Walk on program

[STL Husker]

True, Callahan didn't "kill" the walk-on program.

 

True, he brought in a number of walk-ons.

 

Also true during that time (based on guys I knew in the program) the attitude towards them changed as far as how the coaching staff viewed them. Instead of being looked at as a possible good resource for the program, the coaching staff had an attitude (and instilled it in the scholarship players) that they were never going to amount to anything and didn't give them much of a chance.

 

So, yes, it was still there. There were still walk-on players. But, it wasn't used in the same way to benefit the program.

More of the blame for "killing" the walk on program goes on Stevey P. This is what happens when you bring in an NFL coach. He came with the mindset that a draft pick will get more opportunities than the undrafted FA due to money. I can't blame him for carrying some of that over to the walk on program. But I also agree that this is over exaggerated. There is actually very little that is unique to Nebraska's walk on program other than it's history. You have to recruit alot of these walkons almost as much as a blue chip recruit, and I would rather have our time spent on better bets.

[Elf]

I know this was a highly successful program that, correct me if I'm wrong, Clownahan basically did away with. What about Riley, anybody know if he had walk ons in Oregon? Walk ons can be pretty good football players, Schlesinger wasn't bad, Clay Mathews walked on at USC and aint bad either...

 

Callahan didn't do away with the walk on program, he just reduced the number of walk ons to make it more manageable. And he wasn't the first coach to reduce the number of walk ons either.

[Elf]

Looks like my previous post was a little late to the party.