Husker_Power
Starter
Lincoln Journal Star
Imagine if you will Emmitt Smith wearing a Nebraska football uniform.
Yeah, that may have been worth checking out. Smith of course ended up at the University of Florida before a Hall-of-Fame NFL career.
As the story goes, Smith was one of those big fish that got away from the Huskers in the final hours before national signing day.
Dave Gillespie, who spent several years on the Nebraska staff, was on the phone with someone at Smith's press conference to reveal his decision. It was down to three schools. Nebraska was one of them.
Always one for a show, Smith was supposedly planning to draw a school out of a hat.
"My guess would have been that every sheet of paper in there said Florida," Gillespie said.
There have been a few players like Smith who got away from Nebraska over the years. Last year, highly-touted San Antonio high school linebacker Travis Lewis decommitted two days before signing day in favor of Oklahoma.
David Ross, a California cornerback with some of those recruiting stars by his name, had Nebraska thinking he was headed here until he changed his mind the morning of signing day, and inked with Oregon State instead.
Now a linebacker with the Detroit Lions, Buster Davis was undecided in the final days. Davis said he wished he could attend both Nebraska and Florida State. He went with Florida State.
And few folks can forget the circus when hot-shot quarterback Carlyle Holiday kept Husker fans on the edge of their seats before turning down Big Red in the final hour for … Notre Dame.
Josh Freeman was a late loss before the early-signing period, and there have been others that had recruiting fans crying on their keyboard.
Of course there have been a few big gets in those final days, too. Does Tommie Frazier ring a bell? Frazier visited NU on the final recruiting weekend and his decision was down to the last day. That turned out O.K.
Days like today always brought some nervous feelings around the football offices, Gillespie said. Coaches weren't allowed to be on the road, so they were left waiting for letters-of-intent to arrive.
"Everybody kind of knew the sound of the fax machine when it started," Gillespie said. "Everybody hears that and their ears might perk up and they might run over to the fax machine and see what was coming through. If it wasn't a letter-of-intent, there might be some words that you wouldn't want to hear, and they'd go back to doing what they're doing."
There were always one or two committed players you worried about, but most were slam dunks, Gillespie said.
"(But) until you have that fax there is always some question," he said.
The last-minute surprises of signing day have probably diminished over the years. Players begin committing — and decommitting — earlier these days. Factor in how public recruiting has become, and there don't seem to be many secrets anymore.
With this year's Nebraska recruiting class, little drama is expected today. Anybody see Baker Steinkuhler going somewhere else? Could you suddenly tell Bo Pelini and Tom Osborne thanks, but no thanks?
Of course, there's never any guarantees in recruiting. Just go back to last year at Dominguez High in Compton, Calif.
Ross, the star cornerback, had filled out the paperwork for Nebraska the evening before signing day. He was supposed to meet Coach Keith Donerson at 8 a.m. to fax it to Lincoln.
"He showed up at 10 o'clock wearing an Oregon State sweatshirt, and then we knew he already signed and sent his fax into Oregon State," Donerson said.
It seems Ross, who redshirted last season but should see action this year, liked to make college coaches happy. He was in Lincoln for the Nebraska-Texas game, loved it and soon committed. Trips to Oregon State and Arizona State followed, with Ross committing to those schools also.
Ross and his coach had a lengthy life-lesson talk after the signing day dust had settled.
"They're still 17- or 18-year-old kids, and it's hard to say no to some people," Donerson said.
It goes both ways, though. One of Donerson's players this season committed to Utah. This week they inquired about the player's paperwork, and were informed the spot was no longer available.
Regardless, Dominguez High will send at least five players to Division I schools this season. After Ross' last-minute decommitment last season, Bill Callahan called to say Nebraska would no longer be recruiting Dominguez players.
It wasn't long ago Donerson heard from Nebraska again. Pelini was on the line.
"He said, 'Don't worry about it, Nebraska is still going to keep recruiting Dominguez.'"
