Players, coaches have a different view of Bo Pelini

[Nexus]

 

 

Think you have him pegged?

 

What, because you've seen the veins bulging from his neck in the heat of a crucial game? Because of some of those gruff postpractice interviews that are analyzed like the Zapruder film in this football-frenzied state?

 

Sure, that's undeniably part of Bo Pelini. There's no doubt that he can come across as very serious, says junior defensive tackle Jared Crick.

 

He recalls the first time he walked into Pelini's office.

 

Crick was just some freshman from Cozad who hadn't played a down. This was his first one-on-one encounter with the new Nebraska football coach.

 

"I was kind of nervous, I'm not going to lie," Crick says. "Because he's an intimidating guy. You see how fiery he can be on TV, so I didn't want to say the wrong thing and have him yell at me."

 

But what Crick has found, and what those who associate with Pelini on a daily basis have found, is that 10-second sound bites and zoomed-in camera shots of an animated Bo fail to provide a tidy summation of what the coach is all about.

 

In this Twitter-crazed world where we try to capture the essence of a topic or even a person in 140 characters or less, we often let the details gather dust in a back-room closet.

 

Well, that creates a problem when it comes to analyzing Pelini because, you see, he's sort of all about the details. The details are why, after just two seasons, the Huskers have gone from a punch line to a top 10 ranking.

 

"He's got a vision," says Husker tight ends coach Ron Brown, also an assistant under Tom Osborne and Frank Solich. "He doesn't carry himself as though he's some sort of suave businessman. He's a ball coach, but has a very creative mind to go with it."

 

The public generally sees Pelini only in snippets, usually amid the fire of competition or in the moments directly after it.

 

Occasionally, it makes for difficult viewing. Take last year's postgame at Virginia Tech. "You saw what happened," Pelini snapped after a question about the game's key play. "Let's go to the next question."

 

OK, so he's sometimes blunt. Husker fans haven't seemed to mind.

 

And when it comes to the view of someone inside the program, Brown says Pelini is one of the most down-to-earth guys you'll meet.

 

"There's no presumption, there's no pretension. There's no, ‘I'm the big dog.' He's like one of us," Brown says. "But there's also no doubt about who's the leader. And I think God has given him the ability to never negotiate the non-negotiable. That's what I like about him. There's not a whole lot of gray in our system."

 

***

 

Pelini is described in many different ways by those in the Husker camp.

 

A perfectionist. Funny. Brutally honest. Mercurial. Passionate. An outside-the-box-thinker. A motivator.

 

Players didn't find any sympathy in their first meeting with Pelini when he arrived days after the conclusion of a 5-7 season.

 

What they were told was that type of season was flat unacceptable.

 

"I tell you what," Brown says. "He's not going to let people feel sorry for themselves, which is a great trait because that's the last thing you need. The last thing these kids needed or anybody who went through a tough season needed was for people to feel sorry for themselves. No. That's not who you are. You are made of tougher stuff than that. And he convinced them of that."

 

People see Pelini's intensity on the sideline and wonder what it must be like to work alongside him.

 

"It's great," says Brown.

 

"It's great," says Carl Pelini, Nebraska's defensive coordinator.

 

Loyal is the word Carl uses to describe his brother.

 

"He's very loyal to everybody," Carl says. "He's very demanding, but he's more demanding of himself. He's an intense son-of-a-gun and he wears his emotions on his sleeve. It doesn't take long to find out if he's having a good day or a bad day, that's for sure.

 

"He's intense. And I think everybody has a different opinion about that intensity, but it's served him well and it's served this program well. I think our players appreciate that intensity and fierce loyalty."

 

That loyalty is probably a leading reason you've seen Nebraska move from the gutter to its current spot.

 

Give such loyalty to your players and don't be surprised if they provide you everything in return on a football field.

 

According to Husker sophomore tight end Ben Cotton, players know that Pelini will go to bat for them in about any circumstance.

