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Little known Husker mascot makes a comeback
If you go to Nebraska football games, you're probably used to seeing the Herbie Husker and Lil' Red mascots on the sidelines. There's another Husker mascot you may not be quite so familiar with.
NEWS 5's Dennis Kellogg has more as we spend "A Day in the Heartland." University of Nebraska football fans know a little something about cheering on their team. Ken Nickerson is an avid Husker fan and has been... "Forever. (laughs) I must have been a little kid at my uncle's farm watching the '71 Oklahoma game. That's the first game I remember," said Nickerson. Ken's love for the Huskers is obvious by looking at all the memorabilia on the walls of his home. He even wears his pride for Nebraska football close to his heart. "I got a tattoo of Herbie on my chest (laughs)," said Nickerson. Herbie is the official Husker mascot. Ken, though, prefers an unofficial, and relatively unknown, one. "Her" name is Harietta. "She's like a farm girl wearing her work clothes," Nickerson said. "And this is the Cornhusker state so I guess whoever did the logo had her on an ear of corn. And looks like she's flying because her hair is flying back in the air." Harietta's Husker history is a little bit of a mystery. It's believed the she's the wife of Harry Husker, one of the first Cornhusker mascots. And while you can still find plenty of Harry Husker memorabilia, Harietta kind of disappeared. "It's just like the forgotten, unofficial logo," said Nickerson. Ken is trying to change all that. He first saw Harrietta when his wife Deann bought a rare rug with the logo at a garage sale. He then licensed the logo from the university. His daughter redesigned it and he's now selling Harrietta bumper stickers and t–shirts. "It just took about nine months from the time we had the idea until we finally got it made and were able to sell some," said Nickerson. Ken thinks Harrietta appeals to all Husker fans. "I mean the guy likes it because it's an attractive woman and the girls like it because a girl is the mascot maybe too," said Nickerson. And maybe it's time the women of the Big Red were represented with their own mascot. "You go to a bar and watch a game, half the bar's women," said Nickerson. "I mean women support our team just like men do and to have the female as a mascot is not such a bad thing either." Ken and Deann are hoping the bumper stickers and t–shirts are just the start of Harrietta mania. "You could put Harrietta on a number of things, coffee mugs to you know the glass mugs they sell at gas stations or whatever and make a series you know," And maybe, decades after she made her debut, Harrietta will finally get her due. "Oh, that's probably a good way of putting it I guess," said Nickerson. Husker mascots have come a long way, baby. Ken and Deann said they're so busy with their jobs they would consider selling the licensing rights to Harrietta to someone who wants to do more with the logo. In the meantime, you can purchase Harrietta merchandise on–line through Ebay. |
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