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NU Football: Asante ready to put the hurt on
BY RICH KAIPUST
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
Husker newcomer Larry Asante is battling with Rickey Thenarse for the strong safety job.Asked when the Nebraska newcomer developed his knack for hitting people, the strong safety recalled Pop Warner football. The other kids didn't particularly care for it.
Too bad for them, but years later it certainly could serve Asante well as he arrives in NCAA Division I-A.
"It's not just something where one day you wake up and flip the switch," Asante said Monday. "You kind of have to start at a young age with that."
Broderick Thomas used to brag that he was going to "bring the wood" for the Huskers. It should be interesting to see what kind of lumber Asante has in his arsenal.
For now, Husker fans will have to settle for his simple philosophy.
"It's just reading and recognizing plays," said Asante, a 6-foot-1, 210-pounder from Alexandria, Va. "See it, hit it and go get it. That's how I see it. Don't hesitate, go get it. That's how you make plays."
Enthusiasm over one of NU's prized recruits must be tempered by the fact that he's been in Lincoln for just 12 weeks and still hasn't taken part in a scrimmage.
But it was hard Monday for both defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove and assistant coach Bill Busch to hide their feelings about Asante after four spring practices.
"I really like what I see right now," Cosgrove said. "He gives us a lot at that position, I think. He's picked up things very well. He's a physical presence out there. He wants to get better, and you see him improve every practice."
Busch said the NU defensive staff has observed steadiness and consistency that don't always immediately follow a JC transfer to the next level. Asante has helped himself by being "relentless" in studying his playbook and film.
"What we saw on film in junior college we see on the field here," Busch said. "I'm a little reserved because of him not having played any games here or having had a live scrimmage yet, but we're obviously very, very excited."
Nebraska sought help in its secondary and found Asante, a sophomore-to-be who played last season at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College. He calls his own strength "coming down in the box and playing the run," but Busch said Asante also has solid ball skills in defending the pass.
Wherever he is on the field, Asante tends to remind people of his presence. He likes the tag of being a "collision player" and wants that to spread through a Husker secondary that mostly lacked it in 2006.
"We're going to bring that back this season," Asante said. "Beginning game one, we've got to put that fear into receivers' hearts. We can't have receivers running free across the middle. We've got to kill them every time they come across that middle."
Busch said it's not an out-of-control style with Asante, rather the result of knowing where to be and anticipating before it becomes time to get physical. Once in position, Cosgrove can see what potentially might happen next with Asante, even if the Huskers aren't in full-speed drills.
"He gets in an explosive football position," Cosgrove said. "I'll be very interested to see how he does when we scrimmage."
There are still plenty of steps to be taken, however. Asante is battling with Rickey Thenarse for the strong safety job. He's still adjusting to the speed and complexity of the NU offense.
But he feels as if he's found a good home, and Lincoln almost seems like the big city after redshirting one season and playing the next in Coffeyville.
"There wasn't anything to really do out there, so it was just school and football," Asante said.
NU Football: Asante ready to put the hurt on
BY RICH KAIPUST
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
Husker newcomer Larry Asante is battling with Rickey Thenarse for the strong safety job.Asked when the Nebraska newcomer developed his knack for hitting people, the strong safety recalled Pop Warner football. The other kids didn't particularly care for it.
Too bad for them, but years later it certainly could serve Asante well as he arrives in NCAA Division I-A.
"It's not just something where one day you wake up and flip the switch," Asante said Monday. "You kind of have to start at a young age with that."
Broderick Thomas used to brag that he was going to "bring the wood" for the Huskers. It should be interesting to see what kind of lumber Asante has in his arsenal.
For now, Husker fans will have to settle for his simple philosophy.
"It's just reading and recognizing plays," said Asante, a 6-foot-1, 210-pounder from Alexandria, Va. "See it, hit it and go get it. That's how I see it. Don't hesitate, go get it. That's how you make plays."
Enthusiasm over one of NU's prized recruits must be tempered by the fact that he's been in Lincoln for just 12 weeks and still hasn't taken part in a scrimmage.
But it was hard Monday for both defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove and assistant coach Bill Busch to hide their feelings about Asante after four spring practices.
"I really like what I see right now," Cosgrove said. "He gives us a lot at that position, I think. He's picked up things very well. He's a physical presence out there. He wants to get better, and you see him improve every practice."
Busch said the NU defensive staff has observed steadiness and consistency that don't always immediately follow a JC transfer to the next level. Asante has helped himself by being "relentless" in studying his playbook and film.
"What we saw on film in junior college we see on the field here," Busch said. "I'm a little reserved because of him not having played any games here or having had a live scrimmage yet, but we're obviously very, very excited."
Nebraska sought help in its secondary and found Asante, a sophomore-to-be who played last season at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College. He calls his own strength "coming down in the box and playing the run," but Busch said Asante also has solid ball skills in defending the pass.
Wherever he is on the field, Asante tends to remind people of his presence. He likes the tag of being a "collision player" and wants that to spread through a Husker secondary that mostly lacked it in 2006.
"We're going to bring that back this season," Asante said. "Beginning game one, we've got to put that fear into receivers' hearts. We can't have receivers running free across the middle. We've got to kill them every time they come across that middle."
Busch said it's not an out-of-control style with Asante, rather the result of knowing where to be and anticipating before it becomes time to get physical. Once in position, Cosgrove can see what potentially might happen next with Asante, even if the Huskers aren't in full-speed drills.
"He gets in an explosive football position," Cosgrove said. "I'll be very interested to see how he does when we scrimmage."
There are still plenty of steps to be taken, however. Asante is battling with Rickey Thenarse for the strong safety job. He's still adjusting to the speed and complexity of the NU offense.
But he feels as if he's found a good home, and Lincoln almost seems like the big city after redshirting one season and playing the next in Coffeyville.
"There wasn't anything to really do out there, so it was just school and football," Asante said.
