N
BOB NELSON
A WIRY FULLBACK, BOB NELSON WAS A STOPPER AS THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE AND GOOD UNDER THE HIGH-BALL .
FULL NAME: ROBERT (BOB) NELSON
POSSUM CAREER: 1980-1984
POSSUM NUMBER: 18
HEIGHT: 6-0
WEIGHT: 200
POSITIONS PLAYED: FULLBACK, FLYHALF
OFFICES HELD: SOCIAL CHAIRMAN
TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS: LIFETIME POSSUM AWARD, 1984
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: TOO MANY TO LIST
PERSONAL QOUTATIONS: "SOME PEOPLE ARE ALIVE TODAY SIMPLY BECAUSE IT IS ILLEGAL TO KILL THEM."--ANONYMOUS
OTHER CLUBS: AUGUSTA RFC, ARCHIBALL ASSOCIATION, USA
BIRTHDATE: 12-5-59
BIRTHPLACE: DETROIT
RESIDES: AUGUSTA
FAMILY: WIFE, MIRIAM; SONS, JACK 12, AND SAM, 9
OCCUPATION: PRODUCTION PLANNER FOR AGY, LLC
BRIAN NIEKERK
VOTED AS EIGHTMAN AND LOCK ON ALL-TIME A SIDE
PROFESSIONAL GAMBLER, OLD-SCHOOL RUGBY GOAL-KICKER, DEVOTED FAN OF THE SIMPSONS, WANNABE CENTER, DON'T WANNABE SECOND ROW, RAMPAGING EIGHTMAN, BRIAN NIEKERK WAS ALL THOSE AND MORE - A TOP-NOTCH 7s PLAYER AND WEARER OF THOSE ULTRA-SHEIK GREEN KNEE PADS.
NIEKERK BURST ONTO THE POSSUM SCENE IN THE MIDDLE 1980s FRESH FROM THE MONTANA STATE OREDIGGERS OR SANTA CRUZ BANANA SLUGS - OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT - WITH A DEGREE IN ONE HAND AND THE OTHER HIDING SOME NOXIOUS OAK RIDGE NUCLEAR WASTE - PROBABLY WITH ACES UP BOTH SLEEVES.
THE WILD WEST CAME TO TOWN IN THE FORM OF THE 6-4, 250-POUND RED-HEADED BLOCK OF A HELLUVA A NICE GUY - UNLESS OF COURSE YOU WERE ON THE OPPOSING TEAM. THEN YOU WERE IN FOR A LONG DAY.
"BRIAN JUMPED RIGHT INTO BEING OUR TOP EIGHTMAN, DRAGGING THREE OR FOUR TACKLERS CONSTANTLY BEFORE SETTING THE BALL," SAID PAT DORWIN. "HE WAS A SCRUMHALVES DREAM - PLENTY OF NO. 8 PICKUPS ALL OVER THE PITCH."
NASHVILLE FORWARD LYLE JONES SAID A COUPLE OF TEAMMATES, BEASTIE, A FRONT-ROWER, AND BART, A SCRUMHALF, HAD A SIMPLE NICKNAME FOR NIEKERK: "CUNT."
YUP, THAT ABOUT SUMS IT IT UP IF YOU WERE ONE OF THE MANY UNLUCKY OPPONENTS IN 15s - NIEKERK WOULD ROUTINELY CRASH THROUGH THREE OR FOUR TACKLE ATTEMPTS TO SET THE BALL AND GET THE DEFENSE ON THEIR BACK FEET.
"HE WAS ALSO A STRONG 7s PLAYER AS WELL," SAID DORWIN. "ANY SCRUM WAS GOING WHERE BRIAN WANTED IT TO, WHETHER HE PUSHED OR PULLED."
NIEKERK STARTED THE KNOXVILLE AREA RUGBY SELECTS - KARS - A TEAM THAT ROUTINELY COMPETED IN THE MIDWEST RFU CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE 1990s, AND WON THE CAPE FEAR CLUB DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1995 AND FINISHED AS RUNNER-UPS IN 1996.
"THE SUNDAY IN 1995 WAS SOME OF THE BEST RUGBY KNOXVILLE HAS PLAYED AT ANYTIME," DORWIN SAID. "WE HAMMERED TOP-SEEDED EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY IN THE OPENING MATCH - THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HIT THEM.
"THEN WE TOOK APART OUR BIG NEMESIS, LOUISVILLE IN THE SEMI-FINALS," SAID DORWIN, WHO SCORED FIVE WEEKEND TRIES - WITH FOUR COMING ON SUNDAY, TWO EACH AGAINST ECU AND IN THE SEMIS. "BRIAN HAD A WAY OF GETTING UNDER AN OPPONENTS' SKIN, WHETHER BEING A SMART-ASS OR JUST SMILING AFTER WE SCORED A TRY. I CAN SEE HOW HE PICKED UP THE NICKNAME."
