Eric the Red
Team HuskerBoard
Culbert knows the road ahead
BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
Wednesday, Aug 16, 2006 - 04:51:01 pm CDT
Culbert
Freshman Major Culbert evidently harbors no false illusions about playing time as he pushes through Nebraska’s preseason training camp.
Let’s say, just for the fun of it, the Huskers were to open the 2006 football season tomorrow. Would Culbert be ready to start the game at strong safety?
“No,” he said flatly.
Nearly two weeks into preseason drills, Culbert simply doesn’t understand Nebraska’s defense well enough to feel “game ready,” he said Wednesday. He’s patient. He’ll learn in time, he said. Anyway, with juniors Tierre Green and Ben Eisenhart at the position, the Huskers don’t need Culbert to be prepared to start Sept. 2 against Louisiana Tech.
Whether he starts or not, Culbert makes clear his appreciation for the opportunity at hand.
“Football was my way into school,” said the native of Harbor City, Calif., part of the Los Angeles region known as the South Bay. “I have to stay focused and let everything go from there. Stay humble. Stay focused. Listen to God. It’ll all come into place.”
For Culbert, it all seemed to be falling out of place earlier this summer. He had his scholarship suspended in May after he was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary and sexual abuse. The charges stemmed from an incident during a January recruiting trip to the University of Oregon.
Culbert last month reached a plea agreement to misdemeanor charges of trespassing and harassment. He was sentenced to five years’ probation and 30 days in jail. On July 26, Nebraska coach Bill Callahan reinstated Culbert’s scholarship.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Culbert now seeks to move forward. He described attending college as “a dream come true.” He said he feels comfortable in Lincoln — no homesickness.
“People dream about this — coming to school and playing football,” he said. “And I’m coming to school and playing football for free? It can’t get any better than this.”
Culbert said he hasn’t practiced with Nebraska’s first-string defense to this point — and he’s OK with that. Like most college freshmen, he’s had to adjust to playing against much faster players than he faced in high school. He said he might be further along in the process if he would’ve been able to come to Lincoln earlier in the summer. Because of his scholarship situation, he didn’t arrive until late July, about a week before camp began.
Culbert said he’s had to learn to communicate and be vocal on the field. But communicating and being vocal can be difficult when you’re uncertain exactly what you’re supposed to do.
Strong safety isn’t the easiest position to learn, Eisenhart said.
“There are plays when I don’t even look at the ball because I’m looking at my No. 2 receiver,” Eisenhart said. “Whatever he does, there might be up to four different things I need to do depending on what he does. I think the hardest thing is learning to discipline your eyes. When you’re younger, you start glancing back at the quarterback, and that’s when wideouts are getting steps on you. That’s the whole game.”
Callahan said he likes Culbert’s aggressiveness.
“He’s a physical guy,” the coach said. “He played running back in high school, and he has those physical qualities you look for. He loves contact. He likes to mix it up. He can make the physical hit that you want out of your safeties.”
Culbert, in fact, called running back his “first love.” It’s no wonder, considering he rushed for 1,955 yards and 17 touchdowns last season in leading Nathaniel Narbonne High School to a 6-5 record. It wasn’t easy giving up the position, he said.
“But when you come to college, there are bigger, better running backs,” Culbert said.
Of course, Culbert also played his share of snaps on defense in high school, starring at safety and corner.
Culbert has no idea how much he will contribute this season at strong safety. He’s also playing on several special-teams units.
“I’m just going along with practice day by day,” he said. “It’s working really well. It’s a long season. Hopefully, I’ll start getting better reps and more reps and becoming a better Husker.
“This is college,” he added. “You can’t get any better than this. It’s one step toward the next level.”
BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
Wednesday, Aug 16, 2006 - 04:51:01 pm CDT
Culbert
Freshman Major Culbert evidently harbors no false illusions about playing time as he pushes through Nebraska’s preseason training camp.
Let’s say, just for the fun of it, the Huskers were to open the 2006 football season tomorrow. Would Culbert be ready to start the game at strong safety?
“No,” he said flatly.
Nearly two weeks into preseason drills, Culbert simply doesn’t understand Nebraska’s defense well enough to feel “game ready,” he said Wednesday. He’s patient. He’ll learn in time, he said. Anyway, with juniors Tierre Green and Ben Eisenhart at the position, the Huskers don’t need Culbert to be prepared to start Sept. 2 against Louisiana Tech.
Whether he starts or not, Culbert makes clear his appreciation for the opportunity at hand.
“Football was my way into school,” said the native of Harbor City, Calif., part of the Los Angeles region known as the South Bay. “I have to stay focused and let everything go from there. Stay humble. Stay focused. Listen to God. It’ll all come into place.”
For Culbert, it all seemed to be falling out of place earlier this summer. He had his scholarship suspended in May after he was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary and sexual abuse. The charges stemmed from an incident during a January recruiting trip to the University of Oregon.
Culbert last month reached a plea agreement to misdemeanor charges of trespassing and harassment. He was sentenced to five years’ probation and 30 days in jail. On July 26, Nebraska coach Bill Callahan reinstated Culbert’s scholarship.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Culbert now seeks to move forward. He described attending college as “a dream come true.” He said he feels comfortable in Lincoln — no homesickness.
“People dream about this — coming to school and playing football,” he said. “And I’m coming to school and playing football for free? It can’t get any better than this.”
Culbert said he hasn’t practiced with Nebraska’s first-string defense to this point — and he’s OK with that. Like most college freshmen, he’s had to adjust to playing against much faster players than he faced in high school. He said he might be further along in the process if he would’ve been able to come to Lincoln earlier in the summer. Because of his scholarship situation, he didn’t arrive until late July, about a week before camp began.
Culbert said he’s had to learn to communicate and be vocal on the field. But communicating and being vocal can be difficult when you’re uncertain exactly what you’re supposed to do.
Strong safety isn’t the easiest position to learn, Eisenhart said.
“There are plays when I don’t even look at the ball because I’m looking at my No. 2 receiver,” Eisenhart said. “Whatever he does, there might be up to four different things I need to do depending on what he does. I think the hardest thing is learning to discipline your eyes. When you’re younger, you start glancing back at the quarterback, and that’s when wideouts are getting steps on you. That’s the whole game.”
Callahan said he likes Culbert’s aggressiveness.
“He’s a physical guy,” the coach said. “He played running back in high school, and he has those physical qualities you look for. He loves contact. He likes to mix it up. He can make the physical hit that you want out of your safeties.”
Culbert, in fact, called running back his “first love.” It’s no wonder, considering he rushed for 1,955 yards and 17 touchdowns last season in leading Nathaniel Narbonne High School to a 6-5 record. It wasn’t easy giving up the position, he said.
“But when you come to college, there are bigger, better running backs,” Culbert said.
Of course, Culbert also played his share of snaps on defense in high school, starring at safety and corner.
Culbert has no idea how much he will contribute this season at strong safety. He’s also playing on several special-teams units.
“I’m just going along with practice day by day,” he said. “It’s working really well. It’s a long season. Hopefully, I’ll start getting better reps and more reps and becoming a better Husker.
“This is college,” he added. “You can’t get any better than this. It’s one step toward the next level.”
