The crime happened at some point while Foltz and his family left their home around noon Saturday and returned around 3:00 am Sunday. Rather than send out freshman punter Caleb Lightbourn, head coach Mike Riley made a decision to take a penalty by sending only 10 players on the field for the punt and leaving Foltz’s spot empty.
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Foltz, who would have been a senior at Nebraska this fall, died in a vehicle crash in July.
The Cornhuskers honored Foltz during their first game of the season on Saturday vs. Fresno State.
Maybe you saw the tribute that Nebraska put together to honor Sam Foltz, its former all-conference punter who died in a vehicle accident in July.
What should have been a healing weekend for the Foltz family was flipped upside down by the despicable acts of those who would use the moment as an opportunity to rob the family. “I wanted to include that and then I wanted to react to what I saw”.
So Galitz definitely smiled when he saw Nebraska’s “missing man” punt formation.
The tribute brought players and coaches to tears on the sideline, while fans showed their support for the fallen player. It’s a pretty tough balancing act and I hope we did it right. “It was pure class”.
“I was with him an hour before he passed”, Galitz said.
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While already grieving the loss of Sam, things got even worse for the Foltz family while they were at the game where their loved one was being honored. It was really incredible to be a part of. The team stepped out onto the field and, with no one to kick the ball, let the clock wind down to a delay of game penalty. The following week, he’ll be in the booth when Duke plays at Northwestern in primetime.
