Embrace the *Cowboy* spirit

Send us Fan Mail Killer Kane — Chapter 12: Respect and Curiosity Forty years later, Sam Fischer is left with two feelings about Coach Jim “Killer” Kane: respect and curiosity. In the final chapter of Killer Kane, Sam looks back at the coach who demanded discipline, toughness and loyalty—and at the questions Kane never answered. Why did he rely so heavily on his starting eleven? Where did Sam actually rank? And did Kane ever believe the kid sitting on his bench could have helped his team? Sam ...

Send us Fan Mail Chapter 11: The Trident What does it mean to finish something difficult when nobody hands you a trophy for it? In Chapter 11 of Killer Kane, Sam Fischer connects his eleven years of CrossFit training with the lessons that survived three football seasons under Coach Jim “Killer” Kane at Mount Michael. The connection isn’t about hearing Kane’s voice in the gym or pretending high school football was something greater than it was. It’s about a standard: choose difficult things, e...

Send us Fan Mail Killer Kane Audio Memoir — Chapter 10: Don’t Be a Victim For years, I carried the easiest version of the story: Jim “Killer” Kane told me he would find me a place to play, he didn’t, and I was the one who suffered the consequences. Then, nearly forty years later, I stood at his grave intending to curse him out. Instead, I apologized. In Chapter 10 of the Killer Kane Audio Memoir, I return to the May 2022 visit to Kane’s grave that forced me to confront an uncomfortable truth....

Send us Fan Mail Chapter 9: Seeking Affirmation From That Guy Decades after their final football season, Sam Fischer and Tom Lewis sit down to talk about Jim “Killer” Kane—and discover they may still be trying to prove something to him. Neither was a star. Neither played much. Yet Tom’s ultramarathons, Sam’s CrossFit, and their willingness to keep choosing difficult things raise an uncomfortable question: Are they still seeking affirmation from that guy? After the conversation is released, fo...

Send us Fan Mail Chapter 8: The Man Who Never Faded The final game ends, but Jim “Killer” Kane never really goes away. Years pass. Kane’s coaching career comes to an end, his health declines, and his place in Nebraska sports history becomes secure. But for the players who lived under his demanding standards, the real legacy is far more personal. His voice, his expectations—and even his disapproval—remain with them decades later. In Chapter 8, the story moves beyond what Kane did on the field ...

Send us Fan Mail Chapter 7: The Final Three Plays With the 1985 season nearly over, Sam Fischer finally gets one last chance against Elkhorn. Three plays. A tackle for loss. His name over the stadium speakers. And a few words from a teammate that mean more than anyone could have known. After a season spent waiting, quitting inside, and going through the motions, Sam’s high school football career comes down to a handful of snaps—and a moment he would still be thinking about nearly forty years ...