DORWIN, PLAYING FIVE STRAIGHT GAMES AT SCRUMHALF AFTER MISSING SATURDAY MORNING'S OPENING GAME, A 5-0 LOSS, SAID FLYHALF ANDY CLEARY (SIX TRIES ON THE WEEKEND) AND CENTER TOM WILSON STOOD OUT
NIEKERK BURST ONTO THE POSSUM SCENE IN THE MIDDLE 1980s FRESH FROM THE MONTANA STATE OREDIGGERS OR SANTA CRUZ BANANA SLUGS - OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT - WITH A DEGREE IN ONE HAND AND THE OTHER HIDING SOME NOXIOUS OAK RIDGE NUCLEAR WASTE - PROBABLY WITH ACES UP BOTH SLEEVES.
THE WILD WEST CAME TO TOWN IN THE FORM OF THE 6-4, 250-POUND RED-HEADED BLOCK OF A HELLUVA A NICE GUY - UNLESS OF COURSE YOU WERE ON THE OPPOSING TEAM. THEN YOU WERE IN FOR A LONG DAY.
"BRIAN JUMPED RIGHT INTO BEING OUR TOP EIGHTMAN, DRAGGING THREE OR FOUR TACKLERS CONSTANTLY BEFORE SETTING THE BALL," SAID PAT DORWIN. "HE WAS A SCRUMHALVES DREAM - PLENTY OF NO. 8 PICKUPS ALL OVER THE PITCH."
NASHVILLE FORWARD LYLE JONES SAID A COUPLE OF TEAMMATES, BEASTIE, A FRONT-ROWER, AND BART, A SCRUMHALF, HAD A SIMPLE NICKNAME FOR NIEKERK: "CUNT."
YUP, THAT ABOUT SUMS IT IT UP IF YOU WERE ONE OF THE MANY UNLUCKY OPPONENTS IN 15s - NIEKERK WOULD ROUTINELY CRASH THROUGH THREE OR FOUR TACKLE ATTEMPTS TO SET THE BALL AND GET THE DEFENSE ON THEIR BACK FEET.
"HE WAS ALSO A STRONG 7s PLAYER AS WELL," SAID DORWIN. "ANY SCRUM WAS GOING WHERE BRIAN WANTED IT TO, WHETHER HE PUSHED OR PULLED."
NIEKERK STARTED THE KNOXVILLE AREA RUGBY SELECTS - KARS - A TEAM THAT ROUTINELY COMPETED IN THE MIDWEST RFU CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE 1990s, AND WON THE CAPE FEAR CLUB DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1995 AND FINISHED AS RUNNER-UPS IN 1996.
"THE SUNDAY IN 1995 WAS SOME OF THE BEST RUGBY KNOXVILLE HAS PLAYED AT ANYTIME," DORWIN SAID. "WE HAMMERED TOP-SEEDED EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY IN THE OPENING MATCH - THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HIT THEM.
"THEN WE TOOK APART OUR BIG NEMESIS, LOUISVILLE IN THE SEMI-FINALS," SAID DORWIN, WHO SCORED FIVE WEEKEND TRIES - WITH FOUR COMING ON SUNDAY, TWO EACH AGAINST ECU AND IN THE SEMIS. "BRIAN HAD A WAY OF GETTING UNDER AN OPPONENTS' SKIN, WHETHER BEING A SMART-ASS OR JUST SMILING AFTER WE SCORED A TRY. I CAN SEE HOW HE PICKED UP THE NICKNAME."
DORWIN, PLAYING FIVE STRAIGHT GAMES AT SCRUMHALF AFTER MISSING SATURDAY MORNING'S OPENING GAME, A 5-0 LOSS, SAID FLYHALF ANDY CLEARY (SIX TRIES ON THE WEEKEND) AND CENTER TOM WILSON STOOD OUT
"TOM DROP-KICKED 16 OF OUR 18 CONVERSION ATTEMPTS, INCLUDING BOTH TRIES WE SCORED IN THE FINAL, A 14-10 IN OVER THE PHILADELPHIA MAVERICKS," DORWIN SAID. "WE ALMOST PUT THEM AWAY EARLY IN THE SECOND-HALF. I HAD THE BALL DOWN THE LEFT TOUCHLINE BUT THE DEFENSE WAS GOING TO CATCH ME, SO I CENTERED THE BALL LEFT-FOOTED AND TOM JUST MISSED GRABBING IT ABOUT 10 YARDS FROM THE TRYLINE. I PULLED MY HAMMY AND GREGG GIDDISH CAME IN AND HELPED PRESERVE THE WIN WITH SOME STRONG DEFENSE IN THE DYING MOMENTS."
