'97 Huskers Say 'Refuse to Lose' Attitude is Now Missing

[timmytbro]

Just now, timmytbro said:

This attitude stop existing on a horrible day, in that horrible town Boulder, Colorado, in 2001.

worst part about all of this was that I was in sixth grade, my full woody for Nebraska had just come to fruition. I grew up in Colorado and my sixth grade teacher grabbed my husker beanie off my head and said "you are a doing pretty good, but this beanie is the only problem you are having ." I was watching Eric Crouch run his way to a Heisman. My mom went to Peru State so every thanksgiving we would go to Omaha to see family. My Mom gets me up on Friday and drags me down to Peru State to see her old campus, I am so pissed off because I can't watch Nebraska beat the hell out of sCUm, and on my way back to Omaha, I am listening to this dude Chris Brown running  wild... This thing has not been right since. 

 

The day we hired Bill Callahan my uncle a die hard Bronco fan said "this guy will ruin that program for ten plus years." no joke lol I think we all knew Callahan was not going to last from the get go.

 

Pelini comes in in 2008, I felt pretty good, at least as good as I have felt about Nebraska since 2001. The pelini thing took a turn in probably 2010, Texas A&M. However, it was the Wisconsin debacles every year that deflated the Pelini balloon. I was glad to see Nebraska cut ties with him.  It was like being in a toxic relationship with a  girl who you just cannot seem to cut loose. You stay together, but it just is not right.

 

Hiring of Riley, wow, what a day that was. Googling his name I swear the English version of Peter North  popped up on the search before coach Riley did. lol.

 

Anyways fifteen years later, I never would have imagined this. How I miss those fall Saturdays smelling the crisp autumn air, watching Nebraska pound the rock and the other team being able to nothing about it.  

 

I really hope that this thing turns around. I feel like all it will take is the right coach who understands Nebraska. I just have a feeling that Scott Frost is the guy. The same way I felt that Callahan wasn't right, and that Riley is not right. call it human intuition. 

[HuskerBee]

I have posted just one other time....but this guy gets it.  Don't fully agree that Riley will not get it done, however miss those days when nebraska was pound the rock....oh the good years

[Big Red Commie]

7 hours ago, krc1995 said:

I don't understand why some fans seemingly enjoy insulting our guys.  We have athletes.  That's not the problem.  

We don't have the LEVEL of athletes or coaching to say, "we refuse to lose".  You have to have the goods.

[JJ Husker]

1 hour ago, Big Red Commie said:

We don't have the LEVEL of athletes or coaching to say, "we refuse to lose".  You have to have the goods.

 

You're missing the point of having a refuse to lose attitude. Eleven 90 Lb. weaklings can have a refuse to lose attitude. And as for the attitude, it doesn't really matter if you do lose occasionally. You can have a team of super 5 stars but if they're okay with losing, then losing is what they'll accomplish. Attitude is independent of ability.

[84HuskerLaw]

I think "refuse to lose" is not just about confidence combined with ability.  Rather it is "never say die" and never quit mentality.  It is essentially an approach that says we are going to give every ounce of strength and effort on every play until we win.   It is a bunch of very good football players, playing their very best, as a team, with one goal in mind - winning every game.  Football is a game of guts, determination, will power, desire and effort.  Assuming relatively comparable athletic ability (speed, quickness, agility, strength, execution, strategy, etc.), the team that wants to win the most usually does.  It is that 'want to' mindset.   You have to care deeply and give everything you've got.  No half hearted efforts and never taking a play or two off.  You run and hit hard EVERY PLAY until the whistle blows and you play within the rules and in accord with the coaching and each player does HIS job as close to perfection as possible.  

 

To have the right attitude, players have to truly, madly deeply CARE about the results.  It should hurt to let any of your teammates down by NOT excelling in your role on the team - whether it be as long snapper, QB, third string IB, scout team water boy, or whatever.  Every member must excell.   It is that simple.  

[Nebhawk]

11 hours ago, B.B. Hemingway said:

 

We have more natural talent on our roster then Wisky, Iowa or even the recent really good Michigan St teams, and they seem to win just fine. Care to explain that? Attitude matters. This applies to life in general.

My bottom line on the talent discussion is this:  At the end of the year, I will bet that Michigan St, Wisky and Iowa all 3 have more NFL draft ready players than we do.  Is that because they are developed better, under the radar recruits, or what ever, they have been producing more NFL talent than we have had.  So either our ratings/rankings are completely misaligned or were not and have not developed players for along time.  You have to have talent to win, just as much as you have to develop it.  You have to have something to develop.  I think its a two fold problem.  Talent is lacking, and developing it has lacked for some time.  Winning is an attitude.  Winning a game against a really good team goes along ways in building that attitude.  We haven't had those wins since Solich was here, and he struggled against the better teams as well.

[Hayseed]

12 hours ago, Mavric said:

 

OWH

These "97 Huskers" have said this every year since Solich became the coach. It's easy to 'refuse to lose' when you're surrounded by 5 stars and greatly outmatch almost every opponent. 

I see this as an insult to our current players who are not just standing around.

That our biggest paper wrote this BS tells you a lot about the state of Husker football.

[BoNeyard]

Whether or not we have the guys, maybe sometimes getting a jab like this is a chance to light a fire under everyone else.

[mwj98]

And as I look at the NFL rosters over the years, we have ex Nebraska players all over. We have the talent. Cant put it together. 

 

Penn State was bleeding out.......somehow they got it together. Why cant we? 

[lo country]

2 minutes ago, mwj98 said:

And as I look at the NFL rosters over the years, we have ex Nebraska players all over. We have the talent. Cant put it together. 

 

Penn State was bleeding out.......somehow they got it together. Why cant we? 

Good staff and great recruiting?

[southernoregonhusker]

17 hours ago, B.B. Hemingway said:

 

We have more natural talent on our roster then Wisky, Iowa or even the recent really good Michigan St teams, and they seem to win just fine. Care to explain that? Attitude matters. This applies to life in general.

Those MSU teams had lots of guys drafted by NFL teams.  Some in the first round.  Our best last year was the last pick of the 5th round.  

[southernoregonhusker]

3 minutes ago, lo country said:

Good staff and great recruiting?

Boom.  Their 500 mile radius has a lot more talent than ours.  

[GBRFAN]

17 hours ago, krc1995 said:

I don't understand why some fans seemingly enjoy insulting our guys.  We have athletes.  That's not the problem.  

 

So what is the "problem"? - i'm guessing you are going to insult someone, just not the "guys"

[mwj98]

I find myself having palpitations waiting on this game. Im pathetic. 

 

I just want these kids to pull it together and start mashing people. 

[In the Deed the Glory]

1 hour ago, mwj98 said:

I find myself having palpitations waiting on this game. Im pathetic. 

 

I just want these kids to pull it together and start mashing people. 

 

Dude, so much this.  All the bitching and moaning would go away if we could just start winning.  Be it with this staff or the next.  Just win, baby.