POCATELLO, Idaho- This past weekend the 30-year reunion for the 1981 National Championship team was held as part of the Homecoming activities. We caught up with Maurice Sims (outside linebacker), Matt Courtney (cornerback), Tim Messuri (right guard), Jim Nielson (defensive line), Jim Lane (center), Willie Allen (defensive back) and Case Debruijn (kicker/punter) to find out how it felt to be back in Pocatello for the reunion.
Here are a few of their thoughts.
How does it feel to be back at Idaho State for the reunion?
Sims: Words cannot describe how I feel about being here. It's great to be here and see how everyone has turned out. For the community, I bet this is pretty special.
Courtney: It's fun. I haven't seen these guys in a lot of years, and it's fun to back and see a lot of people.
Messuri: It's great. It's great to be here, and its' great to see all the guys.
Nielson: It's wonderful to see so many of us here for the reunion. It's a big family, and we did a special thing for this university. But, I think if we all looked at it individually, we were the ones that benefitted the most from it.
Lane: It feels great; ISU has a special place in my heart. I live in South Carolina now and not a day goes by that I don't think about my time here. It's great to come back to a place where people loved you.
Allen: It feels great to see some of the guys. We did a lot together and spent a lot of time together. I've been laughing the whole time.
Debruijn: It's fantastic, it's just like 30 years ago.
What have you accomplished since you left ISU, and where are you now?
Sims: I have a family, four grandkids and a lovely wife. We live down in San Diego, Calif.
Courtney: I live in Denver, Colo. which is where I came from, and I sell medical equipment throughout the state of Colorado. I have two daughters; one is starting high school and one is starting junior high.
Messuri: I'm living in Boise. I work college football as a referee for the PAC-12.
Nielson: I live in my hometown, where I grew up, Moses Lake, Wash. I have four great kids and a wonderful wife. I own a medical supply company. I met my wife here, at Idaho State, and, because of her, I have a beautiful family. I hold a special place in my heart of Pocatello.
Allen: I am photo journalist at the St. Petersburg Times in Tampa, Florida
Debruijn: Got in to the real estate business in Oklahoma and then moved onto the gold mining industry in Nevada. Now I'm working international for that same gold company.
How has ISU changed since 1981?
Sims: It has changed a great deal. When I was playing, I never knew what it looked like on the outside. Before a football game, I was always on the inside. This experience is an entirely new thing.
Courtney: Its bigger, a lot more buildings and a lot of facilities have been upgraded. I see the turf is new. There are a lot of new buildings. It's great. The campus looks really good.
Nielson: There are a lot of new buildings. The university has grown; I think every place in the world has done that. As far as changing, I think a lot is still the same. It is still a great place; we all hold one thing special together.
Allen: (Laughing) I don't know if it has. The stadium looks the same, the dome looks the same, the new turf is the only thing that is different.
Debruijn: ISU has a lot better facilities now. Other than that not much has changed that I've seen.
What advice would you give to the current ISU football team?
Sims: That's a tough one. Look at the individual next to you, trust him and you will succeed.
Courtney: Just remember that the game is more about the university than it is about yourself. Keep the game in perspective and give it all you've got because ISU gives a lot back.
Messuri: Four years is short; it may seem like a long time, but it's not. You will miss it when you leave, so make the most of it.
Nielson: Play hard. Give it everything you've got. Win, lose or draw, you can walk away and feel good about your effort. That's what we did, and, now, we are all wearing these rings.
Lane: Put in the extra work. We were always staying after practice putting in the overtime.
Allen: You got to believe in each other. The key is hard work and when you do that together you get to know your teammate. You build a bond and you can trust them to do their job.
Debruijn: Get some momentum and keep the momentum. Just keep going and you will get more support and continue to play better.
What was the best part of playing football for Idaho State?
Sims: It was the friendship with all the guys and the coaches. We went through a lot together and we accomplished a lot together. I feel very blessed that I got to be a part of that.
Courtney: Just that, playing football. I mean, even practice, we were getting to play football every single day while getting an education at the same time.
Messuri: The guys I played with, for one. Also the atmosphere was great; we used to completely fill the Holt Arena, the Mini-Dome for people my age. We even had some seats in the end-zone. It was loud. Other teams didn't like to come play here, and we liked that.
Nielson: It was the guys I was standing next to, playing with. We all had the same devotion and passion about football. We cared about each other, we practiced hard together, partied together and we were banded together as a family. It has been a great experience to come back and see everyone.
Lane: Being in this town with good people who wanted to see you succeed and really got behind you.
Allen: The people that I met and the friend's that I made. I'm definitely happy that we accomplished something, but the people that I met were truly special.
Debruijn: The teamwork we all had, we all took care of each other and were great friends.
