| Cliff Squires Lincoln NortheastAthlete, 1944 graduate. Cliff’s high school athletic career earned 13 varsity letters at Bethany and then Lincoln Northeast high schools. Doing the math, this meant he had to compete in two sports during the same season. He was elected as co-captain of Northeast's first state championship football team in 1943. It was that year he was selected Nebraska’s 'Prep Player of the Year" which was the forerunner of. the "Athlete of the Year" award. He also garnered all-state honors in both football and basketball in 1943 and 1944. He was one of the factors in Northeast’s state tournament play in 1942, 1943 and 1944, being named to the all-tournaments teams in 1943 and 1944. His college career took him a few blocks west where he competed for the Plainsmen of Nebraska Wesleyan University, earning 13 varsity letters earning 13 varsity letters and was named small college All-American in football in'46, '47, ‘48, and '49. In 1950 he was picked by the Detroit Lions in the 14th round. After finishing the exhibition season with the Lions, he was traded to a Canadian team, a move he declined, coming back to Lincoln to work as a sporting goods salesman and football official. He officiated for 30 years, 20 of those as a Big 8 official. Cliff worked eight major bowl games, including the 1979 Sugar Bowl between Penn State and Alabama for the national championship. He officiated in the first Nebraska Shrine Bowl game. He has been inducted into the Northeast Hall of Fame, Nebraska Wesleyan Hall of Fame and the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame. |
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