Berringer Remembered With Country Song

Country music group Sawyer Brown is honoring former Husker quarterback Brook Berringer with a song on their latest CD.

Berringer was killed nearly one year ago in a light plane crash. Berringer had been friends with the members of Sawyer Brown including lead singer Mark Miller.

The song, entitled "The Nebraska Song" is numbered as the 18th track on Sawyer Brown's CD "Six Days On The Road" released Tuesday. The track number is a tribute to Berringer's number 18 uniform number but is actually the thirteenth song on the disc. The acoustic song includes lyrics from Berringer's point of view as if he was speaking to Nebraska coach Tom Osborne.

"Mark Miller wrote the song and actually started it last year before the accident" said Sawyer Brown management spokesperson Diana Luster. " The band had been asked to play at the championship celebration on April 19th and it was going to be played there with Brook on stage with them. (After the accident) the song wasn't finished until past Christmas. Then one day Mark just woke up and the words just kind of flowed."

In the lyrics, the singer mentions Osborne by name and says how it's been his dream to play football "on this field". The song speaks of Berringer coming from Goodland and being Lincoln bound.

The liner notes include a short explaination of the song by Miller and a photo of Berringer.

Nebraska athletic officials say they don't know if Osborne has heard the song yet.

The record is already receiving heavy air play and strong response on radio stations in Nebraska "It's been exceptional...the the number of calls and requests has just been outstanding." says Patrick Combs, General Manager of country station KFGE in Lincoln. Combs says two things make the song a sure hit with listeners. "One is because Sawyer Brown is a popular band with our listeners but also the emotional attachment to Brook."

Brook's mother Jan Berringer has sent a letter to all 128 radio stations in the state of Nebraska asking the stations to simultaneously play the song at 8 am. on April 18th to honor the one year anniversary of Brook's death. Combs says that plans are already underway for his station to comply with the request.

Sawyer Brown is scheduled to perform the national anthem at the upcoming Red/White spring game on April 26th. The band is not planning to perform 'The Nebraska Song at the game, but there are plans to have the song presented as part of a prepared tribute to Brook.