Nathan Enderle

[np_husker]

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -Idaho quarterback Nathan Enderle insists he won't go into Saturday's game against his home-state Nebraska Cornhuskers with an I'll-show-them attitude.

 

You couldn't blame him if he did, though.

 

Enderle is from North Platte, 225 miles west of Lincoln on Interstate 80, and he said he lived and died with the Big Red as a kid.

 

When no scholarship offer came from former Nebraska coach Bill Callahan five years ago, Enderle was content to don the Vandals' silver and gold.

 

"It's their decision, it's their scholarships to hand out,'' Enderle said Wednesday night from Moscow, Idaho. "I got a scholarship here at Idaho. It's been a real good spot to me, and I've appreciated everything they've done.''

 

Even though Enderle maintains a stoic exterior, and Callahan was replaced by Bo Pelini three years ago, Idaho coach Robb Akey said he knows his fourth-year starter considers the meeting with the sixth-ranked Cornhuskers a red-letter game.

 

"Any time you go back home and play, there is an excitement about that and a great desire to do well,'' Akey said. "He's fired up about this game. At the same time he's taking a very mature approach.

 

"I gave him a hard time (this week). I said to him, `I don't have to worry about you wigging out on this game, do I?' We both laughed.''

 

Good times were few during Enderle's early years at Idaho. Akey is his third head coach. The Vandals lost 21 of 24 games in 2007-08.

 

But last year they went 8-5 and finished fourth in the nine-team Western Athletic Conference after being picked last. They ended the season with a 43-42 Humanitarian Bowl win over Bowling Green, which Enderle produced with a touchdown pass with 4 seconds left and a 2-point conversion pass.

 

"We had to change our mind set,'' Enderle said. "We showed some flashes of being a good football team my first two years but couldn't do it for 60 minutes. The times we were playing bad, we were playing really bad, so people would hang four touchdowns in a row on us and then you're kind of out of the game.''

 

The Vandals, whose home stadium seats 16,000, will play in one of the bastions of college football at 85,000-seat Memorial Stadium. Enderle doesn't think his team will be intimidated.

 

His first start was the 2007 opener at the Los Angeles Coliseum against then-No. 1 USC. He also has played at Arizona and Washington, not to mention conference games against Boise State as it was emerging as a national power.

 

"We've played tough opponents in the past,'' he said. "It's going to be a fun deal to play a very tough defense and a very good offense. We respect everything they do, but we have some stuff we do well ourselves.''

 

Enderle was 24 of 37 for 311 yards and two touchdowns in the Vandals' 45-0 win over FCS team North Dakota last week.

 

Akey said no one would predict an Idaho victory this week. Enderle said the Vandals are used to being underestimated.

 

"Not a lot of people thought we were going to win any games last year,'' he said. "Some people use it as a motivation. They kind of have a chip on their shoulder. Me personally, I just kind of brush it off. I don't care what fans and critics say about me because my whole life I've kind of been an underdog.''

 

Enderle, at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, was a prototype pro-style quarterback coming out of North Platte High.

 

Colorado, Colorado State, New Mexico State and Toledo showed some interest, but only Idaho offered a scholarship. That was only because former offensive coordinator Nate Kaczor knew of Enderle because he tried to recruit his older brother to the Division II University of Nebraska at Kearney, where he previously coached.

 

Callahan became interested in Enderle in December 2005 - a few weeks before signing day - only after top quarterback recruit Josh Freeman broke his pledge and signed with Kansas State.

 

Five years later, Enderle likely will finish his career among the top three career passers at Idaho, and he is emerging as an NFL prospect.

 

He doesn't care if he's called an overachiever. He says he's just doing his thing.

 

"Nobody thought I was going to be a college-type quarterback, and my first two years we didn't have the success the fans wanted, so the first person they look at is the quarterback,'' Enderle said. "I just kind of try and brush that stuff off now.''

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/football/ncaa/wires/09/09/2060.ap.fbc.idaho.qb.homecoming.0842/#ixzz0z2INOLn7

[bleedNUred]

Hm, well I know the defense is going to do it's best to give him his welcoming party

[ESPY]

From Enderle's vantage point, how cool would it be to return to your home state and play against the team you grew up with? Obviously it would be better if you were actually playing on that team, but it kinda has that prodigal son feel to it. I'll cheer loudest for of course, but I won't mind applauding Enderle as well. Once a Nebraskan, always a Nebraskan.

[np_husker]

I think it's cool that North Platte could have two native sons in the NFL next season, Danny Woodhead and Nathan Enderle.

 

I would have loved seeing both play at Nebraska, but I think in both situations the best thing happened that could have happened. They both played at smaller schools and took advantage, where at NU they could have been on the bench much of the time.

[Nate]

I hope he tosses a touchdown pass and gets to listen to the Husker Nation cheer for him, but that's about the only thing I hope he does right on Saturday.

[BOskers]

From Enderle's vantage point, how cool would it be to return to your home state and play against the team you grew up with? Obviously it would be better if you were actually playing on that team, but it kinda has that prodigal son feel to it. I'll cheer loudest for of course, but I won't mind applauding Enderle as well. Once a Nebraskan, always a Nebraskan.

 

 

Agreed.

[papersun87]

Here's hoping he throws a bunch of touchdown passes to Prince Amukamara.

[REDSTEEL]

Even though Enderle maintains a stoic exterior, and Callahan was replaced by Bo Pelini three years ago

 

I get misty eyed everytime I read this part.

[zoogs]

The reason we didn't go after Enderle was because Josh Freeman was our 1 QB for the class, committing on the basis that he would be our lone QB, and told coaches not to worry up until Ron Prince visited and he switched his commitment three days later, in mid December.

 

By the time we went after Enderle, it was too late. So I think Enderle could have come here, and it was his choice, not Nebraska's, that he ended up at Idaho. But he's done very well for himself there, so it's hard to argue.

 

I hope he does well in his homecoming.

[HuskerInLostWages]

Best of luck to the kid is all I have to say. Glad he at least got to play once in Memorial, unfortunately for the other team. :corndance :corndance :corndance :corndance :corndance

 

A bunch of corn dancing for the young man.

[Drowning_in_the_Sea_of_Red]

Here's hoping he throws a bunch of touchdown passes to Prince Amukamara.

 

 

 

Here's to hoping he has an "ok" game.

[NUance]

At the time I wish we would have recruited Enderle. But we didn’t. I’ll be rooting for him every game——except this Saturday.

[TK34]

I just looked at the Idaho depth chart and noticed that there will be more Nebraskans than Idahoans starting for the Vandals.

[Ratt Mhule]

I'm going to quote the sig of Mr. I See Red People...

 

Good luck Enderle, You'll need it!

[NUance]

Way back when he was a kid in North Platte, I’ll bet Nathan Enderle thought it would be more fun to play in Memorial Stadium than it was today for him.