 

"He's got our backs," Cotton says, "and that's why I'm confident in saying this whole team has his back, too."

 

***

 

Oh, there have been tears along the way.

 

Before his first fall camp as head coach, Pelini had players and coaches stand up and tell everyone who they were, what their background was, the good moments, the tough moments.

 

It's not always easy to get a young man between the ages of 18 to 22 to open up, but one voice after another shared.

 

"We heard things we normally wouldn't hear," Brown says. "It wasn't a soft place. It was tough. But it was a safe place. I mean, guys were crying, guys were spilling their guts about their childhood. People wonder, ‘What does that have to do with lining up and playing against whoever?' It has everything to do with it. Because there was a brotherhood that was built then that has set the tone."

 

Pelini has continued to hold such meetings before every fall camp.

 

Those meetings have connected players in a way some artificial introduction or even a two-a-day practice can't accomplish.

 

Crick often found himself nodding his head as teammates spoke.

 

"We want to walk around acting like we're real tough, but deep down we all have feelings, so when you really hear about a guy's story, where he comes from, what he's had to do to get to this position, you really feel for him because you can relate," Crick says. "It's like, ‘I had to do the same things to get here. I'm with you.'

 

"Some guys, this is their family, this is the only sense of family they have."

 

***

 

If only togetherness won you every game.

 

Even when unified, you don't build a program back to respectability without a few overcast days along the way.

 

Carl Pelini thinks back to 2008. A nine-win season, but also some stinging defeats. A gut-wrenching loss at Texas Tech. A five-touchdown whipping at the hands of Missouri -- at Memorial Stadium, no less.

 

"We had some awful losses," Carl says. "But talking to those ex-players on that team, they said the biggest moment was when they showed up on Monday after a big loss or big win and realized that our approach was going to stay consistent. It was still a Monday and we still had another game to prepare for."

 

Part of that approach has been to pronounce loudly that every day is a competition. No starting job is ever secure -- even if you started every game last year, even if your name was Suh.

 

When players are tired during winter conditioning, no one is to hang his head. A team rule.

 

"They don't look down, everyone's looking up," Brown says. "You carry yourself with dignity. You walk around like you've kicked exhaustion in the butt. You don't let it kick your butt."

 

A small detail, maybe. But stack enough small ones atop each other and maybe you have something special.

 

"We expect them to unquestionably do what we ask them to do knowing that they can trust us," Carl says.

 

And if those standards aren't met? If there's a bad day of practice?

 

Players hear the same no-nonsense assessment from Bo Pelini that the media and fan base do when it's over.

 

"He's brutally honest with you," Cotton says. "If we have a practice where we look a little bit sluggish, he'll tell us. If we have an up-tempo, good, sharp practice, he'll tell us that too. He's going to give it to you the way it lays out. I think that's the best part about him -- his honesty with the team."

 

Honesty, yes. Humor?

 

It's a part of Pelini the public maybe doesn't see as much. But players see plenty of it.

 

"When our business is done, he's very light," Crick says. "He cracks jokes and he's a real fun guy to be around. I mean, he's got a great sense of humor. But I guess it would be tough. Most people only see him when he's angry during games, when he's yelling at people. But that's definitely not just Coach Bo."

 

***

 

Now, perhaps the big payoff.

 

Year Three is here. Optimism is overflowing.

 

The culture Pelini wanted to instill has now become habit.

 

Also not to be underestimated is the fact all nine of the full-time assistants he hired three years ago remain on the staff.

 

"He works extremely hard without being a workaholic," Brown says. "He has a great deal of appreciation for everybody's private lives, so it's been great to work with him. I think all of us feel like we can coach our position, and even though he oversees it, we don't feel like we have someone breathing down our necks."

 

Brown calls it a staff with "great camaraderie."

 

Pelini wanted his football program to feel like a family. Crick considers that mission accomplished.

 

"We're not just a team that goes out on Saturdays and plays together and that's it," Crick says. "We're a tightly knit group that would do anything for each other. I couldn't say that my freshman year because I didn't believe it. But this year, guys would do anything for each other. That's a true statement."

