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Film study has made Nunn NU's go-to guy
BY RICH KAIPUST
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
LINCOLN - The second his cell phone rang, Terrence Nunn glanced at the clock in the Nebraska football offices and knew he was in trouble.
Husker receiver Terrence Nunn, shown celebrating a touchdown against Michigan in the Alamo Bowl last season, is regarded as one of the hardest-working members of the NU team.
Nunn had told his girlfriend he would take her to a 9:50 p.m. movie in the middle of last week. It was already 9:30.
"I had lost track of time," Nunn said. "I wasn't paying attention. The phone rang, I saw what time it was and I was like, 'Dang . . . '
"We still ended up making it. She was a little bit mad."
Dating experts won't recommend such behavior. NU coaches certainly don't discourage it.
The dedication by Nunn has made him into a better receiver than some might have thought possible when he became a Husker.
"He just works his tail off," NU offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said. "He's worked extremely hard the last few months, and he's really taken great pride in detailing his game. He's very serious about his route-running, the way he gets open, reading coverages, studying the game."
All that takes time. Too much, of course, and it can get you in trouble with the opposite sex.
Nunn's usual routine is to go from dinner to the film room at the Osborne Complex. An hour or two is usually enough, and he's out the door by 8:30 or 9 p.m.
"If I really get into it, I can go deeper," Nunn said, recalling what happened as he prepared for Louisiana Tech. "Before, that would have seemed crazy to me. But I like it now."
Nunn will study an opposing cornerback's footwork and technique, what depths he plays at, his tendencies. He'll also pull out staff tapes of NFL greats or former players they've coached. Anything to gain an edge.
It all helps explain why quarterback Zac Taylor regularly finds No. 83 running open, even though Nebraska might have bigger, faster or stronger receivers than the 6-foot, 185-pound junior from Houston.
"I just think he's one of those receivers who's always doing the right thing," NU cornerback Cortney Grixby said. "He just goes about it real quietly. You look up at the box numbers the next day and see that he's done what he's done, and that speaks for itself."
Nunn started the season by catching a team-high five passes for 54 yards in the 49-10 win over Louisiana Tech. A year ago, he caught at least three passes in nine of 12 games, and the 64 for his career put him on the verge of cracking NU's all-time Top 10.
Before Nunn started to figure it all out, he struggled as a freshman to get open. Nunn's production then jumped from 16 receptions in 2004 to 43 in 2005, capped by him catching four passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns in the Alamo Bowl.
"My first year, I don't think I was running full speed on my routes because I was doing too much thinking," he said. "That (hesitation) can cost you, especially in the West Coast offense where everything is timing. Now I can just run a route because I know how to run it."
Nunn and Nate Swift combined for 88 receptions last season as they became Taylor's favorite targets. Nunn gained a reputation not only for finding holes in defenses, but also for using his long arms and trusty hands to nab anything that came his way.
You just don't hear much about it, because Nunn prefers to say little on the field and even less to the news media off of it.
"He just comes in and does his job," said offensive lineman Greg Austin, who played high school football against Nunn in Houston. "It's better to be successful and quietly successful than walking in and doing all the other stuff. Nothing Terrence does takes away from his game at all.
"He does talk, though. Around us, he acts the fool."
What Nebraska wouldn't consider funny is that it almost lost Nunn. He committed to NU when Frank Solich was head coach, de-committed with intentions to go to Wisconsin and then was talked back into the Huskers by Bill Callahan after he became head coach.
Norvell said his consistency and production show it was a good decision by both.
"We always say our smart receivers get open," Norvell said. "They know what to do, they run their assignments, and what happens is over time the quarterback learns to trust you. When a quarterback gets under center and looks out and sees a guy that he trusts, well obviously he's going to take a very good look at him."
Film study has made Nunn NU's go-to guy
BY RICH KAIPUST
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
LINCOLN - The second his cell phone rang, Terrence Nunn glanced at the clock in the Nebraska football offices and knew he was in trouble.
Husker receiver Terrence Nunn, shown celebrating a touchdown against Michigan in the Alamo Bowl last season, is regarded as one of the hardest-working members of the NU team.
Nunn had told his girlfriend he would take her to a 9:50 p.m. movie in the middle of last week. It was already 9:30.
"I had lost track of time," Nunn said. "I wasn't paying attention. The phone rang, I saw what time it was and I was like, 'Dang . . . '
"We still ended up making it. She was a little bit mad."
Dating experts won't recommend such behavior. NU coaches certainly don't discourage it.
The dedication by Nunn has made him into a better receiver than some might have thought possible when he became a Husker.
"He just works his tail off," NU offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said. "He's worked extremely hard the last few months, and he's really taken great pride in detailing his game. He's very serious about his route-running, the way he gets open, reading coverages, studying the game."
All that takes time. Too much, of course, and it can get you in trouble with the opposite sex.
Nunn's usual routine is to go from dinner to the film room at the Osborne Complex. An hour or two is usually enough, and he's out the door by 8:30 or 9 p.m.
"If I really get into it, I can go deeper," Nunn said, recalling what happened as he prepared for Louisiana Tech. "Before, that would have seemed crazy to me. But I like it now."
Nunn will study an opposing cornerback's footwork and technique, what depths he plays at, his tendencies. He'll also pull out staff tapes of NFL greats or former players they've coached. Anything to gain an edge.
It all helps explain why quarterback Zac Taylor regularly finds No. 83 running open, even though Nebraska might have bigger, faster or stronger receivers than the 6-foot, 185-pound junior from Houston.
"I just think he's one of those receivers who's always doing the right thing," NU cornerback Cortney Grixby said. "He just goes about it real quietly. You look up at the box numbers the next day and see that he's done what he's done, and that speaks for itself."
Nunn started the season by catching a team-high five passes for 54 yards in the 49-10 win over Louisiana Tech. A year ago, he caught at least three passes in nine of 12 games, and the 64 for his career put him on the verge of cracking NU's all-time Top 10.
Before Nunn started to figure it all out, he struggled as a freshman to get open. Nunn's production then jumped from 16 receptions in 2004 to 43 in 2005, capped by him catching four passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns in the Alamo Bowl.
"My first year, I don't think I was running full speed on my routes because I was doing too much thinking," he said. "That (hesitation) can cost you, especially in the West Coast offense where everything is timing. Now I can just run a route because I know how to run it."
Nunn and Nate Swift combined for 88 receptions last season as they became Taylor's favorite targets. Nunn gained a reputation not only for finding holes in defenses, but also for using his long arms and trusty hands to nab anything that came his way.
You just don't hear much about it, because Nunn prefers to say little on the field and even less to the news media off of it.
"He just comes in and does his job," said offensive lineman Greg Austin, who played high school football against Nunn in Houston. "It's better to be successful and quietly successful than walking in and doing all the other stuff. Nothing Terrence does takes away from his game at all.
"He does talk, though. Around us, he acts the fool."
What Nebraska wouldn't consider funny is that it almost lost Nunn. He committed to NU when Frank Solich was head coach, de-committed with intentions to go to Wisconsin and then was talked back into the Huskers by Bill Callahan after he became head coach.
Norvell said his consistency and production show it was a good decision by both.
"We always say our smart receivers get open," Norvell said. "They know what to do, they run their assignments, and what happens is over time the quarterback learns to trust you. When a quarterback gets under center and looks out and sees a guy that he trusts, well obviously he's going to take a very good look at him."