Scott Frost's amazing comments in 2005.

[cornhuskersftw]

I want Scott Frost on our staff one day. I think it's import to not lose our links to the past.

I would like to see Frost and possibly Crouch doing some QB coaching in our program. I think the different insights that some of the past QB would be invaluable to some of the younger QB.

 

[ogalhskr]

I want Scott Frost on our staff one day. I think it's import to not lose our links to the past.

I would like to see Frost and possibly Crouch doing some QB coaching in our program. I think the different insights that some of the past QB would be invaluable to some of the younger QB.

Especially if the offensive trend is going to be more option football. :clap

But I do like the mixture that that could bring with Watts as OC. Could be a lot of fun to watch

 

[knapplc]

I've always wondered if Frost could have cut it as a QB at Stanford would he still have come crawling back to Nebraska instead of sticking it out at the place he went to first. (Sorry I still hold it against Frost for dissing NU right out of High School so he could go play for Bill Walsh and try to make it to the NFL instead of going to the school that he "loved" so much)

I was also pretty miffed at Frost for spurning NU and heading west to play under Walsh, especially when they moved him to Safety. Then when he came back to Nebraska, I was at Old Country Buffet after the 1996 Spring Game when he came in with his family and sat at the table next to us. I didn't talk to him, but he kind of strutted around the restaurant like he was King of the Hill. I had a pretty poor impression of him.

Then 1997 happened, and some ills were forgiven. Time went on, and I barely thought about Scott unless I saw a highlight or two from his days with the Jets. We moved away to California, moved back to Nebraska, and that was it.

Then Frosty moved in two doors down from me. I saw him out walking his dog, we chatted, and he was really cool. Either I had way misjudged him in the first place, or he had become more open to schmoes like me since his Nebraska days. Who knows. What I can say now, from personal experience, is that Frost and his mom (never really talked to his dad) are pretty cool people. Generic Nebraskans, like you and me, good salt-of-the-earth people. Frosty had WAY more $$$ than I when we were neighbors, but he never once acted like it. He was very friendly, open to stop and chat, always had a friendly wave, the whole neighbor thing.

I would imagine he would be a tremendous asset to our coaching ranks. He's just a solid guy, IMO.

 

[zoogs]

Haha, not sure I'd like to see Crouch doing some coaching...Frost, that would be nice.

And jeez, knapplc, it's like you've met EVERYONE! Wow.

 

[knapplc]

And jeez, knapplc, it's like you've met EVERYONE! Wow.

I was just thinking about that this morning. It probably does seem like it, but it doesn't feel like it to me. I've lived in Lincoln for about 20 years, but in that twenty years I've probably only talked to "known" Husker people for three hours, all told. When I met Bo at the coffee shop and Zac at the sandwich shop, those lasted all of five minutes, total. When I met Sipple and Christensen at the tailgate, that was maybe 15 minutes, total. Running into Frost several times while he lived in the neighborhood was maybe 90 minutes combined, tops.

 

[HuskerTrucker]

The days of having 9 out of 11 starters being from Nebraska are over - if we want to compete on the national level. I think there is still room for Nebraskans being a part of this team, but it will be more limited from here on out, just because Nebraska is not one of the hot beds of talent in the country.

 

[HuskerGBR]

The days of having 9 out of 11 starters being from Nebraska are over - if we want to compete on the national level. I think there is still room for Nebraskans being a part of this team, but it will be more limited from here on out, just because Nebraska is not one of the hot beds of talent in the country.

I think what Frost was trying to say is we don't need all of those guys from Texas, Florida, Georgia, or California. That we have the guys here in our state that can do just as good as any of those top recruits if we had the right system and coaching. The coaches we used to have knew how to develop talent, how to coach them, and molded them into men. (Dr. Tom, Mcbride, etc.)

It is nice to have talented guys from other states, but it doesn't necessarily mean you will win games. Take Notre Dame, Michigan right now, Miami, and I am pretty tempted to put Tennessee on that list of schools that have theoretically large amounts of talent, but still can't get to the top.

