Husker Nation in Houston - Eustis native now running sports bar in Space City
No matter where you are in the country, you usually don’t have to look too far to find a member of Husker Nation.
HOUSTON — No matter where you are in the country, you usually don’t have to look too far to find a member of Husker Nation.
Houston, is no exception. Cory Johnson hails from the Frontier County town of Eustis and now finds himself in Houston, helping run Pitch 25, a bar right down the road from the Toyota Center.
“Go Big Red,” Johnson said. “I followed my sister to Houston in 1989… She decided to come to the University of Houston and I followed her. I’ve made a life here and have been loving it ever since.”
Johnson’s graduating class had just 12 students. It was quite the change when he moved to the fourth largest city in the US.
“It [Eustis] doesn’t compare to Houston at all,” Johnson said. “Growing up in a small town was a fantastic way to grow up. Everyone was like family there. You knew everybody so well, then you come to the fourth largest city in the country and you’re a stranger to everybody. It was kind of culture shock, but Houston is an amazing city and I’ve grown to love it.”
Johnson has followed the Huskers ever since leaving Nebraska and feels the same about this years basketball squad as a lot of Husker Nation.
“It’s been a lot more fun than following the football team the last 15-20 years,” Johnson said.
As Nebraska embarks on their Sweet 16 endeavors, Johnson welcomes Husker fans to stop in and say hello.
“Everybody from Nebraska coming down, we’d love to see you, I would love to meet you personally,” Johnson said. “There’s a chance we have friends in common, I still have a lot of family in Lincoln and that area. We have 50 beers on tap… Busch Light has been a bit of a commodity this week, but we will be able to provide Husker fans with their favorite beverage.”