Menelik Holt

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

Holt wants to contribute for NU

 

 

 

By Mike Babcock

For The Independent

 

LINCOLN -- Here's an attitude a coach can appreciate.

 

"I'm expecting to work hard in camp, and hopefully I'll learn this offense, do things I'm supposed to do and I'll get on the field. But I can't expect anything because I haven't deserved it yet," Menelik Holt said after Nebraska football practice on Tuesday. "If I deserve it, I'll get on the field."

 

Deserve it? Now, that's how a freshman is supposed to approach things.

 

"If I keep working hard, day in and day out, I'll be on the field," said Holt.

 

His comments were in response to questions about whether he expected to play without redshirting, a topic most newcomers are asked to address the first time they deal with reporters.

 

Given the opportunity, of course, Holt will play this season. He'll do anything to help the team. That might be as a wide receiver, the position for which he was recruited. Or that might be on special teams. Holt has been practicing with the punt return and kickoff coverage units.

 

The coaches are "putting me wherever they can, so why not?" he said.

 

He could benefit from playing on special teams in his first collegiate season. "You get used to the speed of the game. You get used to contact with bigger people. You get used to crowd noise and stuff like that, adjusting," he said. "I think any getting on the field is good for a young guy."

 

Holt is among three wide receivers in coach Bill Callahan's 2006 recruiting class. Junior college transfer Maurice Purify and freshman Will Henry are the others. All three meet the criteria set by Callahan. They're "big-bodied," tall and physical. Defensive backs won't push them around.

 

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Holt brings impressive credentials. He was among the first to give the Cornhuskers an oral commitment a year ago in June, following a productive senior season at San Diego's St. Augustine High School -- from which place-kicker Jordan Congdon also came.

 

Holt caught 62 passes for 790 yards and 13 touchdowns his final year.

 

His only official recruiting visit was to Nebraska. "I don't think I could have liked any school any more," Holt said. "My thing is, if it's not broken, don't fix it."

 

He didn't dislike anything about Nebraska, "so why go anywhere else?"

 

Initially, he and quarterback Josh Freeman were going to come to Nebraska as a kind of package deal. Freeman changed his mind, however, and signed with Kansas State instead.

 

Holt doesn't hold that against Freeman, who is competing for the starting job in Manhattan, Kan. "It happens a lot when kids make decisions," he said. "Determining the next four years of your life is hard for any kid, whether 17, 18, 21. It's hard to predict what you want to do, where you're going to be.

 

"If he felt iffy at all, I would hate for him to have come here and not been comfortable. If he felt comfortable at Kansas State, God bless you. Do the best you can and hopefully you play."

 

If he ever had to tackle Freeman, however, "I wouldn't be too nice," said Holt.

 

That's unlikely, considering they both play offense.

 

Apparently, some or all of the Cornhuskers' new wide receivers -- Purify got a late start because of transfer paperwork -- have shown signs of being able to contribute immediately. Wide receivers Isaiah Fluellen and Tyrell Spain have been moved to the secondary the past two days.

 

The first couple of practices were "pretty tough," Holt said. "I learned terminology. I'm learning formations and where to line up. I see older guys like Terrence (Nunn) and Nate (Swift) and Todd (Peterson), all the receivers, running routes and getting open. So I believe in the system.

 

"I believe it's going to work. I believe in Coach Callahan. I believe in all of our coaches. So as long as we do our part, they're going to fulfill their job and help us win games."

 

Doing his part could mean playing on special teams, if nothing else.

 

"Any man who generally wants to play football, it doesn't matter where he is on the field. If they tell me, 'Meno, you're not too great of a receiver, we need you on special teams, I'm going to have to do that whether I like it or not. So hopefully I can be the best at that," said Holt. "People do go to the next level for playing special teams. You can always be successful doing whatever you do on the field."

 

Attitude is important at every level. And Holt seems to have the right one.

 

"I just want to give it all I can," he said, see where that takes him.

[KansasHusker]

If he ever had to tackle Freeman, however, "I wouldn't be too nice," said Holt.

 

Don't worry...the Blackshirts will have that well handled.

[Alex 4.0]

Thank you Meno!

The kid seems very well spoken, hopefully this is the tune he sings for the next 4 or 5 years. I expect him to be a good receiver for us, maybe not this year, but somewhere along the line. And Will Henry too, Will kinda looked gangly so a lot of people want him to RS to hit the weights, but he had some fairly impressive bench and squat numbers for a guy of his build IIRC, i think he could play some WR before most of us realize with his height and jumping ability.

 

any of you see the WR from Florida State, Carr is his name, he had that build and he came from nowhere and was making leaping TD catches over DBs in almost every game.

 

 

"I believe it's going to work. I believe in Coach Callahan. I believe in all of our coaches. So as long as we do our part, they're going to fulfill their job and help us win games."

 

3 years ago there werent a whole lot of the guys that said this, but i get the feeling that there are a lot of players on this team that are thinking this way

[KansasHusker]

any of you see the WR from Florida State, Carr is his name, he had that build and he came from nowhere and was making leaping TD catches over DBs in almost every game.

I know who you speak of...It would be great if Meno or Henry turned out like him with their similar builds and athleticism.

[Redman]

3 years ago there werent a whole lot of the guys that said this, but i get the feeling that there are a lot of players on this team that are thinking this way

Hopefully they have all left (some recently). I am tired of this "I was good in high school, so I deserve to play" attitude. Kudos to Meno! GBR!

[husker rob]

sounds like he has a great attitude, cnat wait to see what he can do on the field

[admo]

I agree. This is a great article. Holt has the talent and the right attitude. It comes at a time that is refreshing to hear.

 

He has that "I'll do whatever it takes & learn from my teammates, my coaches & get better" attitude. That's a football player that is going to have success. That made my day.

[GSG]

It doesn't come as a surprise that they are looking at him for the kickoff coverage team. His game film on rivals showed him lighting some people up on kickoffs. ONLY 22 MORE DAYS!!!

[ttheKid1*18]

Good with all the recruiting services out there, where kids can see how highly ranked they are, that a kid with this talent doesn't want the job given to him. He wants to earn it. I can't wait to see this kid near the goal line, making some big time catches!

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

6-foot-4, 215-pound and Callahan doesn't consider him "big-bodied"? Oh man...how big are Purify and Henry? I hope he gets his rotations in at WR. We need his size out there.

 

But I love this line:

 

"If I deserve it, I'll get on the field."

 

Deserve it? Now, that's how a freshman is supposed to approach things.

 

"If I keep working hard, day in and day out, I'll be on the field," said Holt.

 

Great attitude!

[gamecocks]

I love the fact that is working with special teams to get the speed of the game down. I think he will definetly contribute down the road in a huge way for this Huskers team.

[ttheKid1*18]

I can't wait to see all these new big bodied receivers. It really gets you excited for the future, with more of these big guys playing for the Big Red.

[Alex 4.0]

I understand that you wanna get the best players possible irregardless of speed or size. Size seems to be more important in our offense right now....And its great that some of the guys we have are big AND fast.... but i dont know if any of them are "Burners"

 

anyone want to guess if we will start going after some flat out burners now that we are getting a good group of big receivers established???

[husker rob]

what do you consider a burner? dont we have recievers that have 4.4 speed? that is pretty damn fast in my book

[Alex 4.0]

yeah, they are fast running one direction... but Teddy Ginn Jr. fast? Reggie Bush fast? I wanna see a guy that can cut and juke at the receiving position. yes i understand they are a "different breed" of player and guys like that are usually highly recruited... but that is the type of playmaker i am talking about. maybe now you understand?