 

LINK

 

 

[EbylHusker]

Good read, thanks for posting it.

[AllTheGoodNamesAreTaken]

HOLY CRAP TOMORROW CANT COME FAST ENOUGH

[HuskerJosh]

Huh, I think there are *some people* on this board who would do well to read this.

[Hercules]

This seems fishy... Where are all the quotes about Pelini needing to be "nicer and show some respect?"

[mmmtodd]

but hes not giving lee a fair shake i tell you! hes a big meanie, picking on a poor qb!

[Redmusky]

but hes not giving lee a fair shake i tell you! hes a big meanie, picking on a poor qb!

During a game hes a big meanie, picking on a poor qb,lb,ol,dl.db.rb,wr,coaches,fans,reporters,oh Zebras did I miss anybody.

[HuskersGJ]

but hes not giving lee a fair shake i tell you! hes a big meanie, picking on a poor qb!

During a game hes a big meanie, picking on a poor qb,lb,ol,dl.db.rb,wr,coaches,fans,reporters,oh Zebras did I miss anybody.

cheerleaders and band members?

oh, and the AD.

[Redmusky]

but hes not giving lee a fair shake i tell you! hes a big meanie, picking on a poor qb!

During a game hes a big meanie, picking on a poor qb,lb,ol,dl.db.rb,wr,coaches,fans,reporters,oh Zebras did I miss anybody.

cheerleaders and band members?

oh, and the AD.

well he really covered the DB DL LB's D coaches after the game I guess we will not be handing out blackshirts this week

[huskered17]

Bo has a chance to do great things with this program. The only problems he may have is keeping his staff together, year after year. I would like him to be able to replace anyone who leaves, with a former Husker, that is capable of being able to step in and doing the same type, or better job, and maybe keep them there longer.

Bo reminds me so much of Bob Devaney, in the way he approaches the game, his tough attitude on the sidelines and his willingness to let his coaches, coach. Devaney handed the reigns to Osborne to build an offence and M. Kiffin for the defense, and lead the team to 2 N/C and a shot at a third.

Bo has that same fire in him. Should be a smooth transition to the Big-10, if the staff will stay with him 1 more year at least.

 

GBR!!!

[Count 'Bility]

Bo has a chance to do great things with this program. The only problems he may have is keeping his staff together, year after year. I would like him to be able to replace anyone who leaves, with a former Husker, that is capable of being able to step in and doing the same type, or better job, and maybe keep them there longer.

Bo reminds me so much of Bob Devaney, in the way he approaches the game, his tough attitude on the sidelines and his willingness to let his coaches, coach. Devaney handed the reigns to Osborne to build an offence and M. Kiffin for the defense, and lead the team to 2 N/C and a shot at a third.

Bo has that same fire in him. Should be a smooth transition to the Big-10, if the staff will stay with him 1 more year at least.

 

GBR!!!

 

When it comes to keeping the staff together-i know the world of college football has changed-but if a coach really instills himself into the culture of this state and believes he is a part of something special here, then they will stay no matter what, and then you end up with the solich's, youngs, tenopirs, and darlingtons. That's why it's so special here, and Callahan and Peterson lost sight of that. Nebraska is more than x's and o's and coaches and 5 stars, it always has been, and Bo Pelini, tho from Ohio, is Nebraska, and people from other parts of the country just dont get it.

[irieboy8]

great article nexus........

 

 

i know of course bo being the head coach we've had a lot written on him... and that article came close to where i wanted it to go but i wish they dug a little deep into who bo really is.. but bo being bo i dont think we'll ever see that happen... great snapshot however

[HuskerTrucker]

GBR! Have a lot more faith in him as a coach, and as a person than I could have ever had in either Solich or Callahan. I think he is just a more rounded person as a whole than either of those guys. One guy I would want in my corner no matter what I was facing, because I know he would be there.