QB Position filled; any questions

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

More Zac love

 

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NU Football: QB position filled, any questions?

 

BY MITCH SHERMAN

LINCOLN - Nebraska football coach Bill Callahan recalls the conversation as something like an interview.

 

It was Dec. 7, 2004, any old Tuesday around here when Callahan traveled to El Dorado, Kan., to visit a junior college quarterback. Five days earlier, the Huskers had offered a scholarship to the 21-year-old son of a former Oklahoma defensive back.

 

Two days before that, offensive coordinator Jay Norvell met Zac Taylor for the first time at Butler (Kan.) Community College. Three days prior, on Nov. 27, Taylor first heard from the Huskers following their 26-20 loss to Colorado to finish 5-6 in Callahan's debut season, the first losing season at Nebraska since 1961.

 

Quarterback Joe Dailey threw four interceptions in the fateful defeat, his last game at NU.

 

Get the picture? If not, consider where the Huskers would sit today, with Colorado due back in town Friday at 2:30 p.m., if they had not decided to conduct that whirlwind courtship of Taylor.

 

"What's amazing," Callahan said, "is in his two years, in that very short period of time, he's allowed us to accelerate this program faster than any player that I've ever been around."

 

Strong words from a 29-year coaching veteran but accurate if you look at the simple facts.

 

With his home finale Friday, the Dec. 2 Big 12 championship and a bowl game still to be played, Taylor already owns the NU career passing record with 5,193 yards. His 41 touchdowns are two shy of Tommie Frazier's career mark.

 

Taylor has also rewritten the single-season passing record as a senior. And his 22-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio this fall ranks him among the nation's best.

 

It's a stunning reversal from two years ago, when inconsistency plagued the Nebraska offense. More than anything else, Taylor has provided the stability essential to lead the 8-3 Huskers into position this week to win nine regular-season games for the first time under Callahan.

 

"It seems like we just got him," Norvell said. "In a lot of ways, we did. But his contribution to this program is really immeasurable. We really couldn't have done what we've done here in the last two years without Zac."

 

Funny, then, that Nebraska pursued Taylor only after it got clearance from Harrison Beck to add another quarterback to its 2005 recruiting class. Beck, the hotshot QB from Florida who committed some six months before Taylor, left Lincoln on frosty terms in August after completing one pass a year ago as his backup.

 

In fact, even when news broke of the Huskers' decision to offer Taylor, most of the attention went to Beck.

 

It didn't bother Taylor. Not with his attitude.

 

As for that meeting with Callahan eight days before he signed his letter of intent, Taylor understood the stakes.

 

"It felt like an interview," Taylor said. "He definitely had some questions, and he definitely wanted to get a feel for my knowledge of the offense I ran at that time. I walked away thinking that he was looking for something in particular.

 

"I'm glad he saw whatever it was he was looking for."

 

Still, two years later, there's a perception that Taylor fell into the Huskers' laps - that they weren't looking for a quarterback before a three-game skid to end that season.

 

Quite the contrary, according to Norvell.

 

NU pored over junior college film. Taylor was the best the Huskers could find.

 

"We knew he had great intangibles, that he was a great leader," Norvell said. "We knew he was a great teammate. We knew he was tough, but we really didn't know how tough. He's much tougher than we ever anticipated."

 

They began to discover his true toughness in April 2005. Nebraska coaches, for one spring scrimmage, stripped the quarterbacks of their green jerseys. Taylor, battling with Dailey for the top job, took a beating.

 

Jay Moore split Taylor's lip with one vicious hit.

 

"They buried him in the turf out there," Norvell said. "He just kept getting up, jumping back in the huddle. He never pointed a finger at anyone."

 

Taylor said he hurt more than he showed, but he knew what he had to do.

 

"I had to make an impression on my teammates," said Taylor, who threw for a record 357 yards one week later in the Red-White game.

 

From that point, there was little debate over who was in charge.

 

One could argue that Nebraska football would never be the same again.

 

And to think, Taylor was days from signing with Marshall.

 

"When he talks, people listen," NU fullback Dane Todd said. "We're willing to follow him wherever he goes. I'd be lying if I said I thought we could be here without him."

 

 

[Eric the Red]

Great article. He's what this staff looks for in a QB.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

One great QB! He won the job through baptism by fire. I don't think Moore has put that kind of hit on a QB since.

[Drowning_in_the_Sea_of_Red]

Boy I'm sure gunna miss him.............

[Huskrz65]

That's one thing I have always noticed about Taylor; he never got up after a hit and showed any emotion towards the O line for breaking down.

He'll be missed. He has really set the bar high for follow-on QBs at Nebraska.

[huskernumerouno]

I will enjoy his last 3 games and be forever thankfull that he chose Nebraska

[HuskerinAR]

I will enjoy his last 3 games and be forever thankfull that he chose Nebraska

 

 

 

Easily one of my favorite Huskers of all time. The guy has huge guts and got up everytime he got Hammered his first year. I have a tremendous respect for the kid and hope he gets a shot in the NFL. I can see him making a big name for himself if we can make it to a BCS bowl.

[Drowning_in_the_Sea_of_Red]

I will enjoy his last 3 games and be forever thankfull that he chose Nebraska

 

 

 

Easily one of my favorite Huskers of all time. The guy has huge guts and got up everytime he got Hammered his first year. I have a tremendous respect for the kid and hope he gets a shot in the NFL. I can see him making a big name for himself if we can make it to a BCS bowl.

 

I'd say he ranks up there with my favorite Huskers.

[The Red & White Knight]

Zac is a special guy

 

 

His will be huge shoes to fill....

 

[husker rob]

he is one of the toughest SOB's i have ever seen. he did indeed set the bar high for the next qb's to try and achieve.

 

his records that he set this year will probably fall rather quickly but he did so many other things to help this team turn the corner in the New Era of Cornhusker Football, that it wouldnt have been able to do so quickly with someone else.