Nebraska
Projecting Nebraska's 120-player roster: WRs improve, O-line lacks depth
LINCOLN, Neb. — The preseason roster at Nebraska remains fluid.
One week into training camp, the Huskers have lost two players to season-ending knee injuries. Freshman linebacker Roger Gradney was injured on Saturday, and junior offensive tackle Teddy Prochazka went down on Monday.
“Our heart breaks for both of them,” coach Matt Rhule said.
For Prochazka, who was in the mix to start at left tackle, it’s a third season-ending injury in four seasons. He attended a team meeting hours after receiving the difficult diagnosis.
GO DEEPER
Nebraska’s Prochazka suffers season-ending injury
Programs are allowed to keep 120 players on the roster during these four weeks before the fall semester begins on Aug. 26. The Huskers started camp with several contributors missing from the list because of injury, including wide receiver Demitrius Bell (out for the season), cornerback Blye Hill, kicker Tristan Alvano, fullback Barret Liebentritt, defensive lineman Brodie Tagaloa and linebacker Michael Booker III.
Injured players are replaceable on the 120. A year from now, all of this might look much different. Plans to implement a roster maximum of 105 players are underway as part of the settlement terms in the NCAA antitrust case.
But for now, it’s business as usual.
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) August 6, 2024
Nebraska does not disclose its preseason roster. But through observations at an open practice last week and interviews in camp, here’s an unofficial rundown:
Quarterback (5)
Jalyn Gramstad, senior, 6-foot-0, 200 pounds: National player of the year in NAIA last year and 2022 national champion adds depth and essential experience.
Heinrich Haarberg, junior, 6-5, 225: Eight-game starter in 2023 worked over the offseason on throwing mechanics to complement his physicality.
Daniel Kaelin, freshman, 6-3, 220: High-ceiling early enrollee has added 10 pounds and would benefit from time to develop.
Bode Soukup, freshman, 6-2, 195: Walk-on threw for more than 3,000 yards and 30 TDs in final two years at Blair (Neb.) High.
Dylan Raiola, freshman, 6-3, 230: Five-star signee is the presumptive starter after months of sharpening leadership and refining arm talent.
GO DEEPER
A look into Dylan Raiola’s offseason prep from the coaches and teammates who joined him
Synopsis: The Huskers added Gramstad, who wants to coach, as a piece this summer to complete the group. Raiola has ascended quickly, an inevitability, considering his elite skills. What is Haarberg’s role? He’s improved as a passer but perhaps too athletic to serve only as a backup.
Running back (7)
Rahmir Johnson, senior, 5-10, 200: Poised for a strong final season after recovering from a shoulder injury.
Maurice Mazzccua, senior, 5-8, 200: Improved under the radar last year in practice and surfaced in the spring as a solid third-down option.
Gabe Ervin, junior, 6-1, 220: Back from hip injury last year and prepared to again compete for the top job.
Dante Dowdell, sophomore, 6-2, 225: Former four-star Oregon signee led all rushers in spring game.
Emmett Johnson, sophomore, 5-11, 200: Well-rounded back is a solid candidate to pick up where he left off after starting six of the final seven games in 2023.
Kwinten Ives, redshirt freshman, 6-2, 210: Strong runner has added 25 pounds since last season in a bid to provide change of pace.
Mekhi Nelson, freshman, 5-10, 185: Reclassified as summer enrollee after one season in prep school following a successful Pennsylvania high school career.
Synopsis: Running backs coach EJ Barthel is tasked to piece together a puzzle. Ervin, Emmett Johnson and Rahmir Johnson remain first in line to handle the largest load. But the race is congested enough that any of these seven could emerge as a key piece.
Tight end (7)
Nate Boerkircher, junior, 6-5, 250: Started 11 games over the past two seasons and brings valuable experience.
Thomas Fidone II, junior, 6-6, 255: His sheer talent, added bulk and good health place the former top recruit in line for a big season.
