HuskerfaninOkieland
Heisman Trophy Winner
Leaders emerging for Huskers
Yes, there were players who tried to lead during last year’s tumultuous 5-7 season, Major Culbert said Wednesday.
“But they tried to do it late, when it was already too late to do it,” the junior safety said. “We need guys in the summer to talk out ... not the fifth game into the season. And that's what we had last year.”
Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini didn’t specify names, but said the number of guys who have been looking to emerge as leaders on this team are “probably too many to count.”
“They've been fighting over that role, which is a good thing. That wasn't the case in the spring. We had a lot of quiet leadership,” Pelini said. “But there's more and more guys taking on that vocal role. You got guys at every position doing it, which is really a nice, nice turnaround for us.”
Players speaking up in fall camp definitely doesn’t guarantee wins. And every team bubbles with optimism in August. But Culbert is like others in the Husker camp who are saying there’s just a different vibe with this team compared to last year’s.
“It's a great experience being on a team that is really a team,” Culbert said. “It's not individual. Guys last year were playing for the name on the back of the jersey rather than the name on the helmet.”
Culbert said veterans like Phillip Dillard, Cody Glenn, Ndamukong Suh and Barry Turner have taken leadership roles on the defense.
“They're vocal on the field, and we get the message that they're trying to prove: We don't want to be like last year. This is a new year, it's 08, new coaches,” Culbert said. “We want to make the coaches proud. We're playing for the coaches. We're playing for the tradition. We're trying to restore the tradition at Nebraska.”
Culbert also pointed out that team leaders don’t even always have to be the headline guys.
“They don't necessarily have to be a starter to be a leader,” Culbert said. “It could be a guy just on special teams, a guy like (former Husker Brandon) Rigoni. He was a leader in my eyes. That’s the people we need on this team.”
Technique Timeout: While Carl Pelini admitted there is a "renewed sense of energy" and "a little more short nerves" with the first game fast approaching, he said Husker coaches are still devoting a healthy portion of each practice to just working on individual technique.
"We have more individual technique time probably than any program right now. And that's something that's very important to us," Pelini said. "As you get closer to the season, a lot of programs kind of start to put more emphasis on the team sessions. But we have not cut back one minute because that technique development needs to keep getting better throughout the season too."
Pelini said the team does about 20 to 30 minutes of technique work a practice.
“We're not going to negotiate in terms of the fundamentals of the game," he said.
This and That: Nate Swift, one of the candidates for return duties, said Niles Paul is listed No. 1 on the depth chart at punt returner. The sophomore Paul is also apparently in the mix on kickoff returns, along with Larry Asante and Curenski Gilleylen. ... Bo Pelini said on Tuesday defensive tackle Terrence Moore could be out a week or two with injury, but Moore was back in uniform on Wednesday. “He’s moving around a little bit,” Carl Pelini said. “We didn't put him into any contact but he's coming along very well.” ... Culbert was back at work after missing the last few practices due to an ankle sprain. Culbert wasn’t yet full-go, but expects to be by the end of this week. ... No Blackshirts have been given and Carl Pelini said no players have said anything about it. “That's good because they're focused on the right things right now,” Pelini said. ... After a two-a-day session Wednesday, the Huskers have one more two-a-day on Friday.
Scouting Report: With his familiar name and high stature in Nebraska’s last recruiting class, Baker Steinkuhler’s name has come up plenty during fall camp interviews.
The true freshman has impressed coaches and players with his progression as a defensive tackle, but will the 6-foot-6, 290-pound Steinkuhler be used right away or is he looking at a redshirt season?
“It's too early to say,” defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said on Wednesday. “Everybody keeps asking me about all the freshmen and redshirts: redshirt or no redshirt. Our philosophy is we’re going to coach them hard, we're going to let them develop and we’re just going to see where they fall on the depth chart. If it's a 1 or a 2, then the redshirt's going to go away.
“But what I don't want to do is because of all this hoopla about certain guys, to try to pressure them and push them if they're not ready to play. We got to let the normal development take place and see what happens."
Opponent watch: The Kansas City Star reports that Kansas State and Iowa State will begin a two-year football series at Arrowhead Stadium starting in the 2009 season.
The first game is scheduled for Oct. 3, 2009, with the second on Oct. 9, 2010, according to The Star.
Just asking: What advice has Joe Ganz received from former Husker starting quarterback Zac Taylor?
Don’t screw up.
“I was talking to Zac about what he did to go through and prepare for his senior year when he knew he was going to start and he had all those expectations on his shoulders,” Ganz said. “He gave me a lot of advice. I was like, 'You got anything else?' He was like, 'Just don't screw it up.'
“That's probably the best advice, just kind of go out there, play, have fun, don’t have picks, and don't screw it up.”
Ganz said he learned a lot by watching Taylor and the calm demeanor he carried while starting during the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
“That's a great attribute as a quarterback to have. I'm similar but I play a little more fiery on the field, I think I show a little bit more emotion,” Ganz said. “But when I get off the field, I try to not even think about it, let everything just kind of slide off. That comes from him. He's taught me well.”