I am tempted to say that if we had 9 out of 11 starters from Nebraska and the right system that plays into what Nebraska guys are built for...then I bet we could be right back on top even in today's game. Developing players is the most critical element for any team I believe. Talent matters to certain degree, but in the end you have to be able to keep coaching and developing them. And Nebraska isn't a hotbed of talent, because of how many small towns there are in my opinion which the analysts don't go to. I don't care how many stars a guy has...if you have coaches that can develop talent and know how to coach, then you can take a lot of guys to whole other level.

 

[Bo-Nose]

This was a pretty good read. Thank you.

 

[HUSKER 37]

I've always wondered if Frost could have cut it as a QB at Stanford would he still have come crawling back to Nebraska instead of sticking it out at the place he went to first. (Sorry I still hold it against Frost for dissing NU right out of High School so he could go play for Bill Walsh and try to make it to the NFL instead of going to the school that he "loved" so much)

I was also pretty miffed at Frost for spurning NU and heading west to play under Walsh, especially when they moved him to Safety. Then when he came back to Nebraska, I was at Old Country Buffet after the 1996 Spring Game when he came in with his family and sat at the table next to us. I didn't talk to him, but he kind of strutted around the restaurant like he was King of the Hill. I had a pretty poor impression of him.

Then 1997 happened, and some ills were forgiven. Time went on, and I barely thought about Scott unless I saw a highlight or two from his days with the Jets. We moved away to California, moved back to Nebraska, and that was it.

Then Frosty moved in two doors down from me. I saw him out walking his dog, we chatted, and he was really cool. Either I had way misjudged him in the first place, or he had become more open to schmoes like me since his Nebraska days. Who knows. What I can say now, from personal experience, is that Frost and his mom (never really talked to his dad) are pretty cool people. Generic Nebraskans, like you and me, good salt-of-the-earth people. Frosty had WAY more $$$ than I when we were neighbors, but he never once acted like it. He was very friendly, open to stop and chat, always had a friendly wave, the whole neighbor thing.

I would imagine he would be a tremendous asset to our coaching ranks. He's just a solid guy, IMO.

Thanks for posting Frost's thoughts, Husker1995...

I don't even think I'd heard of him before he transfered from Stanford.

But I bet having Walsh as a coach for a year or two will help him more in the long run when it comes to coaching..An invaluable experience that in combination with Osborn and Parcells..and even with the Oregon coach now..Will help Frost later on.

Sorta hope he ends up back at UNL someday.

 

[HuskerTrucker]

The days of having 9 out of 11 starters being from Nebraska are over - if we want to compete on the national level. I think there is still room for Nebraskans being a part of this team, but it will be more limited from here on out, just because Nebraska is not one of the hot beds of talent in the country.

I think what Frost was trying to say is we don't need all of those guys from Texas, Florida, Georgia, or California. That we have the guys here in our state that can do just as good as any of those top recruits if we had the right system and coaching. The coaches we used to have knew how to develop talent, how to coach them, and molded them into men. (Dr. Tom, Mcbride, etc.)

It is nice to have talented guys from other states, but it doesn't necessarily mean you will win games. Take Notre Dame, Michigan right now, Miami, and I am pretty tempted to put Tennessee on that list of schools that have theoretically large amounts of talent, but still can't get to the top.

I am tempted to say that if we had 9 out of 11 starters from Nebraska and the right system that plays into what Nebraska guys are built for...then I bet we could be right back on top even in today's game. Developing players is the most critical element for any team I believe. Talent matters to certain degree, but in the end you have to be able to keep coaching and developing them. And Nebraska isn't a hotbed of talent, because of how many small towns there are in my opinion which the analysts don't go to. I don't care how many stars a guy has...if you have coaches that can develop talent and know how to coach, then you can take a lot of guys to whole other level.

