Athlon Sports: Can Mike Riley Make Nebraska Football Great Again?

I feel that Riley has surrounded himself with a GREAT staff as well. Literally guys that are experts at what they do. Also feel like we have some position coaches that are happy with being position coaches.

 
Hedley Lamarr said:
I feel that Riley has surrounded himself with a GREAT staff as well. Literally guys that are experts at what they do. Also feel like we have some position coaches that are happy with being position coaches.
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Hell, last year we had a position coach that was happy with being a DC

 
I would always be interested to see if Alabama had a streak like ours. Or any top teir program. Always finding a way to lose four games, and not coming close to competing in a championship. I think in each case it would be like ours.

 
Stumpy1 said:
huskered17 said:
Blanket statement or not. That hurts to here of any players with that attitude. It s hard to fill the team with the same passion as TO's. We had a lot of more Neb boys walking on in those days.

GBR!!!
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I don't think it has to do with Neb boys but just the overall attitude of kids these days compared to back then. I see it first hand with the high school kids and even some of the younger kids in the town I live in.
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Do you find them to be "whippersnappers" who should "get off your lawn?"

 
huKSer said:
“These players don’t have the same commitment to the program,” Taylor says. “They say, ‘Oh, well, there’s always next year.’ Dude, this is Nebraska! - [/size]
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Bell on Bo: "If 9 wins, 10 wins isn't good enough for you, I don't know who you should be a fan of." #Huskers #GBR

Bell: "Honestly, the guy can't do much more but win. Obviously we want conference championships but sometimes it's not in the cards"#Huskers

KB: "Its not easy to come out & win every single week. We dropped a big one last week. We dropped big ones in the past too, but..."#Huskers
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These are not the things you want to hear one of the leaders of your team say.

I'm sure Bo was proud. KB taking to twitter to "fight those demons" at the gates of hell. Well the gates of hell aren't leading to Memorial Stadium, and most of our fan base is a highly regarded bunch by most of the country.

This is just the stuff KB was willing to say on Twitter. The things said to teammates in everyday life had to be draining to the teams drive and moral.

I'm hoping this mentality has left with Kenny and any others spreading this acceptance of mediocrity and underperforming. There's obviulsy going to be some remnants of this through the team but I'm hoping some of the new leaders are men enough to stomp this garbage out quickly.

It's truly a weak mentality.

 
I have said it before, we have a coach that wants to be here. We have assistants that want to be here, that are qualified to be here. This is a gigantic change. I do not expect NC or CC this year or next or maybe the following, but expect to see a team that improves game by game, season by season. I expect to see a team, not a bunch of prima donnas whining about not having enough to eat, and killing demons.

I knew the previous coaches poisonous mind set many years ago. So happy we have at least given the kids a chance to learn, to improve and love Nebraska. That is what is needed.

 
The players would run through a wall for Coach Osborne. All of them. The players would run through a wall for Bo, if they were in the clique. Not all were. No player would run through a wall for Calahan. None of them. Now, if Mike Riley can inspire them to that level, from the ball boys to the quarterback, from the 5 year scholarship players to the first year walkons, then we will have something. But they have to have the heart, desire, and be willing to make some sacrifices, to get there. They have to realize they will have to work harder than anyone in the Big Ten conference this summer and during the season at practice to get there. We have had too many players recruited with the promise that "I can get you drafted into the NFL". There is a limit to how much those players will give of themselves. Mike Riley is going to be a nice guy. But he is not going to be TO. He better be able to inspire his players to achieve things they never thought possible for themselves. When he does that we will be able to beat Ohio State and Michigan State. (and Minnesota).

 
Stumpy1 said:
huskered17 said:
Blanket statement or not. That hurts to here of any players with that attitude. It s hard to fill the team with the same passion as TO's. We had a lot of more Neb boys walking on in those days.

GBR!!!
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I don't think it has to do with Neb boys but just the overall attitude of kids these days compared to back then. I see it first hand with the high school kids and even some of the younger kids in the town I live in.
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^^ Bingo, look around the country, theres really no team in the country that plays with the passion they did in the 90's. The "swagger" just isnt a thing anymore

 
Nobody plays with swagger anymore because it's probably a 15 yard penalty to look like you are enjoying yourself on the field.

 
There is a big difference between hopping around, jumping all over each, making a bunch of gestures etc and swagger

The swagger the dominant NU teams of the past wasnt about false bravado

They just came out onto the field very focused and confident that they were going to play physical and effective football

So did the opposition- who often times were looking for a soft place to lay down in the 3rd or 4th quarters

If youve been a part of a team like that- you know what Im talking about- inner passion and legit confidence in the end outcome

That comes from demonstrated and consistent excellence in the offseason and practice- not some false bravado thing prior to the game

 
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It has a lot less to do with 'passion' and 'commitment' than it does with many other factors. Face the facts kids, there have been plenty of players since TO's days that loved being at Nebraska and played their hearts out.

Shifting demographics, lower scholarship limits, changing TV markets, etc. etc. are the reason for the decline of Nebraska football.

I guess blaming it on something as fixable as 'want to' or 'commitment' is easier than the reality?

 
jmfb said:
There is a big difference between hopping around, jumping all over each, making a bunch of gestures other etc and swagger

The swagger the dominant NU teams of the past wasnt about false bravado

They just came out onto the field very focused and confident that they were going to play physical and effective football

So did the opposition- who often times were looking for a soft place to lay down in the 3rd or 4th quarters

If youve been a part of a team like that- you know what Im talking about- inner passion and legit confidence in the end outcome

That comes from demonstrated and consistent excellence in the offseason and practice- not some false bravado thing prior to the game
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I have played on very good teams and you are wrong on your assessment of swagger. Those 90's teams jumped around, taunted and made gestures all the time. No different then what they do know except they backed it up.

 
Dr. Strangelove said:
It has a lot less to do with 'passion' and 'commitment' than it does with many other factors. Face the facts kids, there have been plenty of players since TO's days that loved being at Nebraska and played their hearts out.

Shifting demographics, lower scholarship limits, changing TV markets, etc. etc. are the reason for the decline of Nebraska football.

I guess blaming it on something as fixable as 'want to' or 'commitment' is easier than the reality?
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I completely agree with this and I bang my head when I read/hear someone say kids don't have passion anymore. That is utter BS. I personally know players who have played at Nebraska in the last 10 years and they and their friends on the team have amazing passion about playing at Nebraska.

 
I think we need vocal leaders, and the kids that follow them instead of in their head think "Why's he doing that? Why is he being weird?" etc....

I think we have the vocal guys as captains this year. Not sure we've had that for a while.

 
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