Luke Lindenmeyer, sophomore, 6-3, 250: Started five games last year and showed high-level blocking ability.
Cayden Echternach, redshirt freshman, 6-4, 250: Depth piece out of Bellevue West shows promise as a receiver and blocker.
Ian Flynt, freshman, 6-4, 255: Early enrollee with a track pedigree caught a 29-yard pass from Raiola in the spring game.
Eric Ingwerson, freshman, 6-6, 250: Equally as talented at Papillion-LaVista on D-line as at tight end.
Connor Schutt, freshman 6-6, 215: High school QB at Wahoo Neumann made the roster cut as first-year walk-on.
Synopsis: Fidone appears ready to emerge as an elite Big Ten player and forms a strong top pairing with Boerkircher. The younger core lacks game-breaking ability after Carter Nelson’s shfit to receiver.
Wide receiver (16)
Jahmal Banks, senior, 6-4, 220: Wake Forest transfer emerged as a team leader and likely WR1 in his first season at Nebraska.
Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda, senior, 6-1, 200: Back from knee surgery to add experience and return threat.
Isaiah Neyor, senior, 6-4, 220: Texas transfer shows elite athleticism and ability to run after catch.
Elliott Brown, junior, 5-11, 185: Returning from knee injury suffered late last season to add invaluable leadership.
Alex Bullock, junior, 6-2, 205: Started eight games last year and caught 15 passes in first major playing time.
Janiran Bonner, sophomore, 6-2, 220: Excellent size and versatility allowed him to play fullback before switching back to receiver and a slot role.
Malachi Coleman, sophomore, 6-5, 210: Missed spring for shoulder rehab and comes back with added weight after starting six games last season.
Jaylen Lloyd, sophomore, 5-10, 180: Key weapon with elite speed displayed major offseason improvement after breakout first year.
Roman Mangini, sophomore, 5-10, 170: Adds depth and figures to factor on special teams.
Hayes Miller, sophomore, 6-0, 180: Speedy juco product caught Huskers’ attention at June camp.
Jacory Barney, freshman, 6-0, 170: Former prep QB out of Miami shined bright in spring and factors immediately in rotation.
Quinn Clark, freshman, 6-5, 205: Son of ex-Nebraska running back Ken Clark brings outstanding size.
Dae’vonn Hall, freshman, 6-2, 190: Part of Bellevue West trio that was the first from the same high school to sign with Huskers since 1987.
Isaiah McMorris, freshman, 5-10, 170: Hall’s prep teammate caught a state-record 90 passes as a junior.
Carter Nelson, freshman 6-5, 230: Huge talent out of the 8-man high school game slides from tight end to maximize his early impact.
Keelan Smith, freshman, 6-3, 210: Large-class offensive player of the year in Missouri and son of Nebraska legend Neil Smith looks the part.
Synopsis: From top to bottom, this is the most improved position group on the roster. It will surprise anyone who’s not paying attention. Banks, Neyor, Bonner, Coleman, Lloyd and Nelson form a possible two-deep that doesn’t include several proven pass catchers.
GO DEEPER
Takeaways from Nebraska’s live practice at Memorial Stadium: QB battle winding down
Offensive linemen (20)
Bryce Benhart, senior, 6-9, 315: Back for a sixth season after school-record-tying 41 starts at right tackle.
Turner Corcoran, senior, 6-6, 310: The leader to start at left tackle as Raiola’s protector after a knee injury snapped his streak of 30 consecutive starts.
Micah Mazzccua, senior, 6-5, 325: Transfer via Florida and Baylor with starting experience shows strength and power in push to start at guard.
Ben Scott, senior, 6-5, 310: Honorable-mention All-Big Ten pick at center last year has 39 Power 5 starts at Nebraska and Arizona State.
Henry Lutovsky, junior, 6-6, 320: Four-game starter could run with the top group at guard and add tackle depth.
Joey Mancino, junior, 6-1, 305: Walk-on earned one start at left guard last year.
