Cornhuskers' Lord doesn't feel the love
By Tim Griffin
San Antonio Express-News
Web Posted : 12/27/2003 12:00 AM
Angry Nebraska fans haven't hesitated to make their feelings known about their quarterback, Jammal Lord.
(Scott Bruhn/Nebraska Sports Information)
Nebraska quarterback Jammal Lord has rushed for 2,494 yards in his career but has caught much of the blame for the team's shortcomings.
MasterCard Alamo Bowl
Matchup: (22) Nebraska vs. Michigan State
When, where: 8 p.m. Monday @Alamodome
TV: ESPN
Tickets: $65.50, $45.50, $35.50 and $15.50. Call (210) 224-9600 or go to www.alamobowl.com
Jammal Lord file
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 220 pounds
Class: Senior
Hometown: Bayonne, N.J.
Facts: Lord has rushed for a team-leading 869 yards on 205 carries this season to rank sixth among all NCAA Division I-A quarterbacks. He is the first Nebraska quarterback in history to lead his team in rushing in back-to-back seasons. Lord leads the Cornhuskers with 10 touchdowns.
Lord set the Nebraska single-season record for total offense last year, by amassing 2,774 yards, including 1,412 rushing yards — a school record for a quarterback.
Lord has 5,182 yards of career total offense to rank fourth in Nebraska history. He needs 102 yards in Monday's game to move past Jerry Tagge into third place.
— Tim Griffin
The worst two-season run in 42 seasons has left frustrated Nebraska fans looking for a scapegoat. Playing the role of most hard-luck quarterbacks, Lord has been the easiest and most obvious target for hecklers trying to place blame for the sudden cracks in the once-proud Cornhuskers dynasty.
Lord said it has been difficult to silence his emotions while the booing intensified during his struggles.
"Sometimes, I wanted to say something, but it's not really my style to tell them what I thought," Lord said. "I kept it to myself and just played football. That's how I take out my frustrations and my anger — by just playing football."
Lord heads into the MasterCard Alamo Bowl on Monday night against Michigan State with a reputation as one of the most elusive quarterbacks in the country. Each of the past two seasons, he has emerged as Nebraska's leading rusher. He ranks second on Nebraska's career rushing list for a quarterback with 2,494 yards and needs 29 yards to crack the school's top-10 career rushing list.
But if the catcalls that have dogged him throughout his career are any indication, Lord likely will be remembered more for his struggles than his success. Ten Cornhuskers losses during the past two years are the statistic that demanding Nebraska fans will remember — particularly considering that the Cornhuskers had lost nine games in the previous five years before Lord took over.
Lord's passing shortcomings have marred his career — even though Nebraska has never been known as a haven for strong-armed quarterbacks. Lord has failed to complete 50 percent of his passes in either season as a starter and has thrown 22 interceptions against 18 touchdown passes during his career.
"Maybe one day, this will all soak in, what I did good or bad," Lord said. "And then I'll laugh or I'll cry."
When asked before coming to San Antonio what would be the best part of the bowl experience, he responded by saying that the game would be played outside Nebraska.
"I've aged a thousand times in experience and in life," Lord said about his college career. "I see things more clearly now, not only in football, but in life."
Before going to college, Lord learned lessons about overcoming life's struggles. He lost his father in 1995 when Juan Lord Sr., was robbed and shot the day before he and his Jammal's mother, Claudia, were scheduled to end a vacation in their native Panama. Jammal helped raise his younger brother, Jerel, bringing him to Lincoln, Neb., last summer from their hometown of Bayonne, N.J.
Lord said his struggles during his college career have tested his resolve more than anything he has faced in his life.
"In some ways it's been tougher for me, but you live and learn," Lord said. "What I've gone through over the past two years has made me stronger as a person. I'm more mature now as an adult and a man. I'm ready to move on."
Nebraska coaches say the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Lord leads his team by example and toughness.
"I don't agree with what's happened (the booing), but I think Jammal has handled it as well as anybody," Nebraska offensive coordinator Barney Cotton said. "He could have easily thrown in the towel and quit, but he's been out there for practice every day. I know his teammates appreciate that and I do, too, because we know we can count on him."
Lord has been the victim of diminished offensive talent around him. The Cornhuskers have had one all-conference lineman during his two seasons as a starter — a marked decrease for a program that once churned out Outland Trophy winners like clockwork. Josh Davis' 600 rushing yards are the lowest for a Cornhusker I-back since Monte Anthony rushed for 587 in 1974.
Those factors have caused Nebraska coaches to lean on Lord more than any quarterback in recent Nebraska history. While he might not be Eric Crouch, the Heisman Trophy winner who preceded him as the team's starter, he's still clearly the Cornhuskers' top offensive weapon.
"I think they'll remember him a lot more fondly when he's gone than when he was here," Cotton said. "Jammal Lord is a football player. That's probably the greatest compliment you could give somebody.
"Does he meet everybody's expectations? Maybe not. But he's still a great football player and we're fortunate to have a guy like him."