Imagine if you will Emmitt Smith wearing a Nebraska football uniform.
Yeah, that may have been worth checking out. Smith of course ended up at the University of Florida before a Hall-of-Fame NFL career.
As the story goes, Smith was one of those big fish that got away from the Huskers in the final hours before national signing day.
Dave Gillespie, who spent several years on the Nebraska staff, was on the phone with someone at Smith's press conference to reveal his decision. It was down to three schools. Nebraska was one of them.
Always one for a show, Smith was supposedly planning to draw a school out of a hat.
"My guess would have been that every sheet of paper in there said Florida," Gillespie said.
There have been a few players like Smith who got away from Nebraska over the years. Last year, highly-touted San Antonio high school linebacker Travis Lewis decommitted two days before signing day in favor of Oklahoma.
David Ross, a California cornerback with some of those recruiting stars by his name, had Nebraska thinking he was headed here until he changed his mind the morning of signing day, and inked with Oregon State instead.
Now a linebacker with the Detroit Lions, Buster Davis was undecided in the final days. Davis said he wished he could attend both Nebraska and Florida State. He went with Florida State.
And few folks can forget the circus when hot-shot quarterback Carlyle Holiday kept Husker fans on the edge of their seats before turning down Big Red in the final hour for … Notre Dame.
Josh Freeman was a late loss before the early-signing period, and there have been others that had recruiting fans crying on their keyboard.
Of course there have been a few big gets in those final days, too. Does Tommie Frazier ring a bell? Frazier visited NU on the final recruiting weekend and his decision was down to the last day. That turned out O.K.
Days like today always brought some nervous feelings around the football offices, Gillespie said. Coaches weren't allowed to be on the road, so they were left waiting for letters-of-intent to arrive.
"Everybody kind of knew the sound of the fax machine when it started," Gillespie said. "Everybody hears that and their ears might perk up and they might run over to the fax machine and see what was coming through. If it wasn't a letter-of-intent, there might be some words that you wouldn't want to hear, and they'd go back to doing what they're doing."
There were always one or two committed players you worried about, but most were slam dunks, Gillespie said.
"(But) until you have that fax there is always some question," he said.
The last-minute surprises of signing day have probably diminished over the years. Players begin committing — and decommitting — earlier these days. Factor in how public recruiting has become, and there don't seem to be many secrets anymore.
With this year's Nebraska recruiting class, little drama is expected today. Anybody see Baker Steinkuhler going somewhere else? Could you suddenly tell Bo Pelini and Tom Osborne thanks, but no thanks?
Of course, there's never any guarantees in recruiting. Just go back to last year at Dominguez High in Compton, Calif.
Ross, the star cornerback, had filled out the paperwork for Nebraska the evening before signing day. He was supposed to meet Coach Keith Donerson at 8 a.m. to fax it to Lincoln.
"He showed up at 10 o'clock wearing an Oregon State sweatshirt, and then we knew he already signed and sent his fax into Oregon State," Donerson said.
It seems Ross, who redshirted last season but should see action this year, liked to make college coaches happy. He was in Lincoln for the Nebraska-Texas game, loved it and soon committed. Trips to Oregon State and Arizona State followed, with Ross committing to those schools also.
Ross and his coach had a lengthy life-lesson talk after the signing day dust had settled.
"They're still 17- or 18-year-old kids, and it's hard to say no to some people," Donerson said.
It goes both ways, though. One of Donerson's players this season committed to Utah. This week they inquired about the player's paperwork, and were informed the spot was no longer available.
Regardless, Dominguez High will send at least five players to Division I schools this season. After Ross' last-minute decommitment last season, Bill Callahan called to say Nebraska would no longer be recruiting Dominguez players.
It wasn't long ago Donerson heard from Nebraska again. Pelini was on the line.
"He said, 'Don't worry about it, Nebraska is still going to keep recruiting Dominguez.'"
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