Wald wants to bring hard hits to secondary

[HuskerTrucker]

Wald wants to bring hard hits to secondary

 

By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star

Tuesday, Mar 24, 2009 - 12:15:21 am CDT

 

The high school football coach in Alabama has been in the profession for 37 years. Mason Wald hit as hard as any of them, he says.

 

If you don’t want to take Buddy Anderson’s word for it, there’s evidence floating about in cyberspace, where highlight footage of Wald making wide receivers dizzy can be found.

 

And you better believe some Husker fans have found it. The sophomore safety hasn’t yet played a down in Nebraska’s secondary, but Wald’s high school highlights have already netted him a collection of fans among those who closely follow Husker recruiting.

 

The support is appreciated, but Wald also knows looking back won’t help him move forward. “That’s high school,” Wald said, “so it doesn’t even count anymore.”

 

Wald knows he’s about to take part in a challenging competition for playing time in Nebraska’s defensive back seven. Plenty of youthful promise can be found there, but now is the time to sort out exactly which young players are ready to cash in potential for playing time.

 

Having spent last season on special teams, Wald is anxious to show what he can do at strong safety, the spot from which he delivered all those hard knocks in high school.

 

“I like it,” Wald said of the heavy competition. “Whoever the best guy is should be the person out there. I don’t want to have no competition and play just because there’s nobody else to put in.”

 

What Wald thinks will help him is a year of game action on special teams, where he had six tackles. Wald was one of just five true freshmen who played last year, and two of those five (Sean Fisher and Cameron Meredith) played in just one game and received medical redshirts.

 

“I feel like I understand the speed of the game, the physicality of the game,” Wald said. “I’m definitely glad I (played). I don’t regret it at all. I wanted to play as a freshman. I feel like I can get my degree in four years.”

 

The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder from Vestavia Hills High School in Birmingham, Ala., has always liked hitting.

 

Anderson, his high school coach, recalls a blow Wald delivered to seal a state quarterfinal game. A fourth-down pass across the middle looked like a sure completion. But Wald met the receiver just as the ball arrived.

 

Game over and a headache for the receiver.

 

“That’s just how I think it should be played,” Wald says. “It’s how I’ve always played football. It’s why you’re wearing pads.”

 

Earning playing time won’t be easy this year. Senior Larry Asante seems to have a firm grip on the starting job at strong safety, perhaps the only position in Nebraska’s back seven that appears to have a clear favorite.

 

But Wald is ready to push and maybe surprise. He has surprised before. After all, he wasn’t on many recruiting radar screens while he was in high school before a surprise offer from Nebraska.

 

“I got recruited real late,” Wald said. “I didn’t put myself out there. I didn’t really know how it works. I thought if you’re good, then they’ll just find out about you. But you kind of got to put yourself out there.”

 

Nebraska happened to be recruiting one of Wald’s teammates, Justin Rogers. Husker coaches heard about Wald.

 

The day they saw his highlight tape, they offered a scholarship.

 

Several months later, he was covering kicks in front of 85,000 fans.

 

It was cool, he said. Mind-boggling. “Definitely better than not playing at all.”

 

Love it!

[Enhance]

Great kid it seems. You definitely know a kid is talented if he is already out on the field his Freshman year, even if it is just Special Teams play. Hope he sees some playing time this year.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

In an interview last season on 1620 Will Henry said the hardest he's ever been hit was by Wald in practice.

[HuskerTrucker]

In an interview last season on 1620 Will Henry said the hardest he's ever been hit was by Wald in practice.

Let's only hope it is contagious!

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I hope he pushes Asante hard as I've not been impressed with Asante at all. The kid hits hard, that's very obvious, but we'll see if he can get some serious playing time on defense. I hope he's successful...........

[big kole]

Wald wants to bring hard hits to secondary

 

By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star

Tuesday, Mar 24, 2009 - 12:15:21 am CDT

 

The high school football coach in Alabama has been in the profession for 37 years. Mason Wald hit as hard as any of them, he says.

 

If you don’t want to take Buddy Anderson’s word for it, there’s evidence floating about in cyberspace, where highlight footage of Wald making wide receivers dizzy can be found.

 

And you better believe some Husker fans have found it. The sophomore safety hasn’t yet played a down in Nebraska’s secondary, but Wald’s high school highlights have already netted him a collection of fans among those who closely follow Husker recruiting.

 

The support is appreciated, but Wald also knows looking back won’t help him move forward. “That’s high school,” Wald said, “so it doesn’t even count anymore.”

 

Wald knows he’s about to take part in a challenging competition for playing time in Nebraska’s defensive back seven. Plenty of youthful promise can be found there, but now is the time to sort out exactly which young players are ready to cash in potential for playing time.

 

Having spent last season on special teams, Wald is anxious to show what he can do at strong safety, the spot from which he delivered all those hard knocks in high school.

 

“I like it,” Wald said of the heavy competition. “Whoever the best guy is should be the person out there. I don’t want to have no competition and play just because there’s nobody else to put in.”

 

What Wald thinks will help him is a year of game action on special teams, where he had six tackles. Wald was one of just five true freshmen who played last year, and two of those five (Sean Fisher and Cameron Meredith) played in just one game and received medical redshirts.

 

“I feel like I understand the speed of the game, the physicality of the game,” Wald said. “I’m definitely glad I (played). I don’t regret it at all. I wanted to play as a freshman. I feel like I can get my degree in four years.”

 

The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder from Vestavia Hills High School in Birmingham, Ala., has always liked hitting.

 

Anderson, his high school coach, recalls a blow Wald delivered to seal a state quarterfinal game. A fourth-down pass across the middle looked like a sure completion. But Wald met the receiver just as the ball arrived.

 

Game over and a headache for the receiver.

 

“That’s just how I think it should be played,” Wald says. “It’s how I’ve always played football. It’s why you’re wearing pads.”

 

Earning playing time won’t be easy this year. Senior Larry Asante seems to have a firm grip on the starting job at strong safety, perhaps the only position in Nebraska’s back seven that appears to have a clear favorite.

 

But Wald is ready to push and maybe surprise. He has surprised before. After all, he wasn’t on many recruiting radar screens while he was in high school before a surprise offer from Nebraska.

 

“I got recruited real late,” Wald said. “I didn’t put myself out there. I didn’t really know how it works. I thought if you’re good, then they’ll just find out about you. But you kind of got to put yourself out there.”

 

Nebraska happened to be recruiting one of Wald’s teammates, Justin Rogers. Husker coaches heard about Wald.

 

The day they saw his highlight tape, they offered a scholarship.

 

Several months later, he was covering kicks in front of 85,000 fans.

 

It was cool, he said. Mind-boggling. “Definitely better than not playing at all.”

 

Love it!

 

 

 

I love his attitude and the way he plays the game.That said his speed or lack there f may limit his PT as far as Safety goes.

[Eric the Red]

He can hit, but can he learn and understand the schemes?

[huskered17]

I hope he pushes Asante hard as I've not been impressed with Asante at all. The kid hits hard, that's very obvious, but we'll see if he can get some serious playing time on defense. I hope he's successful...........

 

 

GBR!!!