Back when we could take some big corn fed guys and throw them on the line, we may have been able to rely on "talent" from Nebraska. But if you want to be able to play with the best, with as fast as the game has gotten, I don't think you can do that anymore. There is just more population in those other areas, and the emphasis on football is a lot more than it is in Nebraska below the college level. They are also warmer climates, and athletics are more conducive in the warmer climates. The chances of finding the better players are better there.

I also know that you can't always go by the number of stars someone has by their names. We have had our share of people that have gone bust at Nebraska to prove that. It all comes down to coaches doing their homework, knowing the best talent when they see it, and going after it no matter where the kid may reside.

 

[melscott62]

The days of having 9 out of 11 starters being from Nebraska are over - if we want to compete on the national level. I think there is still room for Nebraskans being a part of this team, but it will be more limited from here on out, just because Nebraska is not one of the hot beds of talent in the country.

I dont know. I think one fact that gets overlooked is that when we were really good in he 90's also coincided with a time that Nebraska put out a high number of really good football players. there area that I lived in in the very SE corner of the state rarely had guys go to the lincoln... then in a 4 year span you see Matt davison from T-town and the kelsays and quint hogrefe(never did much at NU but was clearly the best HS player of the 4) Not to take anything away from what we did, but I think that the increase in home grown talent helped

 

[HUSKER 37]

That's where an "Offensive identity" can be benneficial..You can structure your highschools to run similar offenses and defenses to help prepare your kids for the next level...or something different if you want to help them get on with what everyone else is running.

I don't think we really need to have a huge population base to be able to compete with the Texas or Fla highschools for producing talent.

Back in the day..We pretty much introduced weight training to the football world and they all caught up to us.

It just takes a commitment from all of us...and some proper traning in health/nutrition and trying to get our kids involved with whatever sport is being played in that particular season.

(My own cousin went to NU on a track scholarship and ended up being a 3year starter in Football and playing in the CFL).

We need to lead with our strengths..(The DESIRE and the "Midwest work ethic") to get our state to start supplying BCS quality talent..It's not like the more populated areas have kids with different DNA or their water is any better than ours...You just need to get them more active and actually have more vacant lots to play "smear the queer" in if you don't have enough kids for two teams.

And another thing!

[ change gear ]

I was watching my young Son play soccer yesterday and couldn't figure out why both teams looked so bad.

Turns out they don't even play soccer at lunch like we used to "back home"..and barely ever do at recess.

They just have one or two hour long practices each week.

Is that occuring all over or just in large metro areas like Phoenix?.

Side note...I do remember coming across some "elite league" Football practices with JR.High age kids out here..I've got mixed feelings about that, though..Too much burnout?

 

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

Interesting read. Its appears he had a blog which he referrenced a previous entry. It would be cool to track that down and read other entries.

 

[knapplc]

I remember reading these when they were first coming out. I don't remember where, though. I'll have to look around, but as I recall there weren't a lot of these "Scott's Thoughts" blogs.

Here's another one by Frost from (apparently) 9/14/05:

Winds of change
It was a beautiful autumn day in Lincoln on Saturday, except of course for the 35 mile per hour wind that was whipping through Husker Nation. Most Nebraskans have become accustomed to these strong winds, and most know that a wind like that usually precedes either a calm and beautiful night or a violent, window-rattling storm. Well, Saturday night the wind died and it turned out to be a beautiful evening. It remains to be seen, however, which fate awaits the football team this season. There was never any real doubt that Nebraska was going to win the game Saturday, but most of the questions that fans had after the Maine game remain unanswered.

The defense is obviously improved, and some of the plays they have been making are winning games for us. The winds of change have definitely affected the direction of public doubt and criticism. It's been two weeks since I've heard the name of the defensive coordinator or secondary coach even mentioned. Nebraska fans have turned their fierce gaze elsewhere. Personally, I think some praise is due the defensive staff after the off-season they had to endure. I grant you that we have not exactly played the two best offenses in the country, but without complete dominance by the D in the first game, and some forced mistakes that turned to points this week, both games would have been close. You can't count on defensive touchdowns every week, but there are teams that scrape out really good years by being dominant on defense and being conservative (just not losing the games) on offense. That's not really the M.O. of this offensive style, however.