DORWIN SAID THE WIN OVER LOUISVILLE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST SATISFYING OF THEIR CAREERS FOR MANY ON THAT TEAM, WITH NIEKERK AND THE LATE STEVE ROADS PROPPING, STEVE CUNNINGHAM AT HOOKER AND WING FRANK BENNETT.
"IT DAMN WELL BETTER BE," HE SAID. "WE HAD SOME STRONG WINS IN 7s AND OF COURSE THE 1998 MIDWEST DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP STANDS OUT AS WELL IN 15s," WITH DORWIN, CUNNINGHAM, BENNETT, ROADS, AND NIEKERK ALL ON THE PITCH THAT DAY.
"ANOTHER BIG WIN WAS AGAINST A STRONG MEMPHIS OLD #7 TEAM ON A SUNDAY AT THE NASH BASH THE DAY AFTER A LOSS TO A TEAM OF WISCONSIN FLANKERS AND THEIR HYPNOTIC PORN BUS," SAID DORWIN. "THE WILL OF TYLER HUSKEY LEADING FROM THE FRONT HELPED WHAT WAS A RAG-TAG TEAM STOP MEMPHIS, I THINK THE FINAL SCORE WAS 20-13 OR NEAR THERE."
DORWIN SAID THE POSSUMS HAD SOME OTHER SATISFYING WINS AT THE NASH BASH.
"WE ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED A MUCH YOUNGER, ATHLETIC, UP-AND-COMING GRAND RAPIDS TEAM 62-3 BEHIND FOUR TRIES BY TOM WILSON," SAID DORWIN. "WE ALSO BEAT A STRONG CANADIAN COLLEGE, WINDSOR UNIVERSITY 20-15, ALTHOUGH IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN NEARLY THAT CLOSE IF WE HAD MADE A FEW LAST PASSES."
DORWIN SAID THE WIN OVER LOUISVILLE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST SATISFYING OF THEIR CAREERS FOR MANY ON THAT TEAM, WITH NIEKERK AND THE LATE STEVE ROADS PROPPING, STEVE CUNNINGHAM AT HOOKER AND WING FRANK BENNETT.
"IT DAMN WELL BETTER BE," HE SAID. "WE HAD SOME STRONG WINS IN 7s AND OF COURSE THE 1998 MIDWEST DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP STANDS OUT AS WELL IN 15s," WITH DORWIN, CUNNINGHAM, BENNETT, ROADS, AND NIEKERK ALL ON THE PITCH THAT DAY.
"ANOTHER BIG WIN WAS AGAINST A STRONG MEMPHIS OLD #7 TEAM ON A SUNDAY AT THE NASH BASH THE DAY AFTER A LOSS TO A TEAM OF WISCONSIN FLANKERS AND THEIR HYPNOTIC PORN BUS," SAID DORWIN. "THE WILL OF TYLER HUSKEY LEADING FROM THE FRONT HELPED WHAT WAS A RAG-TAG TEAM STOP MEMPHIS, I THINK THE FINAL SCORE WAS 20-13 OR NEAR THERE."
DORWIN SAID THE POSSUMS HAD SOME OTHER SATISFYING WINS AT THE NASH BASH.
"WE ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED A MUCH YOUNGER, ATHLETIC, UP-AND-COMING GRAND RAPIDS TEAM 62-3 BEHIND FOUR TRIES BY TOM WILSON," SAID DORWIN. "WE ALSO BEAT A STRONG CANADIAN COLLEGE, WINDSOR UNIVERSITY 20-15, ALTHOUGH IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN NEARLY THAT CLOSE IF WE HAD MADE A FEW LAST PASSES."
ONLY POSSUM VOTED TO TWO POSITIONS ON ALL-TIME A SIDE. DORWIN AND ED EVERETT ONLY TWO CHOSEN FOR SPOTS ON A AND B SIDES.
FULL NAME: BRIAN X. NIEKERK
RUGBY NICKNAME: BIG RED, JOLLY GREEN GIANT, CUNT
POSSUM CAREER: 1988-2000
POSSUM NUMBER: 69
HEIGHT: 6-5
WEIGHT: 250
POSITIONS PLAYED: #8, LOCK, CENTER
OFFICES HELD: PRESIDENT, CAPTAIN, CO-CAPTAIN
TEAM/PERSONAL HONORS:
MEMORABLE GAMES/SEASONS: 1995-96 (7s), 1998 (15s)
PERSONAL QOUTATIONS: "I RE-RAISE YOUR RE-RAISE."
"YOU BOYS HERE TO PLAY SOFTBALL?"
OTHER CLUBS: MONTANA ELK
BIRTHDATE:
BIRTHPLACE:
RESIDES: KINGSTON
FAMILY: WIFE, MARIE
OCCUPATION: NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL (DON'T EVER LET HIM IN YOUR BACKYARD)
No comments:
Post a Comment