THE NEBRASKA 100

Omaha Central coach Joe McMenamin needed a punter.

So after a practice in 1994, Coach Mac had more than 100 kids punt to see who had the best leg. One player stood out.

"The ball just exploded off his foot," McMenamin recalled.

The kid with the rocket leg was Ahman Green, the do-everything running back/linebacker/punter who starred at Central and Nebraska and is now an all-pro running back with the Green Bay Packers.

Green ran for more than 1,000 yards three consecutive years in high school, including his sophomore year at Omaha North. He started at linebacker and averaged 40 yards per punt. He capped his senior year by winning gold in the 100, 200 and 400 relay at the state track meet. He also lettered in baseball during his freshman year at North.

Green's all-around athletic ability mirrors that of his childhood idol Walter Payton. In high school, Green trained like Payton, running hills behind Omaha North or stairs at UNO during the summers.

"I'd be so tired, that's what kept me out of trouble," Green said.

That paid off for Green, who along with Gale Sayers, is one of the top running backs to come out of Nebraska. He is No. 2 all-time on the Nebraska rushing charts with 3,880 career yards, and helped lead NU to the 1997 national championship.

-- Michael Bruntz