This leads me to the meat of my blog this week. Everywhere I go, people want to know what I think of the offense. They want to know whether our version of the west coast offense will work here. They want to know if we can use Nebraska kids to run it. They want to know if the old power option offense is out-dated. I don't have the answers to these questions, but I can offer some opinion.

First off, let me say this. Tom Osborne is a very smart man, and he spent his whole career at Nebraska figuring out the best ways to win in Lincoln. This is evidenced by the fact that his best 5 years as a coach were his last 5. How many times this Saturday do you think our coaches looked out the windows at the wind bending trees and blowing trash and think, "huh, maybe those guys weren't so dumb. In my opinion there are a lot of reasons why coach Osborne's offense worked for Nebraska. Here are some of the most important ones:

1. The weather- We all know how nasty it can get in Lincoln in the late fall. Saturday was one of the first times in 30 years that inclement weather has probably benefited a visiting team. The offense of old would just power through rain, wind, and snow.

2. Resources- Obviously Nebraska does not generate the kind of talent coming out of high school that states like Texas, Florida, and California do. We have some talented kids from the state, but not enough to make a team a national title contender. What we do have is a bunch of big, strong, hard working kids that will work harder and care more about the team than most people. The old way was to bring those kids in (by scholarship or walk-on) and let them develop into solid lineman, fullbacks, etc. Then if you could go out and recruit some defensive backs, running backs, and maybe a multi-threat quarterback that only a few other schools are recruiting, you had the makings of a championship team. In this system we have to out-recruit the likes of Texas, Florida State, and USC to run the same type of system they are running. So far we have been really successful doing that, but you have to do it every year to keep up with them.

3. Commitment- The old way was to bank on the love of the program and dedication to a place and group of coaches that cared more about the players than most coaches do. This bond that the players felt for Nebraska was the reason why guys would work their tails off for four years just to get a chance to see the field for one year. It is why we hadn't had anyone since Johnny Mitchell leave for the pros early until last year. I've been in another program, and I saw that most guys are thinking of college as either a way to get to pro football or a way to get an education. At Nebraska, being a Husker was special. I is what made guys willing to run through walls to win.

4. Walk-ons- Using this commitment and bond that players felt toward the program, we were able to get guys to come to Nebraska that were not "scholarship guys" coming out of high school. The problem is, if it were obvious which guys were going to end up being the best players when they were seniors in high school, then the top teams in the country should never be beat. We used to get those guys to come here, develop them, and give them equal status and fair chances. Willingness to do this is why we ended up with 5 or 6 starters a year that were walk-ons. Some of those guys will take scholarships to the Iowa States of the world rather than walk on here, but if you're willing to push for those guys it can pay off in the end.

5. Consistency- Winning a championship in college football is not like winning it in any other sport. To win in college football you have to be good every single week. In college basketball or the NFL you can slip up a couple of times as long as you are strong during playoff time. It is so easy to be consistent when you are a power team that just plain bullies any team that steps on the field with you. We may have only had 70 or 80 plays in the nineties, but we practiced them so many times that we couldn't help but be a well-oiled machine. Add this to the fact that a power/option offense does not turn the ball over and beat themselves, and you can see why it was easy to be consistent. It was no accident that T.O. had so many 9 and ten win seasons. USC has been able to find consistency with the west coast offense, so it can be done, but they're talent has been vastly superior to other pac-10 teams the last couple of years.

6. Run-game- You don't have to be able to run the ball to win, but it sure helps. One of the things that made our old offense run the ball so well(aside from our dominant offensive lines) was our ability to change running plays at the line. Most offenses I've seen are structured to be able to change into and out of pass plays at the line based on coverages and blitzes, but very few will change run plays based on fronts and shades of defensive lineman. Our offense now tries to get teams in bad situations by shifting and motioning. Our offense then did it by seeing what the defense was going to do and picking a play that would beat it. The Colts do it a lot right now when Manning comes to the line and starts his cadence. He lets the other team show him what they're going to do and he gets them in a play that will give them the best chance to expose it. I'm not sure why more teams don't audible more running plays.

