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Heisman Trophy Winner
Receivers focusing on run blocking
When Nebraska junior wide receiver Menelik Holt steps on the practice field each day, running correct routes and catching footballs aren’t foremost on his mind.
“I think about blocking assignments, and how I can affect the run game,” Holt said, “because that’s really important.”
Never mind that Holt has only four career receptions and isn’t as experienced at route-running as Nate Swift or Todd Peterson.
“It’s been stressed like you wouldn’t believe,” Nebraska receivers coach Ted Gilmore said. “Every drill we’ve done in individual, all but maybe two periods has been on blocking.”
It’s one of the reasons Holt has emerged as Nebraska’s No. 3 receiver behind seniors Swift and Peterson.
“That’s my biggest jump,” Holt said. “I was able to catch, but last year in the run game, I couldn’t block very well. It’s something I really didn’t understand.”
Blocking in high school was easy for the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Holt. Tossing aside 5-8 defensive backs wasn’t that complicated.
“But here, guys are strong,” Holt said. “Like Prince (Amukamara) and Larry Asante, guys aren’t going to let you lean on them and throw them around. Now it’s about technique and body position and being under control. That’s something I’m learning every day.”
Holt realizes he’s big, and must play big. Sort of like former Husker Maurice Purify did the last two seasons.
“I can’t go out there and let guys throw me around when I’m blocking,” Holt said. “I’ve got to play a dominant role in the run game.
“(If) we play a dominant role in the run game, a lot of guys sometimes don’t want to guard you in the pass game. I’m trying to get guys on their heels, get guys on their back as much as I can.”
Swift said the emphasis in fall camp has been on being physical on the perimeter and being able to block inside and out. Wide receivers, for example, will be responsible for blocking a linebacker on the option and zone-read plays coaches are installing.
“It’s going to be a big part of the game,” Swift said. “Coach Gilmore sees that, and he’s working really hard with us on that.”
Gilmore stressed to his receivers that it’s their responsibility to free running backs on the perimeter for those 20-yard gains, or longer.
“It’s up to us to get him past that second level,” Swift said. “There’ve been a lot of plays (in past years) where we either miss the guy or couldn’t get to him in time or read it wrong, where we could’ve set him free for a touchdown.”
Gilmore said he’s seeing progress, citing “tremendous” effort and very physical play in fall camp.
The biggest area of improvement, he said, is for players to understand plays and the tempo of the plays, making sure they take the proper reads.
“I do believe when it’s all said and done,” he said, “every guy who’s in that rotation is going to be a lot more physical player.”
Nebraska assistant coach Ron Brown, who coached receivers and emphasized blocking in his first stint at Nebraska, is coaching tight ends in his first year back with the Huskers. Not surprisingly, blocking has been a major part of Brown’s practice drills.
“I think we’ve made some real progress from the spring,” Brown said. “It’s starting to get into the bloodstream, and that’s where you can really start to see consistency.
“We’ve still got a ways to come, but man, I’m telling you, our pad level now is lower than it’s ever been, and our leg drive and our ability to finish — there’s a nastier mentality. You’ve got to have a very aggressive, intense demeanor as you’re blocking. You’ve got to want to finish somebody off.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
When Nebraska junior wide receiver Menelik Holt steps on the practice field each day, running correct routes and catching footballs aren’t foremost on his mind.
“I think about blocking assignments, and how I can affect the run game,” Holt said, “because that’s really important.”
Never mind that Holt has only four career receptions and isn’t as experienced at route-running as Nate Swift or Todd Peterson.
“It’s been stressed like you wouldn’t believe,” Nebraska receivers coach Ted Gilmore said. “Every drill we’ve done in individual, all but maybe two periods has been on blocking.”
It’s one of the reasons Holt has emerged as Nebraska’s No. 3 receiver behind seniors Swift and Peterson.
“That’s my biggest jump,” Holt said. “I was able to catch, but last year in the run game, I couldn’t block very well. It’s something I really didn’t understand.”
Blocking in high school was easy for the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Holt. Tossing aside 5-8 defensive backs wasn’t that complicated.
“But here, guys are strong,” Holt said. “Like Prince (Amukamara) and Larry Asante, guys aren’t going to let you lean on them and throw them around. Now it’s about technique and body position and being under control. That’s something I’m learning every day.”
Holt realizes he’s big, and must play big. Sort of like former Husker Maurice Purify did the last two seasons.
“I can’t go out there and let guys throw me around when I’m blocking,” Holt said. “I’ve got to play a dominant role in the run game.
“(If) we play a dominant role in the run game, a lot of guys sometimes don’t want to guard you in the pass game. I’m trying to get guys on their heels, get guys on their back as much as I can.”
Swift said the emphasis in fall camp has been on being physical on the perimeter and being able to block inside and out. Wide receivers, for example, will be responsible for blocking a linebacker on the option and zone-read plays coaches are installing.
“It’s going to be a big part of the game,” Swift said. “Coach Gilmore sees that, and he’s working really hard with us on that.”
Gilmore stressed to his receivers that it’s their responsibility to free running backs on the perimeter for those 20-yard gains, or longer.
“It’s up to us to get him past that second level,” Swift said. “There’ve been a lot of plays (in past years) where we either miss the guy or couldn’t get to him in time or read it wrong, where we could’ve set him free for a touchdown.”
Gilmore said he’s seeing progress, citing “tremendous” effort and very physical play in fall camp.
The biggest area of improvement, he said, is for players to understand plays and the tempo of the plays, making sure they take the proper reads.
“I do believe when it’s all said and done,” he said, “every guy who’s in that rotation is going to be a lot more physical player.”
Nebraska assistant coach Ron Brown, who coached receivers and emphasized blocking in his first stint at Nebraska, is coaching tight ends in his first year back with the Huskers. Not surprisingly, blocking has been a major part of Brown’s practice drills.
“I think we’ve made some real progress from the spring,” Brown said. “It’s starting to get into the bloodstream, and that’s where you can really start to see consistency.
“We’ve still got a ways to come, but man, I’m telling you, our pad level now is lower than it’s ever been, and our leg drive and our ability to finish — there’s a nastier mentality. You’ve got to have a very aggressive, intense demeanor as you’re blocking. You’ve got to want to finish somebody off.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.