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Jeff Souder shot in North O

HuskerInKC16

By HuskerInKC16,
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  • 2 months later...
NU fan in Denver Scout Team

NU fan in Denver

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OWH

 

Jeff Souder wondered if karma was just catching up to him.

 

 

"I just want to hit some people," UNO linebacker Jeff Souder said. "I've got a lot inside me that I need to get out."

 

Because when he was shot twice in May while trying to break up a post-graduation party fight between two girls, his detour from Nebraska to UNO took an added twist.

 

"I wasn't too happy about it," the former Bellevue West star said. "It kind of opened up a lot of things, too. I had a lot of time to think. I don't want to say I don't take things for granted any more, but I am trying to value more things in my life."

 

Souder feels good now after taking blood thinners for more than two months because of a blood clot, and he's itching to get on the field for real again when the Mavericks open the season Saturday against the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

 

"You've got to feel pretty fortunate that's all that happened," UNO coach Pat Behrns said. "Because we could have been going to a funeral. I don't know what the situation was, but even if you're well-meaning bad things can happen in those situations."

 

One bullet remains in Souder's left leg, near his hip. The other passed through his right leg. Just muscle tears, no bone. Just missed his main artery, though. A scary thought for the 6-foot, 215-pound outside linebacker.

 

What do you tell a guy who joins your program, then gets in that type of predicament?

 

"Whatever is was, we put it behind us and try to move forward," Behrns said. "He has nothing to account for in the past. He has to account for what happens now and in the future. There are three things we ask our people to do - go to school, play football hard, and be a good person. At this point in time, I see no reason why he would not hold up to all three of those."

 

At Nebraska, Souder became a special teams demon as a true freshman last fall and, in part because of injuries, worked his way up to No. 2 weakside linebacker for the Huskers' Alamo Bowl game against Michigan.

 

Still, something didn't seem right to him.

 

"I talked to coach (Bill Callahan) about it, and I almost went back in the spring," Souder said. "We talked for a good hour, and I ended up saying, 'I'm not loving it.' There were times I didn't even know if I wanted to play football - and that's not good. I just didn't feel the spirit."

 

Souder said he has it back now, that it probably never really left. He checked into UNO, and UNO checked into him.

 

"From Nebraska, to them, to us, those people let you know exactly what they think and answer all your questions for you," Behrns said. "The question I asked (Callahan) was if he was worth taking a chance on, and he said, 'Yes, definitely.' I trust that. And he hasn't been wrong yet."

 

Perception is that anyone who gets on the field at Nebraska and transfers to UNO immediately becomes an All-American. That's not always reality. But that doesn't mean that Souder won't be an integral part of the Mavericks' defense and special teams this season.

 

"He's a very talented guy, and that's why we're using him in many ways," defensive coordinator Brad McCaslin said. "But the guy who is starting at that position is pretty darn good, too."

 

Souder enters this week listed No. 2 at strongside linebacker, behind third-year sophomore Jacob Chandler of Ralston.

 

"You've got to learn the system," Souder said, "and I totally understand that move. But I really think I should get on the field and play. There's no doubt in my mind. I know I can play."

 

McCaslin said Souder could be used to shore up the Mavs' cornerback situation, and Souder says he's available to play safety. McCaslin is hesitant to start moving him around though, because it would take away from his development at linebacker.

 

Like Randy Stella, another former Nebraska transfer who played outside linebacker, Souder appears to be a likely candidate to handle kickoff return duties.

 

"He's going to play a lot of football for us," Behrns said. "We'll find places to get him on the field."

 

Like Stella, Souder could become a force in blitz situations.

 

"He's a very physical blitzer," McCaslin said. "He's not a finesse blitzer. He looks for contact."

 

He'll be flying around on special teams again, too.

 

"I just want to hit some people," Souder said. "I've got a lot inside me that I need to get out."

 

Souder said he's still close with several players on the Nebraska team and that he talked to (defensive coordinator) Kevin Cosgrove the other day. He looks around at his new teammates and doesn't know what to expect from a coming season against unfamiliar opponents.

 

"There's some good talent on this team," Souder said. "Not compared to Lincoln and 85 scholarships, but there's more than a few players here who could play Division I football. We might get some others, too, you never know."

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Axl_sued_me Scout Team

Axl_sued_me

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I used to be a bank teller in north Omaha right on 42nd and Ames Ave. And whether you believe it or not, about 70% of the customers were white. So to me, they did not stick out like a sore thumb, I didn't see or hear any shootings, I did not get robbed, and I have worked at that branch for about 2 years. And to be honest, I would feel safer in North or South O than I would in any town in western Nebraska.

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