By Tim Griffin
San Antonio Express-News
Web Posted : 12/27/2003 12:00 AM
Angry Nebraska fans haven't hesitated to make their feelings known about their quarterback, Jammal Lord.
(Scott Bruhn/Nebraska Sports Information)
Nebraska quarterback Jammal Lord has rushed for 2,494 yards in his career but has caught much of the blame for the team's shortcomings.
MasterCard Alamo Bowl
Matchup: (22) Nebraska vs. Michigan State
When, where: 8 p.m. Monday @Alamodome
TV: ESPN
Tickets: $65.50, $45.50, $35.50 and $15.50. Call (210) 224-9600 or go to www.alamobowl.com
Jammal Lord file
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 220 pounds
Class: Senior
Hometown: Bayonne, N.J.
Facts: Lord has rushed for a team-leading 869 yards on 205 carries this season to rank sixth among all NCAA Division I-A quarterbacks. He is the first Nebraska quarterback in history to lead his team in rushing in back-to-back seasons. Lord leads the Cornhuskers with 10 touchdowns.
Lord set the Nebraska single-season record for total offense last year, by amassing 2,774 yards, including 1,412 rushing yards — a school record for a quarterback.
Lord has 5,182 yards of career total offense to rank fourth in Nebraska history. He needs 102 yards in Monday's game to move past Jerry Tagge into third place.
— Tim Griffin
The worst two-season run in 42 seasons has left frustrated Nebraska fans looking for a scapegoat. Playing the role of most hard-luck quarterbacks, Lord has been the easiest and most obvious target for hecklers trying to place blame for the sudden cracks in the once-proud Cornhuskers dynasty.
Lord said it has been difficult to silence his emotions while the booing intensified during his struggles.
"Sometimes, I wanted to say something, but it's not really my style to tell them what I thought," Lord said. "I kept it to myself and just played football. That's how I take out my frustrations and my anger — by just playing football."
Lord heads into the MasterCard Alamo Bowl on Monday night against Michigan State with a reputation as one of the most elusive quarterbacks in the country. Each of the past two seasons, he has emerged as Nebraska's leading rusher. He ranks second on Nebraska's career rushing list for a quarterback with 2,494 yards and needs 29 yards to crack the school's top-10 career rushing list.
But if the catcalls that have dogged him throughout his career are any indication, Lord likely will be remembered more for his struggles than his success. Ten Cornhuskers losses during the past two years are the statistic that demanding Nebraska fans will remember — particularly considering that the Cornhuskers had lost nine games in the previous five years before Lord took over.
Lord's passing shortcomings have marred his career — even though Nebraska has never been known as a haven for strong-armed quarterbacks. Lord has failed to complete 50 percent of his passes in either season as a starter and has thrown 22 interceptions against 18 touchdown passes during his career.
"Maybe one day, this will all soak in, what I did good or bad," Lord said. "And then I'll laugh or I'll cry."
When asked before coming to San Antonio what would be the best part of the bowl experience, he responded by saying that the game would be played outside Nebraska.
"I've aged a thousand times in experience and in life," Lord said about his college career. "I see things more clearly now, not only in football, but in life."
Before going to college, Lord learned lessons about overcoming life's struggles. He lost his father in 1995 when Juan Lord Sr., was robbed and shot the day before he and his Jammal's mother, Claudia, were scheduled to end a vacation in their native Panama. Jammal helped raise his younger brother, Jerel, bringing him to Lincoln, Neb., last summer from their hometown of Bayonne, N.J.
Lord said his struggles during his college career have tested his resolve more than anything he has faced in his life.
"In some ways it's been tougher for me, but you live and learn," Lord said. "What I've gone through over the past two years has made me stronger as a person. I'm more mature now as an adult and a man. I'm ready to move on."
Nebraska coaches say the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Lord leads his team by example and toughness.
"I don't agree with what's happened (the booing), but I think Jammal has handled it as well as anybody," Nebraska offensive coordinator Barney Cotton said. "He could have easily thrown in the towel and quit, but he's been out there for practice every day. I know his teammates appreciate that and I do, too, because we know we can count on him."
Lord has been the victim of diminished offensive talent around him. The Cornhuskers have had one all-conference lineman during his two seasons as a starter — a marked decrease for a program that once churned out Outland Trophy winners like clockwork. Josh Davis' 600 rushing yards are the lowest for a Cornhusker I-back since Monte Anthony rushed for 587 in 1974.
Those factors have caused Nebraska coaches to lean on Lord more than any quarterback in recent Nebraska history. While he might not be Eric Crouch, the Heisman Trophy winner who preceded him as the team's starter, he's still clearly the Cornhuskers' top offensive weapon.
"I think they'll remember him a lot more fondly when he's gone than when he was here," Cotton said. "Jammal Lord is a football player. That's probably the greatest compliment you could give somebody.
"Does he meet everybody's expectations? Maybe not. But he's still a great football player and we're fortunate to have a guy like him."