Justin Evans, sophomore, 6-1, 315: Five-game starter last year with versatility to play guard and center.
Jacob Hood, sophomore, 6-8, 350: Transfer tackle from Georgia has progressed in bid to get healthy after sitting in his first year at Nebraska.
Tyler Knaak, sophomore, 6-6, 325: Utah transfer developed into top reserve after redshirt, with skills to play guard and tackle.
Gunnar Gottula, redshirt freshman, 6-5, 305: Backup tackle preserved redshirt while appearing in four games last year.
Brock Knutson, redshirt freshman, 6-7, 305: Developmental tackle did not play in his first season.
Jason Maciejczak, redshirt freshman, 6-2, 305: Moved from D-line and excited coaches with athleticism as a guard prospect.
Grant Seagren, redshirt freshman, 6-6, 305: Walk-on has added 45 pounds from listed weight in his first months on campus.
Sam Sledge, redshirt freshman, 6-4, 295: Worked into spot on two-deep at left guard while redshirting.
Grant Brix, freshman, 6-6, 310: Early enrolling top-100 prospect picked Huskers over Oklahoma and added 25 pounds in the offseason.
Landen Davidson, freshman, 6-4, 310: June commit last year out of Colorado’s backyard.
Jake Peters, freshman, 6-3, 285: Three-sport standout from Iowa committed a year ago during June camp flurry.
Gibson Pyle, freshman, 6-5, 295: Early enrollee enjoyed a strong offseason after playing in the All-American Bowl.
Xander Ruggeroli, freshman, 6-6, 285: Late bloomer out of Las Vegas was last to join O-line class.
Preston Taumua, freshman, 6-4, 325: Top-rated prospect out of Hawaii who played in the Polynesian Bowl.
Synopsis: Prochazka’s camp injury casts a shadow over the O-line group. Nebraska lacks tackle depth and will need a young player or two to grow up fast. Still, experience abounds. Scott, Benhart and Mazzccua are NFL prospects.
Defensive linemen (17)
Nash Hutmacher, senior, 6-4, 310: A grown man as the anchor up front after changing his body in the wake of a 4.5-sack season a year ago.
Ty Robinson, senior, 6-6, 310: Leader returns for sixth year on the interior with 33 starts over four seasons.
Jimari Butler, junior, 6-5, 260: Added 15 pounds after starting six games last year and led Blackshirts with 8.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks.
Elijah Jeudy, junior, 6-3, 285: Texas A&M transfer appeared in 11 games in his first year with Huskers.
AJ Rollins, junior, 6-5, 255: Moved from tight end last spring and worked to get seasoning in four games.
Cameron Lenhardt, sophomore, 6-3, 260: Standout true freshman recorded five TFLs and three sacks and has added size.
Dylan Parrott, sophomore, 6-5, 315: Walk-on with a big frame moved from the offensive line.
Riley Van Poppel, sophomore, 6-5, 290: Promising tackle made a major impact as a true freshman, then gained 20 pounds.
Kai Wallin, sophomore, 6-5, 250: Junior college transfer played in four games and redshirted.
James Williams, sophomore, 6-6, 250: Fits in defensive plans after rising from scout team to pass-rushing specialist as a redshirt.
Vincent Jackson, redshirt freshman, 6-5, 290: Another lineman who got bigger after a redshirt season out of Pennsylvania.
Keona Davis, freshman, 6-5, 255: Washington signee flipped to Huskers last winter and showed up looking like a specimen.
Mason Goldman, redshirt freshman, 6-5, 260: Found a home on the D-line while battling back from injuries.
Sua Lefotu, redshirt freshman, 6-3, 295: Californian impressed teammates in spring as older tackles received limited reps.
David Hoffken, freshman, 6-7, 255: Huskers discovered the 22-year-old German with great mobility at Texas camp in June.
Ashton Murphy, freshman, 6-5, 265: Standout at Elkhorn South on both lines of scrimmage has added 40 pounds in the past year.
