Brook Berringer

American football player (1973–1996)

Brook Warren Berringer (July 9, 1973 – April 18, 1996) was an American quarterback for the University of Nebraska football team in the mid 1990s. Berringer came to Nebraska from Goodland, Kansas and played a backup role to Tommie Frazier. He was best known for replacing the injured Frazier during the 1994 season and leading the Cornhuskers to seven consecutive wins and to the Orange Bowl national championship game against the University of Miami Hurricanes. Berringer died in a plane crash just two days before the 1996 NFL Draft.

Berringer was born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. When Berringer was seven years old, his father died from cancer. He lived with his mother and two sisters in Goodland, Kansas. Throughout his childhood, he played several different sports.

Because of his successful high school career, Berringer was recruited by many Big 8 schools, ultimately committing to the University of Nebraska. In his freshman and sophomore seasons (1992 and 1993), he appeared in 15 games in a backup role.

In 1994 as a junior, Berringer started seven games because starter Tommie Frazier had a blood clot in his leg. Berringer completed 94 of 151 passes (62%) for 1,295 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. Berringer's friend Tobey Lake, the brother of Berringer's girlfriend Tiffini, was also killed in the crash. A memorial service for Berringer was held before a crowd of 48,659 on April 20 at Memorial Stadium before the start of the annual Red White Spring football game. Berringer is interred at Goodland Cemetery in Goodland, Kansas.

The country group Sawyer Brown recorded "The Nebraska Song" in tribute to Berringer. (The song was actually written before his death.) The song appears as Track 18 (the same number as Berringer's jersey) on the group's 1997 album Six Days on the Road, and its first live performance was at the Devaney Center on the University of Nebraska campus during the 1997 Nebraska State Fair. Sawyer Brown lead vocalist Mark Miller was a pallbearer at Berringer's funeral. Following Berringer's death, the Nebraska Cornhuskers football program established the Brook Berringer Citizenship Team in his honor. Awarded annually before the Spring Game, the Brook Berringer Citizenship Team recognizes Cornhuskers football players for leadership, involvement and service. A trophy case dedicated to Berringer is located in the lobby of Goodland High School's Max Jones Fieldhouse. In 2006, the University of Nebraska erected a life size bronze statue of Berringer with coach Tom Osborne.