Winning key factor among 2009 recruits

[Husker_Power]

Winning key factor among 2009 recruits

Lincoln Journal Star

 

The last time North Shore High lost a regular-season football game, Thaddeus Randle, a Nebraska defensive tackle recruit from the suburban Houston school in Galena Park, Texas, was a fourth-grader.

 

Think about that for a moment while you're wondering whether the latest collection of talent Bo Pelini has assembled for Nebraska will wind up having what it takes to become difference makers.

 

"The teams we play are high-caliber football. The numbers of quality players are phenomenal, so to win the way we do against that competition, he's not going to be in awe of anything he'll face," North Shore coach David Aymond said of Randle. "Yes, he'll be in awe as a freshman when he sees a 21-year-old senior who's built himself in that program. But I'm talking about when he plays in the Big 12. He's going to line up against players he played against in high school."

 

And be quite comfortable, because the demands of succeeding in a big-time program like Aymond's has Randle prepared for the next step.

 

Remember, he comes from a place that's won 78 straight regular-season games.

 

"They expect to win and work hard to win," Aymond said of his players. "They play with that intensity. If we get you a highlight DVD on (Thaddeus), you're going to see what I'm talking about."

 

Randle is hardly the only recruit in Nebraska's class, currently at 20 two days before players can sign a binding commitment, who hails from that background.

 

* Quarterback Cody Green totaled 4,278 yards and 56 touchdowns while leading Dayton (Texas) High School to a 13-1 mark into the Class 4A Division II title game.

 

* Defensive back DeAndre Byrd helped Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln to the Class 4A championship contest.

 

* Taylor Martinez quarterbacked Corona (Calif.) Centennial to a 15-0 state championship season.

 

* Running back Rex Burkhead, who had 6,373 all-purpose yards in his career, helped Plano High become one of the most successful programs in Texas' largest classification. This season, Plano lost a tooth-and-nail second-round playoff shootout to Euless Trinity for the second straight year. Trinity, the 5A champion in 2007 and winner of 27 straight games before falling in the quarterfinals, will be sending running back recruit Dontrayevous Robinson to the Huskers.

 

There's also Lazarri Middleton, a cornerback at Long Beach (Calif.) Polytechnic who helped his team to its 18th CIF section title and a spot in the state's open division bowl game.

 

"I definitely feel it's given me a competitive edge," Middle said of coming from a dominant high school program, "and that's always a big thing on the college level. Everyone is good there — it's who's going to the extra yard (who will achieve at the highest level). Our whole class, we've all come from the winning program."

 

Nebraska would seem to be putting a lot of stock into that philosophy, which only makes sense. Get enough players who have that winning edge and they don't see any other option.

 

As Middleton noted, the motto at Polytechnic is: Home of scholars and champions.

 

"There's a higher expectation for themselves and their teammates," Middleton said of players who come from powerhouses. "You don't like losing. I don't like losing 'Monopoly.' And I think that's a good trait to have. If you don't like losing, you're not going to lose."

 

At North Shore, Aymond has a 15-member coaching staff and three full-time trainers. As he points out, coaching football is not just something he's doing to supplement his income. It's his livelihood.

 

And so when Randle gets to Lincoln, he's not likely to be bowled over by the time commitment he'll be expected to invest, because he's had a similar experience.

 

"Our offseason program is stringent. You know, it's boot camp all year around," said Aymond, who in 15 years at North Shore has seen around 160 of his players get college scholarships, more than 50 of whom have gone Division I-A. "Players come out of here emotionally tough and mentally tough. That's a big part of the game. If you're not mentally tough, it's doesn't matter how you look on the hoof."

 

Take Middleton, for instance. While he spends hours in the weight room preparing his body for the rigors of the game, he's doing a lot more than just lifting weights.

 

"It tests your (will)," Middleton said. "When you arms are burning and burning, and you want to stop, our weight coach makes sure we don't stop. It's going to push you to the limit every single day.

 

"It's a big-time commitment. It's not always asked of you, but if you want to be successful, that's what you have to do. I've prepared myself."

 

But what really makes Middleton feel even better about where he's headed is learning that a lot of his fellow incoming classmates have become just as used to winning.

 

"That is one of the things that attracted me," he said. "In talking to some of the guys in the class, we've all come from real good schools. And Coach Pelini is used to winning, so we will win."

[glm09]

It will be cool to see how all of these recruits mesh with one another...it seems their common goal will be victories and that they are willing to put in the work to achieve it.

[AR Husker Fan]

A good philosophy...