There you have it. I apologize for the wordiness of this analysis, but when you love football you tend to think about it a lot. All that being said, there is always more than one way to skin a cat. When I was with the Bucs, I heard Jon Gruden say several times that the west coast offense is the best offensive system that has ever been devised. I don't doubt that we can win with this system if we have the right talent running it. Part of the old-school in me wishes we weren't making ourselves like everybody else-when we used to have such a uniqueness and identity- but winning is winning. If this is the best way to get Nebraska back up to the top then I'm all for it. Let the winds blow as they will as long as they blow the Huskers back towards national prominence!

 

[knapplc]

And here is another one from (apparently) 11/3/05:

Scott's Thoughts by Scott Frost
What a mess. It has been a very trying week for the Huskers. I'm not sure how to tie everything that has happened into one coherent thought, so I'm going to approach it point by point. Here goes:

NU vs OU

We did it again. We managed to spot the other team a lead that was just big enough for us not to be able to come back from. The coaches desperately need to figure out why we're starting so slow. That being said, it was obvious to me that Oklahoma had superior athletes. I don't think you need to be an NFL scout to recognize that their guys were bigger and stronger than ours. They had a team that was made up of guys who are examples of how top recruiting classes look when they get to be juniors and seniors. Our team is made up of some quality older players and a top recruiting class that are freshman.

Throat Slash-

I remember when the whole throat slashing thing became an issue. Keyshawn Johnson made the gesture during a game a few years ago, and the very next week we were informed by the NFL office that any movement that depicted violence would result in a hefty fine. I understand that a throat slash is somewhat inappropriate, but people see more violence on TV everyday than is implied by a gesture that is also a universal sign to stop something. I don't really have a problem with the gesture. Sometimes in the heat of battle, people do things that they wouldn't normally do. It is excusable, especially considering the audacity of the official who stood on the sideline and pointed his finger into Bill's face. What I do have a problem with was him telling us that he didn't do it. Don't treat us like we're a bunch of idiots. Simply tell everyone that you let your emotions get the best of you and apologize. End of story. Then, the whole thing would go away. Instead we were told that it never happened. I've always felt like the people of Nebraska have excellent bulls**t detectors. They know better than other people when they're not being told the truth. Think about other similar situations. How many of you bought it when you heard things like, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." or "if the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit." or "We have not offered the job to anyone." People of this state just don't buy it. Don't try to pass one by us, ITS ON TAPE! In case you didn't know it they're filming the games this year.

NU vs KU

The good thing about this game is that at noon on Saturday no one will remember anything that happened last week. The potentially bad thing is that one of the last two records that exist at Nebraska is in jeopardy. We have beaten Kansas something like 37 years in a row. My father was a junior wingback that last time we lost to the Jayhawks. I remember back in '96 there was a wall by the training room with plaques signifying all of our records and streaks. One of them was consecutive wins. It was heart-breaking when we came back from ASU and there was an empty patch of wall where that plaque used to be. Most of those steaks are gone, but I really hope we can keep this one alive. If we're going to do it, we need to score points. They're defense is obviously really good. I couldn't believe they held Brad Smith to under 40 yards rushing after the personal track meet he had against us. I don't think Kansas will score much on us, their offense has been sputtering. If we can score 17 points or so, I think we'll continue our domination of the 'hawks. Go Big Red.

-Just to let you know, I'm tired of trying to be creative, so next Tuesday I'm going to take time to answer some questions anyone has. I'm certainly not the athority on most of these things, I just want to be lazy next week.

NOTE - the formatting was really bad on this one. I'm sorry if I didn't get it cleaned up very well.

In my googling it appears Frosty was writing this stuff for the JournalStar. I'll have to see if I can track that down from them...