The scandal, too, had been a taboo subject. But once again, Walker took advantage of a looser atmosphere that always comes with a winning season and cracked the joke of the season. You never count your money when you're sitting at the table, there'll be enough time for counting when the dealing is done. He then paused, surveyed the crowd of reporters and smiled. It was as telling as it was innocent, a simple wisecrack aimed at a suddenly separate era in NU athletics, that happened under some other coach who was no longer important.
NU football is once again respectable, and something fans can feel good about.
A lot of people didn't think much of NU football, on and off the field, the past couple of years. We wanted to change that, and we have changed that. That's incredibly gratifying to know that your legacy will be positive. For a couple years, there, we weren't so sure. Farmers across the country still consider the season a failure.