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Freshman I-Back Helu

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Freshman I-back Helu happy to do his 1/11th

 

BY BRENT C. WAGNER / Lincoln Journal Star

Monday, Sep 24, 2007 - 12:23:55 am CDT

Roy Helu held court with a handful of reporters outside the Nebraska locker room on Saturday.

 

Those moments were a tad odd for the freshman I-back. Kind of like it was weird seeing Helu in the game so early, and again later at the finish when the Huskers were fighting to rally against Ball State.

 

Oh, Helu wasn’t getting all the attention — and he wouldn’t have wanted it that way. He didn’t even seem to mind when quarterback Sam Keller managed to sneak a few words in.

 

“Do you know wshere he’s from?” asked Keller in passing. “Do you know where he played high school ball? San Ramon Valley High School.”

 

You almost expected Keller to break out singing the school fight song.

 

Keller and Helu attended the same California high school. Helu was only an eighth grader when Keller was a senior, saying he knew the Sam Keller from “SportsCenter” more than the one from back home.

 

But it’s a bond shared between two guys whose worlds couldn’t be further apart. Keller is QB No. 1 in the West Coast offense, and Helu is competing with a host of others for Marlon Lucky’s leftovers.

 

Keller had plenty of good things to say about Helu, though. He credited Helu with picking up a blitzing linebacker that could have messed up the winning touchdown pass, and it was Helu’s 5-yard catch one play prior that kept things moving.

 

Yes, we interrupt the gloom and doom of another Husker victory for a feel-good story. About the freshman who practiced hard and got a chance when Cody Glenn wasn’t able to go. About a guy coaches trusted to pass protect for the arm that threw for a school record. About a player who couldn’t stop talking fractions afterwards — saying he was only doing his 1/11th — and deserves no more credit than some linemen on the winning drive.

 

In the end, it was only a four-carry, 13-yard day for Helu. The only proof that you needed as to whether his early performance was worthy, though, was seeing No. 10 on the field when Nebraska was driving for the six points the program desperately needed at the finish.

 

Helu’s only previous action was in mop-up duty against Nevada, when he carried six times for 26 yards. He traveled to Wake Forest but never left the sideline, same as when USC came to town.

 

That’s why Helu was surprised when running backs coach Randy Jordan sought him out last Monday. Glenn wouldn’t be able to go, the coach said. He wanted to know how Helu was doing, and whether he’d be ready when it really mattered.

 

“I said, ‘Yeah’” Helu said.

 

“It was good. I just try my hardest; I’ve been doing that since I got here, and I think it finally paid off because one of my buddies went down, and I got an opportunity because they were impressed with what I was doing.”

 

Most important was likely Helu’s ability to help protect Keller, knowing he wouldn’t have seen the field otherwise. It’s the area Helu says he’s made biggest strides in since his arrival.

 

Helu laughed as he kept being asked about slowing that blitzing linebacker on the winning score.

 

“I never thought when I was younger I’d be getting interviewed about a blitz pick-up,” Helu said. “But you know, that’s part of being a well-rounded back.”

 

That’s what Helu wants to become. Lucky, Glenn and Quentin Castille all rolled into one. Helu has good size and speed, proved he could catch in high school, and rushed for 8 yards per carry as a high school junior.

 

“Roy’s a good football player; he’s going to be really good,” offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said.

 

“He’s a worker, all those kids — him and (Castille) — are, we haven’t given them anything. We want to give them time, because we’re going to need them as we go down the stretch in the Big 12. I know Coach Jordan has a lot of faith in Roy.”

 

Only time will tell when Helu will get his next chance. He says he has bigger expectations for himself than a 9-yard run in the first quarter against Ball State — and believes his teammates expect more of him, also.

 

He insists that even with some playing time, not to mention a slew of people believing in him, nothing changes for Roy Helu.

 

“Nah,” he said. “I’m still a freshman from the Bay Area, just out here playing football for Nebraska.”

 

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BIGREDIOWAN

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he's got that nice forward lean and big thick trunks for legs like Castille, and BJax

Any idea how much Helu weighs now? Seems like he has but a bit of muscle on since his hs playing days.

On huskers.com it has him at 6'0" 210lbs. He will definately be a good running back for us. Our future is looking good at RB......... :thumbs

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