his intent to create a local basketball team. Sanchez asked Brown if Eric could join the team, and the Millard Celtics had their point guard.
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Eight- and 9-year-old boys storm around the court at the YMCA in Millard. The only thing the spectators noticed was the lighting-quick point guard dominating the game, a young boy named Eric.
"Back then, he'd have a hard time following directions," Brown said. "He wanted to guard everyone on the other team, and he could have. He was that good."
Brown said that Crouch set the example for the rest of the boys, running wind sprints all-out, holding his teammates accountable and forcing them to fall in-line.
"Back then, it was all about having fun," Crouch said. "I was still competitive, still had to win, but at that age it gave me an opportunity to have fun, and I took advantage."
But an introduction to sports isn't the only thing Crouch accredits to his mother — he regards her as his main inspiration. Crouch said that the mindset required to be a star in football came from her early on in his life.
"My mom worked so hard, taking two or three jobs to support me," Crouch said. "I picked up on that. I had to work hard. For me, it's just a way of life."
For Crouch, football was never a means for money or popularity. He said football was his way of expressing himself, an outlet he could use to do good for himself and others. In high school, a developmentally disabled brother of Crouch's friend died. Crouch dedicated the game to him and led Millard North to a victory.
"For me, it was a simple thing to do, to show people there are those less fortunate than us, to treat others how I wanted to be treated," Crouch said.
There was never really any doubt Crouch would come to Nebraska after his stellar high school career. While he did consider schools like Notre Dame and Ohio State, only Nebraska would guarantee him a spot as a quarterback.
At Nebraska, Crouch faced stiff competition for the job from Bobby Newcombe, an athletic prospect a year older than him. Crouch performed well when Newcombe's injuries thrust him into the lineup as a redshirt freshman in 1998, but Newcombe prevailed in the following spring's quarterback competition.
After deciding to remain with the team as a receiver, Crouch finally broke through, winning the starting quarterback job by the third game of the season. He never let up, amassing nearly 8,000 yards of total offense and 88 total touchdowns while leading the team to a 37-7 record as a starter.
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Crouch was the envy of his neighborhood in middle school, sporting the largest martial arts collection around.
"Ninja stars, nun chucks, you name it, Eric had it," lifelong friend Jeff Plummer said. "I used to walk into a room, and one of those stars would wiz right by my head. Good thing he was accurate because those things weren't plastic."
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