Jordan Ochoa, freshman, 6-4, 250: Late add to 2024 class can shift from D-line spot to jack linebacker.
Synopsis: The return of top contributors and growth of pass rushers Butler, Lenhardt and Williams has turned this group into a top-10 unit nationally. Hutmacher and Robinson are poised to dominate weaker foes.
Linebackers (16)
John Bullock, senior, 6-0, 230: Top returnee at position group notched 50 tackles in 10 starts.
MJ Sherman, senior, 6-3, 245: Former elite prospect transferred from Georgia and started five games in 2023 at the jack spot.
Javin Wright, senior, 6-5, 230: Big expectations after a breakout season in 2023 followed four years of battling injuries.
Grant Buda, junior, 6-0, 225: Fourth-year defender from Lincoln has not played a snap but earned a camp invite for hard offseason work.
Mikai Gbayor, junior, 6-2, 230: Started four games last year in his first career opportunity and factors heavily in rotation.
Stefon Thompson, junior, 6-1, 240: Former ACC starter improved readiness through the offseason months after transfer from Syracuse.
Jacob Bower, redshirt freshman, 6-1, 220: An accomplished rugby player and productive high school linebacker out of California has added 25 pounds.
Noah Bustard, redshirt freshman, 6-1, 225: Totaled 12 sacks as a senior at Elkhorn South in 2022, then impressed in the offseason after a redshirt year.
Vincent Genatone, sophomore, 6-0, 225: Spent two seasons at 2023 FCS runner-up Montana out of North Platte, Neb.
Gage Stenger, sophomore, 6-2, 220: High school QB looking for a chance to make an impact after two seasons without action on defense.
Princewill Umanmielen, sophomore, 6-5, 245: Second-team freshman All-American looks set for lots of time at jack linebacker.
Maverick Noonan, redshirt freshman, 6-4, 240: Rehab is done from an injury suffered in preseason last year that came after a promising first spring.
Dylan Rogers, redshirt freshman, 6-3, 240: Growth in the first year creates plentiful options for a versatile defender out of Texas.
Ismael Smith Flores, redshirt freshman, 6-4, 245: Converted tight end will try the side of the ball that propelled his dad, Leroy Smith, to an All-America career at Iowa.
Willis McGahee IV, freshman, 6-1, 235: Early enrolling Miami product brings talent and name recognition at jack position.
Vincent Shavers Jr., freshman, 6-1, 225: Top performing early enrollee added 20 pounds in first months at Nebraska and positioned himself to contribute right away.
Synopsis: The two-deep is strong again with the likes of Sherman and Umanmielen at jack with Bullock, Wright, Gbayor and Shavers inside. Linebackers coaches Rob Dvoracek and Jack Potenza are in line to get major production as the strong play up front opens holes.
Defensive backs (25)
Isaac Gifford, senior, 6-1, 205: Returns to finish what he started last year after leading Huskers in tackles with 86.
Tommi Hill, senior, 6-0, 205: Added size to solidify his spot as top corner after a coming-of-age season with four interceptions in Big Ten play.
DeShon Singleton, senior, 6-3, 210: Back to good health after breakout season ended with a knee injury suffered against Michigan.
Derek Branch, junior, 5-11, 195: Made his collegiate debut last season and recorded a tackle against Northern Illinois.
Koby Bretz, junior, 6-2, 205: Made a jump to appear in 10 games as third-year safety.
Marques Buford Jr., junior, 5-11, 190: Key contributor could play corner or safety after appearing in four games last year upon return from a 2022 knee injury.
Blake Closman, junior, 5-9, 195: Fourth-year defender appeared in two games last season.
Malcolm Hartzog, junior, 5-9, 180: Focusing on safety after making 10 starts last season, including seven at corner.
Ceyair Wright, junior, 6-0, 180: USC transfer and Hollywood kid left the Trojans midway through last season after starting 11 games in 2022.
