The Upside Down World of T.J. O'Leary

[Husker_Power]

Normally when people put their head between their knees, they are bracing for a crash landing in an aircraft or they’re fourth-graders practicing a tornado drill. However, that’s not the case for me. I have spent the last four years putting my head between my knees for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and experiencing an upside-down Sea of Red.

 

Hello, my name is T.J. O’Leary and I am the long-snapper for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. I am a senior from Omaha, Neb., writing to you from the heart of two-a-days in the middle of Fall Camp 2008. In this blog, I will hopefully provide some insight into what it is like to be a Husker and some of the thoughts and feelings that go along with it.

 

This fall, we entered camp with an attitude of confidence. Our team is coming off a very good summer program that we like to call "Body Built by Dobson," as in football strength coach James Dobson. The team as a whole entered camp feeling stronger than in previous years and the atmosphere is like nothing that I have ever been a part of.

 

There is great excitement and anticipation for this upcoming season. I believe it really stems down from the top. Coach Pelini and his staff have brought back the fun to the game that I play and for the team that I love. Coach Pelini takes a very serious no-nonsense coaching approach to the way he runs this team while at the same time he is very personable and approachable to his players. Coach Pelini has great compassion and really cares about all his players. To me his greatest attribute is his sense of humor. He and his staff keep the team loose and help release some of the pressures we face during fall camp and as student-athletes.

 

The football staff is a mix of old and new. Coach has surrounded himself with people that complement him and the team well. The new staff is really working well with each other and the greatest contribution the staff brings as a whole, from the head coach down to the student managers, is the energy. Everyone brings unbelievable amounts of energy to every practice. The man leading the charge in the energy department is, of course, Coach Ekeler, or as the players refers to him, "Coach Red Bull." I have never seen anything like him. The man will never stop running and jumping around all practice long. He is almost like a cartoon character the way he bounces off the walls. His excitement is contagious. When the coaches are this excited for a two-a-day, it really makes me excited to be part of this team. Even with the great coaches we have, fall camp is still very much a grind.

 

Most people familiar with football know about the things that go on during a fall camp. There are early mornings following late nights. There are two-a-day practices followed by what seems like a never-ending meetings. There is also a battle of attrition and fatigue that every player faces. "Bone on bone" is the term the offensive line has coined for this feeling. It may seem like all we do during the month of August is football, football, football – and that is pretty accurate. Camp does keep us very busy, but we do get some breaks in the day and have time to kill between workouts, practices and meetings. So for people who really want to know the happenings of fall camp, I have compiled a top-five list of things players do to pass the time.

 

Top Five Things The Huskers Do in Fall Camp When We Are Not Practicing

 

5) Study Play Book- this is one of those things no player likes to do, but has to do to be able to compete. There is a huge learning curve that takes place in the meeting rooms. If players want to get on the field, they had better know the plays.

 

4) Facebook or MySpace- with most of our day filled with football and being at the stadium putting in long days, we may get a feeling of isolation. Getting on Facebook or MySpace sometimes seems like your only contact with the outside world.

 

3) Ice baths and heat packs- the necessary evils that go along with fall camp. I don’t know a single person who likes sitting up to their chest in ice water, but at the stadium, there is usually a line to get in to the ice whirlpool. There is a constant cycle of heating yourself up and then icing yourself down during camp and the season.

 

2) Players lounge- our players lounge is really a luxury. It is a place we go to pass the time by shooting pool or by playing video games. The arcade game, Golden Tee, is my favorite. The most popular game on X-box now right would have to be NCAA football or Madden football.

 

1) Naps- players will take every chance they have to get a cat nap. Players will get pretty creative when trying to find a place to catch some Z’s. Any floor space will double as a sleeping area and towels are great pillows in a pinch. I have seen players sleeping in lockers, or my favorite is the padded tables in the training room.

 

Anyway, that’s a little insight to Husker fall camp. Thanks for taking a minute to read this blog and check back every Friday for more views from my (upside down) world.

 

T.J.

 

link

[HuskerTrucker]

this is a Fan-tastic read....thanks.

[melscott62]

coach red bull.. I love it

[bbhusker]

This is awsome.

[hack]

 

[...]

 

The man leading the charge in the energy department is, of course, Coach Ekeler, or as the players refers to him, "Coach Red Bull." I have never seen anything like him. The man will never stop running and jumping around all practice long. He is almost like a cartoon character the way he bounces off the walls. His excitement is contagious. When the coaches are this excited for a two-a-day, it really makes me excited to be part of this team.

 

[...]

 

T.J.

 

link

 

ekeler is going to be the next *big* assistant that everyone is going to be whispering in years to come. if he gets some time in as a defensive coordinator, he'll be a hot commodity when HC jobs come open.

 

my guess: he's gonna end up at K-State after prince completely flames-out.

[Vuren]

 

[...]

 

The man leading the charge in the energy department is, of course, Coach Ekeler, or as the players refers to him, "Coach Red Bull." I have never seen anything like him. The man will never stop running and jumping around all practice long. He is almost like a cartoon character the way he bounces off the walls. His excitement is contagious. When the coaches are this excited for a two-a-day, it really makes me excited to be part of this team.

 

[...]

 

T.J.

 

link

 

ekeler is going to be the next *big* assistant that everyone is going to be whispering in years to come. if he gets some time in as a defensive coordinator, he'll be a hot commodity when HC jobs come open.

 

my guess: he's gonna end up at K-State after prince completely flames-out.

 

i could see it, he was there during the "DOD" for em.

[Husker_x]

 

[...]

 

The man leading the charge in the energy department is, of course, Coach Ekeler, or as the players refers to him, "Coach Red Bull." I have never seen anything like him. The man will never stop running and jumping around all practice long. He is almost like a cartoon character the way he bounces off the walls. His excitement is contagious. When the coaches are this excited for a two-a-day, it really makes me excited to be part of this team.

 

[...]

 

T.J.

 

link

 

ekeler is going to be the next *big* assistant that everyone is going to be whispering in years to come. if he gets some time in as a defensive coordinator, he'll be a hot commodity when HC jobs come open.

 

my guess: he's gonna end up at K-State after prince completely flames-out.

 

Doubtful considering Ekeler will only have a 1/2 a season as a linebackers coach when that happens.