OMAHA -- It has been 16 years, but the Penn State tight end who made a controversial catch setting up the winning touchdown in a 1982 game against Nebraska says he was out of bounds.

Penn State went on to win the national title. Nebraska finished the season 12-1.

"That's the first time I've ever said I was out," Mike McCloskey said Monday night, May 4, after televised replays at the time and game highlights shown at the Boys Town athletic banquet indicated he was out of bounds.

"Maybe it was a good thing I was out of bounds, because it kind of made me famous," said McCloskey, who now works as a marketing manager for a financial company based near Philadelphia.

McCloskey attended the banquet so he could introduce Nebraska quarterbacks coach Turner Gill, the keynote speaker. Gill threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the Cornhuskers' losing effort that day.

"There are no hard feelings," Gill said, "since we got our championship in 1994 and they didn't."

Gill was referring to the national title undefeated Nebraka won that year. Penn State also finished the season unbeaten but had to settle for a No. 2 ranking.

"I know what happened in 1982," McCloskey said, "but that still wasn't as bad as what the rotten pollsters did to us in 1994. We deserved a share of the title, like Nebraska and Michigan splitting it this year."