Tell us about Earle Bruce

[Matt Trump]

Re: Tell us about Earle Bruce

I really hope Capn Cat will chime in on this one! He's got a few dandy's to share.

[Khan4Cats]

Re: Tell us about Earle Bruce

I really hope Capn Cat will chime in on this one! He's got a few dandy's to share.

Ah yes, I believe there's a story from Western Illinois maybe?

I don't have fond memories of the Bruce, um, don't think I can call it era, so, I'll just leave it there.

But, as a previous poster noted, I do believe Bruce was somewhat responsible, along with Eldon Miller, for pushing for an upgrade in some of the athletic facilities (behind the scenes things) at the time.

[in_the_stands]

Re: Tell us about Earle Bruce

I remember thinking that Bruce upgraded the defense and blew up the offense (which TA restored). The Mudra years featured lots of points both scored and given up by UNI.

[oldcat]

Re: Tell us about Earle Bruce

Cat80...............you are on the right track. If I remember right, he demanded upgrades in the weight room and a few other things I can't remember. When he left, he ended up paying for those improvements. He did take a team that went deep into the playoffs the previous year and made them into a mediocre team during his one year stint.

[soylentgreen]

Re: Tell us about Earle Bruce

Earl left the year before I showed up in CF, but one of his daughters remained at UNI after he left. She kind of looked like her old man, and not in a good way.

[Mountain Panther]

Re: Tell us about Earle Bruce

Ahh...ripping on the daughter...how cute.

Your think that's funny? How about this....

Dunbar's daughter went to CF High. When I was a sophomore at UNI I would frequent the house of a few friends, one of which was a CF High graduate who liked hanging around high school girls (yes, I know, wrong, but it was his life).

Anyway, one time I cut a pic of Dunbar out of the Courier and wrote some derogatory comment before taping it on my buddy's door. Sure enough sure showed up and saw it. She cried. I felt terrible but you have to admit that's quite a coincidence.

[classof1990]

Re: Tell us about Earle Bruce

Sorry I didn't get in earlier:

Not a derogatory story at all:

I lived in Bender Hall on the second floor (with a lot of football players). I had heard a rumor that Mr. Bruce was living on the first floor of Bender Hall, but I thought, "No way he's living in a dorm." Time went on and the rumor grew like wildfire and eventually a few floormates, who were in position to know, confirmed that he was in fact, living on the first floor.

I put a note under his door one night inviting him up for a beer and some football discussion. He declined the beer, but he invited me over for a Pepsi, yeah he specifically mentioned Pepsi. I think he did it out of courtesy and I never went, BUT I've still got the signed note from him inviting me over.

[Durf73]

Re: Tell us about Earle Bruce

run it on first down, run it on second down, throw it on third and 8, punt

An excellent description of his one long year on the sidelines for the Panthers and the stupid hat ! I think everyone thought as long as Eldon Miller had done such a good job that bringing in another Ohio State coach couldn't hurt. It was a long, long year, but Bruce was fun to yell at !

Thankfully it was only one year and then TA got us rolling again !

[PantherInsider]

Re: Tell us about Earle Bruce

My friend, who is far more of a UNI football historian than I, says another benefit of Bruce's era was that the publicity surrounding his hire/high profile tenure helped with recruiting and several players who came on board after that year helped win Gateway titles for TA.