D’Andre Barnes, redshirt freshman, 6-0, 195: Progressed at rover in practice time during his first year.
Dwight Bootle II, redshirt freshman, 5-9, 180: Promising first season cut short by injury in the third game.
Jeremiah Charles, redshirt freshman, 6-0, 170: Immense athleticism signals bright future for the former wideout who’s competing for a starting job at corner.
Jaidyn Doss, redshirt freshman, 6-0, 195: Converted wide receiver caught two passes in four games last year before switching sides.
Brice Turner, redshirt freshman, 6-1, 185: Rhule’s first commitment moved from receiver midseason in 2023.
Gage Wager, redshirt freshman, 5-10, 190: Son of former assistant coach Bob Wager did it all in high school, then worked at punter last year.
Cooper Wilson, redshirt freshman, 6-3, 195: Summer addition out of Washington state went from NAIA to FCS offers to Nebraska.
Caleb Benning, freshman, 5-11, 200: Standout at safety and receiver from Omaha Westside, Nebraska’s top prep program.
Mario Buford, freshman, 6-0, 170: Early enrolling corner from Texas powerhouse DeSoto joins brother Marques in Lincoln.
Rex Guthrie, freshman, 6-1, 200: Senior season in Colorado was cut short by injury for early enrollee.
Donovan Jones, freshman, 6-1, 195: Intercepted four passes and starred on both sides as Omaha North senior.
Preston Okafor, freshman, 6-2, 180: Dynamic defender and top sprinter from Omaha Westside made the roster as a walk-on in his first camp.
Braylen Prude, freshman, 6-4, 200: Burst onto the recruiting scene at a June 2023 Nebraska camp in Houston.
Amare Sanders, freshman, 6-1, 175: Signing day addition out of Miami is projectable at corner and a possible contributor.
Larry Tarver Jr., freshman, 5-10, 175: Another from Miami, the early enrollee flipped from FIU and Maryland and has turned heads in Lincoln.
Evan Taylor, freshman, 6-2, 185: Major knee injury wiped out senior season of high school in North Carolina before early enrollee rehabbed back in time for camp.
Synopsis: The secondary has experienced plenty of change, including the departure of Evan Cooper and July hire of John Butler. If Nebraska solidifies the second corner position opposite Tommi Hill, it leaves hardly an unanswered question on the defense for coordinator Tony White.
Specialists (5)
Brian Buschini, senior, 6-1, 225: Two-year starting punter downed 20 of 57 kicks last year inside the 20.
Cameron Witucki, junior, 6-2, 225: Heir apparent at long snapper has spent four seasons in Lincoln.
John Hohl, redshirt freshman, 6-0, 180: Kicker redshirted at Iowa Western CC last year and follows dad Erich and brother Jacob to Nebraska.
Kamdyn Koch, freshman, 6-2, 190: Top-five punting prospect nationally and son of Nebraska punting great Sam Koch.
Nico Ottomanelli, freshman, 6-2, 175: Kicker out of New Jersey made 14 of 17 field goals in high school.
Synopsis: The kicking game is a wild card. If Alvano returns from injury and teams with Buschini to form the duo that Nebraska expects, this phase can push the Huskers to victory. If the kickers underperform, problems loom.
(Top photo: Isaac Gifford: Dylan Widger / USA Today)
Nebraska
Gov. Pillen appoints new associate justice to the Nebraska Supreme Court
LINCOLN, Neb. (Press Release) – Governor Jim Pillen today announced the appointment of the Honorable Jason M. Bergevin of Columbus as an associate justice to the Nebraska Supreme Court, representing the Fifth Judicial District.
“Judge Bergevin is a dedicated jurist with extensive experience as an attorney and most recently as a district judge representing the Fifth Judicial District,” said Gov. Pillen. “I have great confidence in Judge Bergevin’s abilities, and I know he has deep respect and integrity when it comes to matters of the court. I am pleased to elevate him to this role on Nebraska’s Supreme Court.”
