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NU Football: I-back Glenn says he'll tough it out
BY ROBIN WASHUT
WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT
BY ROBIN WASHUT
WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT
LINCOLN - At the end of every practice, Cody Glenn heads straight for the training room to get his right foot wrapped up in a full bag of ice. After that, it usually takes about 20 minutes before it doesn't hurt too badly to stand up.
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In the 11 games prior to his foot injury, Cody Glenn rushed for 370 yards and eight touchdowns.
Since injuring his foot after scoring a touchdown against Texas A&M last November, Nebraska's junior I-back from Rusk, Texas, has played through the pain. As a result, his foot has yet to fully heal.
Despite the pain, Glenn says he never thought twice about sitting out spring practices. In his mind, he's got too much to prove to his coaches and, more important, himself.
"It's been real frustrating," he said. "When it first happened, they (NU's trainers) said I'd be back in a couple of weeks. Then it was a couple more weeks. Then it was for the bowl game. I didn't play in any of them. I'm trying to make sure I'm ready for this season, because I'm not missing any more games."
In the 11 games prior to his injury, Glenn rushed for 370 yards and eight touchdowns. But following the Huskers' win over Texas A&M, he missed the final three games of the season, including both the Big 12 championship and the Cotton Bowl.
Though he took some time off after the bowl game, Glenn said it wasn't long enough to rest his foot back to 100 percent before the start of spring practice.
With Brandon Jackson's early departure to the NFL and a season-ending injury to senior Kenny Wilson, Glenn and junior Marlon Lucky enter the season as the only I-backs with any playing experience.
Things aren't much better for Nebraska's other I-backs, either. Freshman Marcus Mendoza is currently out with a pulled hamstring, and sophomore Major Culbert, who moved from safety to I-back this spring, is still picking up the offense.
As a result, Glenn said he feels obligated to play through his injury.
"I don't want to leave (Lucky) out there by himself, have him do it all by himself," Glenn said. "I feel like I need to be out there."
While he rated himself around 85 percent, Glenn said he was confident he would be back at full strength before the start of fall camp. He said his foot only hurts after he gets done running, and that it doesn't limit his straightaway speed.
The biggest impact the injury has is when he makes cuts and uses his right foot to plant and change direction. That's when he said the pain goes up into his ankle and is the most noticeable.
Despite the limitations, NU running backs coach Randy Jordan said he hasn't held Glenn back in practice, and that he has taken just as many reps as all the other I-backs.
From Jordan's observations, Glenn hasn't shown any signs of letting the injury affect his performance on the field.
"The big thing he's done is he's shown up every day and toughed it out and hasn't complained at all," Jordan said. "I've always said that if you give me an 80-percent Cody Glenn, I'm going to take it any day."
BY ROBIN WASHUT
WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT
BY ROBIN WASHUT
WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT
LINCOLN - At the end of every practice, Cody Glenn heads straight for the training room to get his right foot wrapped up in a full bag of ice. After that, it usually takes about 20 minutes before it doesn't hurt too badly to stand up.
Click to Enlarge
In the 11 games prior to his foot injury, Cody Glenn rushed for 370 yards and eight touchdowns.
Since injuring his foot after scoring a touchdown against Texas A&M last November, Nebraska's junior I-back from Rusk, Texas, has played through the pain. As a result, his foot has yet to fully heal.
Despite the pain, Glenn says he never thought twice about sitting out spring practices. In his mind, he's got too much to prove to his coaches and, more important, himself.
"It's been real frustrating," he said. "When it first happened, they (NU's trainers) said I'd be back in a couple of weeks. Then it was a couple more weeks. Then it was for the bowl game. I didn't play in any of them. I'm trying to make sure I'm ready for this season, because I'm not missing any more games."
In the 11 games prior to his injury, Glenn rushed for 370 yards and eight touchdowns. But following the Huskers' win over Texas A&M, he missed the final three games of the season, including both the Big 12 championship and the Cotton Bowl.
Though he took some time off after the bowl game, Glenn said it wasn't long enough to rest his foot back to 100 percent before the start of spring practice.
With Brandon Jackson's early departure to the NFL and a season-ending injury to senior Kenny Wilson, Glenn and junior Marlon Lucky enter the season as the only I-backs with any playing experience.
Things aren't much better for Nebraska's other I-backs, either. Freshman Marcus Mendoza is currently out with a pulled hamstring, and sophomore Major Culbert, who moved from safety to I-back this spring, is still picking up the offense.
As a result, Glenn said he feels obligated to play through his injury.
"I don't want to leave (Lucky) out there by himself, have him do it all by himself," Glenn said. "I feel like I need to be out there."
While he rated himself around 85 percent, Glenn said he was confident he would be back at full strength before the start of fall camp. He said his foot only hurts after he gets done running, and that it doesn't limit his straightaway speed.
The biggest impact the injury has is when he makes cuts and uses his right foot to plant and change direction. That's when he said the pain goes up into his ankle and is the most noticeable.
Despite the limitations, NU running backs coach Randy Jordan said he hasn't held Glenn back in practice, and that he has taken just as many reps as all the other I-backs.
From Jordan's observations, Glenn hasn't shown any signs of letting the injury affect his performance on the field.
"The big thing he's done is he's shown up every day and toughed it out and hasn't complained at all," Jordan said. "I've always said that if you give me an 80-percent Cody Glenn, I'm going to take it any day."
