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Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, like many Americans, Nebraskans were rooting for the Bengals on Sunday. Everyone loves a good underdog story. The Bengals hadn't won a playoff game in more than 30 years until this season, and they were effectively the visiting team in a Super Bowl that was played in Los Angeles against the L.A. Rams.

Outside of Ohio, Nebraska may have more connection to the Bengals than any other State. To start, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has deep roots in Nebraska. Both of his brothers, Jamie and Dan, played for the Huskers in the early 2000s. His mom Robin grew up in Tecumseh, NE, and Burrow has uncles and other relatives scattered around southeast Nebraska.

His grandfather Wayne is a farmer in Johnson County. Wayne has watched every Super Bowl for 56 years, going back to Super Bowl I in 1967. This year was the first time he has attended the big game in person to cheer on his grandson and the Bengals.

Maybe best of all, Joe Burrow's dad played for the Nebraska Huskers in the seventies before going on to a career in the NFL and the Canadian Football League. Later, as an assistant coach, he was part of the Husker team that took on No. 1 Miami in the 2002 Rose Bowl. Husker football fans remember that game as the last time Nebraska has played for a national championship--not good. Five-year-old Joe Burrow was there in Pasadena to support his dad, making Sunday's Super Bowl the second time he has traveled to L.A. for a national title game.

Even by themselves, Joe Burrow's Nebraska connections would have been enough to make Husker Nation pull for the Bengals, but Bengals Coach Zac Taylor is another reason that Nebraskans were with Cincinnati on Sunday. He was the Huskers' starting quarterback for the 2005 and 2006 seasons, throwing for nearly 6,000 yards and 45 touchdowns. He was also the last Cornhusker to win the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Award.

He credits his success as a player to Nebraska's coach at the time, Bill Callahan. Now, he has Brian Callahan, Bill's son, on his staff as his offensive coordinator. Troy Walters, the Bengals' wide receivers coach, was Nebraska's offensive coordinator from 2017 to 2019.

Another Bengals player with Nebraska ties is Stanley Morgan. He signed with the Bengals in 2019 after a stellar college career with the Huskers, and he is easily one of the best receivers in Husker football history. Morgan rewrote Nebraska's wide receiver record books from 2015 to 2018. He holds the record for career receptions and receiving yards and also for single-season receiving yards. With that last record, he eclipsed the previous total Nebraska football legend Johnny Rodgers set on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy in 1972. Now Morgan has a bright future ahead of him in the NFL.

Nebraska's connections to this Bengals team is strong. The team came up just short on Sunday, but Nebraskans are proud of what they accomplished this season. Joe Burrow and Zac Taylor led this team of underdogs to a game no one expected to see them in, and they ended the longest active playoffs drought in the NFL while they were at it.

Things are looking up for this Nebraska-led team. I look forward to seeing them in the playoffs again next year.

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