Five walk-ons to watch
- Thread starter NUance
- Start date
Foltz sounds like he has a spot locked down. Hopefully Nickens can contribute as well. I'd be pretty surprised if we see the others on Saturdays but there are other ways to contribute as well.
Kudos to them.
Edit: We could see them on special teams but I was referring to a spot in the rotation on offense or defense.
Kudos to them.
Edit: We could see them on special teams but I was referring to a spot in the rotation on offense or defense.
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HuskerShark
Banned
NUance
Assistant Coach
Speaking of that, it seems like we've seen more walk-ons work themselves into starting roles on the O-line than any other positions on the team. Some of them are among our best players. Spencer Long being the most obvious example.
HuskerShark
Banned
Choi, Jackson, Long, Pelini. That's about it, but definitely guys we would have missed if we didn't have them.
Thread hi jack, but does this answer the question about the ability or lack thereof for Bo to develop talent? I Guess it is a double edge sword. He has walk ons starting because our recruiting sucks or he is able to develop walk ons into starters. Kids with less "natural ability" who excel vs the "star power" who get passed up.
Thoughts?
NUance
Assistant Coach
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I am I
All-Conference
Bo develops talent, period.
look at a guy like JJ Watt from WI. dude barely had any action coming out of HS. Went to Central Mich....per wikipedia:
Watt attended Central Michigan University for one year in 2007. While there, he played tight end and caught eight passes for 77 yards. Frustrated by his lack of direction at Central Michigan, he transferred to Wisconsin. During this time he began delivering pizzas and had a somber encounter with a fan, where he regained his focus, telling himself, "I don't want to be delivering pizzas. I want to be playing football."[7]
Some of our recent walkon success has been lineman, actually true for a long time. Take Watt: big frame, high motor needed time to develop. heard him on Rome one day, basically said, "i needed time to develop and get bigger and stronger and get my head on straight"
So it's not so crazy that guys who are athletically gifted start sooner in college and are on scholarship. it's also not crazy that it may take time for a kid who is only 17-18 yrs old to take time to marture into a solid 305lb road grader. And sometimes, it takes that extra determination of a guy who came in as a walkon to
to end up starting over a guy who always had his way with the opposition because he was more developed early.
what i love about our walk on program is that we continue to see kids who pass up a Kearney or SWMS or SDSU partial scholarship (news to a bunch of people, there are NO FULL RIDES except at Div 1) to walkon where their heart tells them to go, to play w no regrets for not trying at least. If a few of these guys can
make some noise in any fashion, i think it's great. good luck to them and thanks for following your dream of playing for Nebraska.
look at a guy like JJ Watt from WI. dude barely had any action coming out of HS. Went to Central Mich....per wikipedia:
Watt attended Central Michigan University for one year in 2007. While there, he played tight end and caught eight passes for 77 yards. Frustrated by his lack of direction at Central Michigan, he transferred to Wisconsin. During this time he began delivering pizzas and had a somber encounter with a fan, where he regained his focus, telling himself, "I don't want to be delivering pizzas. I want to be playing football."[7]
Some of our recent walkon success has been lineman, actually true for a long time. Take Watt: big frame, high motor needed time to develop. heard him on Rome one day, basically said, "i needed time to develop and get bigger and stronger and get my head on straight"
So it's not so crazy that guys who are athletically gifted start sooner in college and are on scholarship. it's also not crazy that it may take time for a kid who is only 17-18 yrs old to take time to marture into a solid 305lb road grader. And sometimes, it takes that extra determination of a guy who came in as a walkon to
to end up starting over a guy who always had his way with the opposition because he was more developed early.
what i love about our walk on program is that we continue to see kids who pass up a Kearney or SWMS or SDSU partial scholarship (news to a bunch of people, there are NO FULL RIDES except at Div 1) to walkon where their heart tells them to go, to play w no regrets for not trying at least. If a few of these guys can
make some noise in any fashion, i think it's great. good luck to them and thanks for following your dream of playing for Nebraska.
Frida's Boss
Banned
Will Matt Damon's (team america voice) nephew get a walk on chance once school starts? How does that work?
RedRedJarvisRedwine
All-American
Dont forget to thank one Barnibus Cotton
blessed2bahusker
Special Teams Player
I was really suprised to see that Jack Fordon did not make the 105. Does anyone know his status. Is he here right now? Injured?
Count 'Bility
Banned
I just read the first two chapters of the new book (Anatomy of an era)-David Seizys and Matt Turman. If you havent already, you gotta get this thing. Already, just from these two former walk-ons, probably the most honest, no bs, and insightful look into the Nebraska football walk-on program yet, as well as what was wrong with it under Callahan. It's a hell of a lot more that just getting them here.
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Offensive linemen are, for lack of a better word easier to build. The state of Nebraska is full of 6'4" big framed kids that are pretty athletic. Because they went to whatever small school and played TE or FB or whatever they never got a look at OL. If they have a big enough frame and can put on the wt and are willing to work, they have a chance to play.
