BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA
All-American
owh
NU Football: Slauson is handling shift to guard
BY ROBIN WASHUT
LINCOLN - Though it took him a little while to accept it, Matt Slauson has finally come to terms with his "natural position."
While he made the move from tackle to guard for the final two games of 2006 because of injuries, the Nebraska junior still had hopes of returning to tackle this year.
But because of the Huskers' philosophy that the best five offensive linemen are going to play, regardless of the combination, it became clear that he was best fit as a guard.
"I like playing tackle, but I came to terms with the fact that I'm not good enough to play tackle," Slauson said. "That's where I fit the best. It's more of a natural position for me."
Slauson's move to guard was helped in part because of injuries and the Huskers' depth at tackle. After playing the first 11 games last year at right tackle, Slauson missed the rest of the regular season with an ankle injury.
When he returned, he moved to guard because of the emergence of junior college transfer Carl Nicks.
This season, with junior Lydon Murtha and Nicks both having quality experience at tackle, Slauson moved back inside to guard.
The 6-foot-5, 335-pound Slauson said playing guard allows him to better utilize his power and quickness. NU offensive line coach Dennis Wagner agreed, noting that Slauson's versatility to play both guard and tackle has been a valuable commodity.
"He's definitely capable of playing either position," Wagner said. "If one of our tackles were to go down today, he'd move back to tackle. We expect all of our linemen, except for the center, to be able to play any position on the line equally well."
Slauson's move has also had a positive effect on his teammates.
"Playing next to Matt has built so much more confidence for me," Murtha said. "He's such a great leader, and playing next to a guy that big and strong makes my job a lot easier."
As of last week, the Huskers' starting offensive line was made up of Slauson and junior Andy Christensen at guard, Murtha and Nicks at tackle and senior Brett Byford at center. That lineup is far from permanent.
Wagner said the team would continue to experiment with combinations up front, and he didn't rule out the possibility of moving Slauson back to tackle, where he started 14 career games.
Though he acknowledged that it took him some time to acclimate to guard, Slauson said he now actually prefers it to tackle. Now, it just feels like a natural fit.
"I'm hoping they keep me at guard," he said. "We still have to try out some more combinations, but I feel more comfortable at guard. I don't have to move around as much, and I get to spend most of the time hitting people."
NU Football: Slauson is handling shift to guard
BY ROBIN WASHUT
LINCOLN - Though it took him a little while to accept it, Matt Slauson has finally come to terms with his "natural position."
While he made the move from tackle to guard for the final two games of 2006 because of injuries, the Nebraska junior still had hopes of returning to tackle this year.
But because of the Huskers' philosophy that the best five offensive linemen are going to play, regardless of the combination, it became clear that he was best fit as a guard.
"I like playing tackle, but I came to terms with the fact that I'm not good enough to play tackle," Slauson said. "That's where I fit the best. It's more of a natural position for me."
Slauson's move to guard was helped in part because of injuries and the Huskers' depth at tackle. After playing the first 11 games last year at right tackle, Slauson missed the rest of the regular season with an ankle injury.
When he returned, he moved to guard because of the emergence of junior college transfer Carl Nicks.
This season, with junior Lydon Murtha and Nicks both having quality experience at tackle, Slauson moved back inside to guard.
The 6-foot-5, 335-pound Slauson said playing guard allows him to better utilize his power and quickness. NU offensive line coach Dennis Wagner agreed, noting that Slauson's versatility to play both guard and tackle has been a valuable commodity.
"He's definitely capable of playing either position," Wagner said. "If one of our tackles were to go down today, he'd move back to tackle. We expect all of our linemen, except for the center, to be able to play any position on the line equally well."
Slauson's move has also had a positive effect on his teammates.
"Playing next to Matt has built so much more confidence for me," Murtha said. "He's such a great leader, and playing next to a guy that big and strong makes my job a lot easier."
As of last week, the Huskers' starting offensive line was made up of Slauson and junior Andy Christensen at guard, Murtha and Nicks at tackle and senior Brett Byford at center. That lineup is far from permanent.
Wagner said the team would continue to experiment with combinations up front, and he didn't rule out the possibility of moving Slauson back to tackle, where he started 14 career games.
Though he acknowledged that it took him some time to acclimate to guard, Slauson said he now actually prefers it to tackle. Now, it just feels like a natural fit.
"I'm hoping they keep me at guard," he said. "We still have to try out some more combinations, but I feel more comfortable at guard. I don't have to move around as much, and I get to spend most of the time hitting people."