It was the fans’ turn to take the field on Saturday, Aug. 8.

Fan Day 2009 gave way to thousands of Big Red fans with posters, programs, jerseys, helmets and T-shirts, trying to get autographs from Husker players and coaches. The fans were from all over Nebraska and beyond. The lines were already meandering well into the university’s campus an hour before the event started. Once the gates opened and the fans got inside the stadium, they plotted out which lines to wait in and which to pass. It was crowded, and they had to hurry to get the most out the afternoon.

One common reaction, from both the young kids playing catch with the footballs they just got signed and the adults who have been coming to fan day year after year, was to take a knee and rub their hand back on forth on field turf, leaving a brief impression of their hand on the turf that owns the state’s attention during football season.

Here's the second of Fan Day Dispatches...we'll run them throughout the next week!

Eight-year-old Destiny Peterson was wearing red and carrying a pink Husker shirt she hopes will be her game day shirt this year.

She, along with her father, Jason, and four-year-old brother, Justice, are from Grand Island and were at fan day looking for autographs.

“I’m going to get some signings on my shirt so I can wear it during the game,” she said.

Justice was doing the same thing with a red Nebraska cap, during last year’s fan day Justice got his picture taken with Joe Ganz.

“We’re going to come back every year,” Jason said.

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