Yes, there were players who tried to lead during last year’s tumultuous 5-7 season, Major Culbert said Wednesday.
“But they tried to do it late, when it was already too late to do it,” the junior safety said. “We need guys in the summer to talk out ... not the fifth game into the season. And that's what we had last year.”
Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini didn’t specify names, but said the number of guys who have been looking to emerge as leaders on this team are “probably too many to count.”
“They've been fighting over that role, which is a good thing. That wasn't the case in the spring. We had a lot of quiet leadership,” Pelini said. “But there's more and more guys taking on that vocal role. You got guys at every position doing it, which is really a nice, nice turnaround for us.”
Players speaking up in fall camp definitely doesn’t guarantee wins. And every team bubbles with optimism in August. But Culbert is like others in the Husker camp who are saying there’s just a different vibe with this team compared to last year’s.
“It's a great experience being on a team that is really a team,” Culbert said. “It's not individual. Guys last year were playing for the name on the back of the jersey rather than the name on the helmet.”
Culbert said veterans like Phillip Dillard, Cody Glenn, Ndamukong Suh and Barry Turner have taken leadership roles on the defense.
“They're vocal on the field, and we get the message that they're trying to prove: We don't want to be like last year. This is a new year, it's 08, new coaches,” Culbert said. “We want to make the coaches proud. We're playing for the coaches. We're playing for the tradition. We're trying to restore the tradition at Nebraska.”
Culbert also pointed out that team leaders don’t even always have to be the headline guys.
“They don't necessarily have to be a starter to be a leader,” Culbert said. “It could be a guy just on special teams, a guy like (former Husker Brandon) Rigoni. He was a leader in my eyes. That’s the people we need on this team.”
Technique Timeout: While Carl Pelini admitted there is a "renewed sense of energy" and "a little more short nerves" with the first game fast approaching, he said Husker coaches are still devoting a healthy portion of each practice to just working on individual technique.
"We have more individual technique time probably than any program right now. And that's something that's very important to us," Pelini said. "As you get closer to the season, a lot of programs kind of start to put more emphasis on the team sessions. But we have not cut back one minute because that technique development needs to keep getting better throughout the season too."
Pelini said the team does about 20 to 30 minutes of technique work a practice.
“We're not going to negotiate in terms of the fundamentals of the game," he said.
This and That: Nate Swift, one of the candidates for return duties, said Niles Paul is listed No. 1 on the depth chart at punt returner. The sophomore Paul is also apparently in the mix on kickoff returns, along with Larry Asante and Curenski Gilleylen. ... Bo Pelini said on Tuesday defensive tackle Terrence Moore could be out a week or two with injury, but Moore was back in uniform on Wednesday. “He’s moving around a little bit,” Carl Pelini said. “We didn't put him into any contact but he's coming along very well.” ... Culbert was back at work after missing the last few practices due to an ankle sprain. Culbert wasn’t yet full-go, but expects to be by the end of this week. ... No Blackshirts have been given and Carl Pelini said no players have said anything about it. “That's good because they're focused on the right things right now,” Pelini said. ... After a two-a-day session Wednesday, the Huskers have one more two-a-day on Friday.
Scouting Report: With his familiar name and high stature in Nebraska’s last recruiting class, Baker Steinkuhler’s name has come up plenty during fall camp interviews.
The true freshman has impressed coaches and players with his progression as a defensive tackle, but will the 6-foot-6, 290-pound Steinkuhler be used right away or is he looking at a redshirt season?
“It's too early to say,” defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said on Wednesday. “Everybody keeps asking me about all the freshmen and redshirts: redshirt or no redshirt. Our philosophy is we’re going to coach them hard, we're going to let them develop and we’re just going to see where they fall on the depth chart. If it's a 1 or a 2, then the redshirt's going to go away.
“But what I don't want to do is because of all this hoopla about certain guys, to try to pressure them and push them if they're not ready to play. We got to let the normal development take place and see what happens."
Opponent watch: The Kansas City Star reports that Kansas State and Iowa State will begin a two-year football series at Arrowhead Stadium starting in the 2009 season.
The first game is scheduled for Oct. 3, 2009, with the second on Oct. 9, 2010, according to The Star.
Just asking: What advice has Joe Ganz received from former Husker starting quarterback Zac Taylor?
Don’t screw up.
“I was talking to Zac about what he did to go through and prepare for his senior year when he knew he was going to start and he had all those expectations on his shoulders,” Ganz said. “He gave me a lot of advice. I was like, 'You got anything else?' He was like, 'Just don't screw it up.'
“That's probably the best advice, just kind of go out there, play, have fun, don’t have picks, and don't screw it up.”
Ganz said he learned a lot by watching Taylor and the calm demeanor he carried while starting during the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
“That's a great attribute as a quarterback to have. I'm similar but I play a little more fiery on the field, I think I show a little bit more emotion,” Ganz said. “But when I get off the field, I try to not even think about it, let everything just kind of slide off. That comes from him. He's taught me well.”
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