Eric the Red
Team HuskerBoard
Nebraska seniors saw good, bad times
By ERIC OLSON, AP Sports Writer
November 23, 2006
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Nebraska says farewell Friday to a senior class that served as a bridge from the Cornhuskers' program of old.
The staff of Frank Solich recruited all 18 seniors, including 11 who are in their fifth seasons. The fifth-year players saw the purge of assistant coaches in 2002, and all were here for the firing of Solich in 2003.
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And they were part of Bill Callahan's first team two years ago that, at 5-6, posted the first losing record at Nebraska (8-3, 5-2 Big 12) since 1961.
After Friday's game against Colorado (2-9, 2-5), the seniors and their teammates will play for Nebraska's first conference championship since 1999 in the Big 12 title game.
"We've been through the kind of changes that haven't been seen at Nebraska in 30 years or so," fullback Dane Todd said.
Callahan said the seniors have provided strong leadership for the underclassmen.
"They've watched everything unfold in three years' time -- from the bad, to the good, to the ugly. They've seen it all," Callahan said. "They are a strong-minded, strong-willed group of players. They are pretty cerebral."
The senior class will leave its mark on the record book.
Zac Taylor is the school's all-time leading passer, Matt Herian is the career leader in catching and receiving yards by a tight end, and Adam Carriker and Jay Moore rank among the top 10 on the career tackles for loss list.
Eleven of the seniors are native Nebraskans, and five are former walk-ons.
"It's an impressive group," Callahan said. "They'll be successful once they leave Nebraska and graduate, whether they play pro ball or not. They're going to represent Nebraska and themselves awfully well."
Todd, who grew up in Lincoln, said even though there have been plenty of hard times the last four or five years, he has tried to live up to the program's motto: "I Play for Nebraska."
"I signed a letter that said I was going to play football for Nebraska for a year," Todd said. "I re-signed that letter every single year.
"It doesn't say who I'm going to play for, what (position) I'm going to play or what kind of system I'm going to play in. It says I'm going to be here committed to Nebraska. So that's the way I've approached it, regardless of who was coaching or what the coaching was. I was going to take it and do what I could with it."
Updated on Thursday, Nov 23, 2006 3:19 pm
By ERIC OLSON, AP Sports Writer
November 23, 2006
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Nebraska says farewell Friday to a senior class that served as a bridge from the Cornhuskers' program of old.
The staff of Frank Solich recruited all 18 seniors, including 11 who are in their fifth seasons. The fifth-year players saw the purge of assistant coaches in 2002, and all were here for the firing of Solich in 2003.
ADVERTISEMENT
And they were part of Bill Callahan's first team two years ago that, at 5-6, posted the first losing record at Nebraska (8-3, 5-2 Big 12) since 1961.
After Friday's game against Colorado (2-9, 2-5), the seniors and their teammates will play for Nebraska's first conference championship since 1999 in the Big 12 title game.
"We've been through the kind of changes that haven't been seen at Nebraska in 30 years or so," fullback Dane Todd said.
Callahan said the seniors have provided strong leadership for the underclassmen.
"They've watched everything unfold in three years' time -- from the bad, to the good, to the ugly. They've seen it all," Callahan said. "They are a strong-minded, strong-willed group of players. They are pretty cerebral."
The senior class will leave its mark on the record book.
Zac Taylor is the school's all-time leading passer, Matt Herian is the career leader in catching and receiving yards by a tight end, and Adam Carriker and Jay Moore rank among the top 10 on the career tackles for loss list.
Eleven of the seniors are native Nebraskans, and five are former walk-ons.
"It's an impressive group," Callahan said. "They'll be successful once they leave Nebraska and graduate, whether they play pro ball or not. They're going to represent Nebraska and themselves awfully well."
Todd, who grew up in Lincoln, said even though there have been plenty of hard times the last four or five years, he has tried to live up to the program's motto: "I Play for Nebraska."
"I signed a letter that said I was going to play football for Nebraska for a year," Todd said. "I re-signed that letter every single year.
"It doesn't say who I'm going to play for, what (position) I'm going to play or what kind of system I'm going to play in. It says I'm going to be here committed to Nebraska. So that's the way I've approached it, regardless of who was coaching or what the coaching was. I was going to take it and do what I could with it."
Updated on Thursday, Nov 23, 2006 3:19 pm