THE NEBRASKA 100

Read the newspaper. Make the Top 100.

Well, maybe it's not that easy. But it did start Bill Brown of Omaha on his way to an undefeated high school career at Omaha Creighton Prep, a spot on the Notre Dame tennis team and a successful pro career.

Brown said he was reading The World-Herald while eating breakfast at the kitchen table and spotted an ad for tennis lessons at Dewey Park. The 11-year-old ventured over to the park. Needless to say, the pocket change spent on the paper turned into immeasurable wealth.

"I eventually managed to win the park tournament. Then I got a real big trophy from The World-Herald for winning the tournament for all the parks," recalled Brown, who said his mom, Mary, still has the trophy.

Brown went on to win state titles from 1960 to 1963. Following Creighton Prep, he attended Notre Dame from 1963 to 1967, eventually becoming captain. After a year of grad school at Nebraska, a year of teaching history at St. Bernard's grade school in Omaha, and serving in the Army from 1969 to '71, he decided to give pro tennis a swing.

"My senior year I was sitting around thinking about what I wanted to do," Brown said. "I took stock of my abilities. In the College of Arts and Letters, I didn't think I was the best at anything. Then I looked at the athletic department and I thought I was the best tennis player.

"So I thought I would pursue that. I wrote a letter to my parents and said that's what I wanted to do."

While playing professionally full-time from 1971 to 1976, Brown played and beat several of the stars of the day, including Ilie Nastase in 1974; won numerous doubles titles; and played in the four Grand Slam tournaments.

"Absolutely not," Brown said when asked if he thought he would make it as far as he did while growing up.

-- Nick Piastowski