“I am honored to be chosen as the next judge of the Nebraska Supreme Court from the Fifth Judicial District,” said Justice Bergevin. “Three highly qualified applicants stepped forward for this position. I appreciate Governor Pillen’s confidence in me. I will work hard to continue serving the Nebraska Judicial Branch and the people of our state.”
In addition to his recent role as district judge (2022), Bergevin played a key role in launching one of Nebraska’s newest problem-solving courts in Platte County this summer. He previously served as an assistant attorney general for seven years, collaborating with county attorneys on complex cases, advising state agencies, and reviewing regulations. Bergevin also held several positions in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps until 2022 and gained experience in the Lancaster County Attorney’s office and the Weld County District Attorney’s office in Greeley, Colorado.
Bergevin earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) and a juris doctor from Western New England University School of Law in Massachusetts.
The Fifth Judicial District for the Nebraska Supreme Court includes the counties of Butler, Cass, Clay, Colfax, Fillmore, Gage, Hall, Hamilton, Jefferson, Johnson, Merrick, Nance, Nemaha, Nuckolls, Otoe, Pawnee, Platte, Polk, Richardson, Saline, Saunders, Seward, Thayer, Webster, and York.
The vacancy followed Judge Jeffrey Funke’s appointment as chief justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court.
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Nebraska
FBI now believes New Orleans attacker acted alone, posted videos • Nebraska Examiner
NEW ORLEANS — The man who sped down Bourbon Street early New Year’s Day in a pickup truck, killing at least 14 people and injuring 37 more, is believed to have acted alone in the terror attack, an FBI official said.
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old military veteran from Texas, was killed in a shootout with police after barrelling down nearly three blocks of the French Quarter’s main thoroughfare. Two New Orleans police officers were wounded in the exchange.
Christopher Raia, the FBI’s deputy director of counterterrorism, said Jabbar did not have any accomplices, stressing that it is still “early in the investigation.” He also said there is “no definite link” between the New Orleans attack and Wednesday’s explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck in Las Vegas.
An active member of the U.S. Army was killed inside the truck in that incident outside the Trump International Hotel.
Raia joined Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and other officials for a news conference Thursday morning at Benson Tower.
“This was an act of terrorism,” Raia said. “It was premeditated and an evil act.”
Tips pouring in
The FBI has received more than 400 tips from New Orleans and outside the state in regards to the Bourbon Street incident, and hundreds of hours of surveillance video has been recovered from the French Quarter and other locations, Raia said.
Video footage shows Jabbar placing a homemade bomb at the intersection of Bourbon and Orleans streets and another two blocks away. The improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were placed inside small coolers, and investigators want to speak to anyone who saw them in the French Quarter.
Raia said the video also shows other people noticing the coolers, but they are not suspected of being involved in the terror attack.
The FBI would like to speak to these people and any other witnesses, and investigators plan to explore Jabbar’s life history, Raia said.
“We are looking at everything in his life,” he said.
Two other suspicious items in the French Quarter were determined not to be explosive devices. Raia confirmed bomb-making materials were found at a short-term rental home roughly two miles from where the terror attack occurred. It is believed this was where Raia assembled the devices. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms continue to investigate the house.
ATF Special Agent in Charge Josh Jackson confirmed that a small fire at the rental home in the St. Roch neighborhood ignited after the terror attack and said investigators are still on the scene to gather more evidence.
The Bourbon Street crime scene has been cleared, according to Raia. The New Orleans Police Department will determine when closed portions of the French Quarter will be reopened to the public. The city is hosting thousands of college football fans in town for the Sugar Bowl, which was rescheduled from Wednesday night to 3 p.m. Thursday.
Cleaning crews have swept up the crime scene and trash from other areas of the French Quarter that have been closed off since Wednesday morning. Vehicle access will first be provided to delivery trucks.
