Siegel shines in nickel

[Benard]

For many Nebraskans, the last name Siegel still evokes images of a 6-foot-7 basketball player swishing jumpers and grabbing rebounds for the Huskers during the mid-1970s.

These days, however, many people recognize the name Siegel as being the hard-hitting safety on the Nebraska football team.

 

Shane Siegel played basketball until he was a freshman at Grand Island High School before deciding to concentrate on football and track. Shane's father, Bob Siegel, was a Nebraska high school hoops legend from Fairbury who later started for the Huskers.

"I didn't have the outside shot my dad had," Shane Siegel said. "I had some jumping ability, so I was more of an inside guy."

 

The younger Siegel's explosiveness is paying dividends on the gridiron for Nebraska (3-1, 1-0 Big 12), which plays Texas Tech (3-2, 1-1) on Saturday night in Lubbock, Texas.

 

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Siegel, a backup strong safety, typically enters games when Nebraska uses its nickel package in obvious passing situations, mostly on third-down plays. He played more than usual last weekend because Kansas' pass-oriented offense forced the Huskers to employ their nickel package more frequently.

 

"We thought we'd put some more defensive backs on the field to match their speed," Siegel said. "I thought it went well. I made a lot of mistakes, but I did make a few plays. It felt good to be out there."

 

 

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