Videos detail timeline, background
Jabbar rented the Ford F-150 pickup truck he used in the attack Monday in Houston and drove to New Orleans on New Year’s Eve. From just after 1 a.m. Jan. 1 until just minutes before he turned onto Bourbon Street, Jabbar posted five videos on his Facebook page in which he claimed his support for Islamic State, Raia said.
Police recovered an ISIS flag that was hung from a plastic flagpole on the trailer hitch of Jabbar’s truck. In one of the videos, Jabbar said he “joined” Islamic State before the summer, according to Raia.
“Jabbar explains he originally planned to harm his family and friends but was concerned the news headlines would not focus on the ‘war between the believers and the disbelievers,’” Raia said.
Investigators have also recovered three cellphones and two laptop computers linked to Jabbar.
Raia encouraged anyone with information about Jabbar or the terror attack to use the 1-800-CALL-FBI tip line or share information online at fbi.gov/BourbonStreetattack.
This article first appeared in the Louisiana Illuminator, a sister site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network.
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Nebraska
Insurance must now cover all parts of Nebraskans’ colorectal cancer screenings • Nebraska Examiner
LINCOLN — In the summer of 2002, Margaret Stamp returned home to Sarpy County from college four weeks after her 74-year-old grandmother, Phyllis Behm, had died from a short battle with colorectal cancer.
Stamp found her dad, Mark Behm, a former northeast Nebraska county attorney and private practice lawyer, wincing in pain on the living room floor. Stamp described him as in shape and thin. She said he looked healthy and didn’t drink or smoke.
But that weekend, Stamp’s father was doubled over, and he told his daughter, “Call your mom.”
“I’d never seen him like that,” Stamp recalled. “Never even remember him getting the flu or sick. Next thing we know, he’s in emergency surgery — it’s stage IV [colorectal] cancer, and there’s nothing they can do.”
Behm grew up in Olde Towne Bellevue and graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 1976. He served as the Cedar County attorney from 1977 through 1993 and had a private practice in Wausa for many years, later a private practice with other attorneys in Randolph. Behm was also a 1980 delegate to the Republican National Convention for Ronald Reagan and was president of Out Front Properties, a local property management company where his daughter is now vice president.
Stamp said her father’s doctors did what they could to prolong his life and make conditions less painful, and he continued practicing law until about a week before he died in April 2004, at the age of 52.
Twenty years later, Stamp and others have successfully pushed for new state laws that expand insurance coverage for colorectal cancer screenings and associated procedures. The latest law took effect this week.
Stamp recalled losing her father as different from cancer deaths she had seen in some movies, where someone closes their eyes and goes to sleep. She said it was awful and that her father said over and over he couldn’t breathe, had muscle spasms and felt his body shutting down.
“To me, anything you can do to stop that is worth every penny,” Stamp said. “It’s worth going in, getting your colonoscopy, even though I know it can be literally a pain in the butt for some people, but you don’t want that message, ‘It’s too late,’ because then there’s nothing to do but plan the funeral.”
‘We can save lives’
Legislative Bill 829 from State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue took effect Jan. 1. It requires insurance companies to cover each “integral part” of performing a colorectal cancer screening, including:
- Removing polyps (abnormal cell growths in the underlining of the colon or rectum) found as part of a colonoscopy.
- Any pathology examination of a polyp biopsy.
- Required specialist consultation prior to the screening.
- Bowel preparation medications prescribed for the screening.
- Anesthesia services performed in connection with the preventive colonoscopy.
Its adoption followed passage of LB 92 in 2023, which included a provision from State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln that required insurance plans to cover screening colonoscopies, as well as an annual stool-based preventative screening test designed for patients with minimal to average risk of colorectal cancer.
Nebraska is ranked in the lower half of states for colorectal cancer screening rates, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
Blood told the Nebraska Examiner she came up with the idea for her LB 829 when she was getting a colonoscopy and was handed a release before her procedure saying most insurance companies wouldn’t cover part of a colonoscopy should they find something, like a polyp, which can grow into cancer over time.
“Why would you want somebody to be put under anesthesia and look for something and just leave it there?” Blood said. “It made no sense whatsoever.”
Blood said her colonoscopy found something that her insurance didn’t cover, which left her on the hook for a procedure that cost $800 to $900.
Congress has closed this “loophole” for people on Medicare and Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act, Blood said, while others with private insurance were told they “could just go pound sand.”
“I thought, well, we can save lives with this one tweak,” Blood said of her Nebraska law, which passed 41-5 in the spring.
What is colorectal cancer?
Jungyoon Kim, Ph.D., who does colon cancer screening research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Public Health, said colorectal cancer develops in the large intestine areas like the colon or rectum that are part of the digestive system.
Most colorectal cancers start with a polyp, Kim said, most of which are benign. However, some polyps can change into cancer over time, mostly over many years, like 10-15 years.
Symptoms can include blood in the stool or toilet after a bowel movement, constipation over a long period, abdominal pain or cramping, changes in the shape or size of stool and sudden or unexplained weight loss. If observed, Kim said a doctor should be consulted immediately.
One of the most common misconceptions, though, is that people think they must wait to see symptoms before getting screened, Kim said, which gives polyps time to grow.
“Sometimes, if you see the symptoms and go to the doctor, it might be too late,” Kim said. “That’s why the United States Preventative Services Task Force recommends to get screening when people become 45, even if they do not have any symptoms.”
People with a family history or who have previously had cancer should be screened earlier, Kim said, such as in their 20s or 30s.
Kim said that when a doctor can find and remove polyps, it stops the growth in its tracks and is “like you’re preventing cancer before it even becomes cancer cells.”
If colorectal cancer is detected early, Kim said, the chance of the cancer being cured is about 92%.
Some cancers can be prevented by regular screening, which includes breast cancer through mammograms at the age of 40 or other screenings for cervical or lung cancer.
Disparities include rural Nebraska
According to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, early-age colorectal cancer diagnoses are on the rise. By 2030, the cancer is predicted to be the leading cause of death in people younger than 50, according to DHHS.
It is already the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women combined.
Kim said disparities exist among racial minorities, people living in rural areas, people who are low-income or people with limited access to insurance or certain doctors, who can’t access screenings.
Blood noted those disparities as a reason for the bill, as every medical procedure comes with a certain amount of risk, but that for some patients, they had to “play Russian roulette with what’s in their body” and decide whether they could pay or come back later, if needed.
“That just seems wrong, especially when you look at how much higher colon cancer rates are in our rural areas,” Blood said.
Kim and Stamp said the new law made sense. Stamp added it will help avoid costlier cancer treatments and help save lives.
Importance of prevention
Stamp said her father had found some blood in his stool about two years prior to discovering he had cancer. His doctor had said it was probably hemorrhoids but gave him an at-home testing kit just in case, as at the time he didn’t have a family history of the disease.
The day after Stamp’s father found out he had cancer, Stamp said her mother found the at-home test in her father’s drawer at home. Stamp noted that around 2000, colon cancer wasn’t talked about as much as it is today. She said some people are still embarrassed to talk about it.
Stamp, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln alum who is now 44 and lives in Omaha with her husband and two teenage daughters, got her first colonoscopy at the age of 24.
She has had three more colonoscopies since, with a fifth planned in 2026, and encouraged others to get the procedure, which she described as a “walk in the park.”
“You are taken such good care of, and it is nothing compared to getting cancer and having to have surgery or chemotherapy or one of those colostomy bags,” Stamp said.
Stamp said her father missed her getting married about six months after his death and her two daughters being born, all for not realizing he had cancer.
“It was two quick deaths in the family that got me starting to try to advocate for colon cancer and having colonoscopies,” Stamp said. “… Anything people can do for prevention, it is so worth it, because it’s one of those things you don’t see coming.”
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