Phillips' letters from jail

[lo country]

He is a lot like Mike Tyson IMO. When surrounded by strong father figures/coaches (manager) they were both tops in their craft. When that went away i.e. TO and Mike's manager dying, they both just went crazy.

Not comparing RG in any way, but he has a support system in place now with the Dallas Cowboys. A person (s) assigned to him to help him out and keep him straight. Had Phillips had that, who knows how things would have been. Seems like a man who knows right from wrong and is trying to do his time without the drama that envelops the prison setting. Heard an interesting stat the other day. If a child is not reading at level by the 3rd grade, their chance of being incarcerated is raised at a crazy rate. As is the potential to be on welfare. Not a "social program" kind of person, but when you hear about Phillips childhood, the statistic about reading and others it seems early intervention would be significantly more beneficial that the vast majority of programs out there.

In regards to practice, IIRC, their was a higher stole limit (more bodies), unlimited walk-ons (more bodies), less policing by the NCAA in regards to how to and how much practice could be done, a cutting edge strength program, and inheriting (the players from year to year) a winning tradition that was continued....

 

[darkhorse85]

This quote frustrates me

"I hear Husker spring practices are a little more spirited. That is a plus. I do not think teams will ever practice how we practiced. … If a team ever comes back to that mentality, they will crush the college ranks."

Riley needs to get some old time Huskers to show him how a practice should be conducted.

I'm not sure what to make of it but it kind of reminds me of a Marine joke.

Back in the colonial days when the first Marine regiments were being formed the first man to sign up was sent to wait on ship for the rest of the men who would sign up that day and they would receive their orders. The first Marine waited around for an hour until a second finally came on ship. The second Marine goes up to the first and introduces himself and says "I can't wait to see what's in store for us." The first Marine responds "Boy, let me tell you about the old Corps."

 

[BigRedBuster]

This quote frustrates me

"I hear Husker spring practices are a little more spirited. That is a plus. I do not think teams will ever practice how we practiced. … If a team ever comes back to that mentality, they will crush the college ranks."

Riley needs to get some old time Huskers to show him how a practice should be conducted.

Here's my question - what really is the difference between the way those teams practiced and how college teams practice now? We have guys going down to injury all the time these days. If the Huskers in those days practice as they claim... the physicality and ferociousness... how did their bodies survive?

Was it steroids? Rampant pain medication use? Was it better training through the pop warner and high school days? Was it the style of play? Was it the benefits of having a far more loaded roster? A combination of some, all, or none of these things?

I don't really know the answers to your questions other than I think during the season there was even more 1 vs. 1 early in the game week. All accounts claim they were really nasty to each other and made each other better.

Here is what I have always taken from comments like this (and there have been a lot of past players make similar comments). Listen to the importance they put on practice. They actually make more comments and talk more about practice than they do games.

On the flip side, I have been in HUGE arguments with fans who claim XYZ player should be on the field because he has more talent. The coach AND player state that they haven't been proving in practice they can be trusted and know the system. The argument always comes back to..."BUT, he has more talent, put him out there and just let him play. There are just some players that don't practice well". Sorry, those types of comments just leave me banging my head against the wall and quite honestly, I think some players have that mentality and it holds them back.

 

[NUinID]

This quote frustrates me

"I hear Husker spring practices are a little more spirited. That is a plus. I do not think teams will ever practice how we practiced. … If a team ever comes back to that mentality, they will crush the college ranks."

Riley needs to get some old time Huskers to show him how a practice should be conducted.

Here's my question - what really is the difference between the way those teams practiced and how college teams practice now? We have guys going down to injury all the time these days. If the Huskers in those days practice as they claim... the physicality and ferociousness... how did their bodies survive?

Was it steroids? Rampant pain medication use? Was it better training through the pop warner and high school days? Was it the style of play? Was it the benefits of having a far more loaded roster? A combination of some, all, or none of these things?

I don't really know the answers to your questions other than I think during the season there was even more 1 vs. 1 early in the game week. All accounts claim they were really nasty to each other and made each other better.

Here is what I have always taken from comments like this (and there have been a lot of past players make similar comments). Listen to the importance they put on practice. They actually make more comments and talk more about practice than they do games.

On the flip side, I have been in HUGE arguments with fans who claim XYZ player should be on the field because he has more talent. The coach AND player state that they haven't been proving in practice they can be trusted and know the system. The argument always comes back to..."BUT, he has more talent, put him out there and just let him play. There are just some players that don't practice well". Sorry, those types of comments just leave me banging my head against the wall and quite honestly, I think some players have that mentality and it holds them back.

They did spend more time in season on 1 vs. 1 usually on Tuesday of the week I believe. TO is a nice guy, but he also knows that football is a brutal nasty sport. He let a lot of fighting/nasty play go on during practice. Nothing illegal, he just let them mix it up, and it gave them an edge.

Also when you have that size of a roster and can run as many stations as they were running, I don't remember if it was 3 or 4, everyone gets better. You either get better or you get left behind. If you are in the bottom station and play hard and all of a sudden you are moved up to #2 station it just makes you play harder and everyone else steps up their game. it feeds itself.

The problem is that what we say from 1993 to 1997 was a culmination of 20 years of tinkering and testing to get to that point. Most don't think about that.

No one should ever be on a FB field just because they are more talented. If you are lazy in practice that should never be rewarded, and it rarely is rewarded.

 

[Enhance]

No one should ever be on a FB field just because they are more talented. If you are lazy in practice that should never be rewarded, and it rarely is rewarded.

Completely agree. I too think there may be some rare occasions where it just doesn't matter what the guy does in practice because you know he's going to bring it on gameday. And in professional sports, for example, we know there are quite a few guys who miss some off season training, or perhaps get an extra day off of practice from the coaches sometimes, because you know they're going to be ready to go.

But, I believe you play the way you practice. I also believe the vast majority of players use practice as a way to see playing time, and if a guy hasn't made it onto the field, then he needs to up his game off the field in practice and the film room.

 

[onlyHskrfaninIL]

This quote frustrates me

"I hear Husker spring practices are a little more spirited. That is a plus. I do not think teams will ever practice how we practiced. … If a team ever comes back to that mentality, they will crush the college ranks."

Riley needs to get some old time Huskers to show him how a practice should be conducted.

Here's my question - what really is the difference between the way those teams practiced and how college teams practice now? We have guys going down to injury all the time these days. If the Huskers in those days practice as they claim... the physicality and ferociousness... how did their bodies survive?

Was it steroids? Rampant pain medication use? Was it better training through the pop warner and high school days? Was it the style of play? Was it the benefits of having a far more loaded roster? A combination of some, all, or none of these things?

I believe steroids were a big part of the success back in the glory days. Pain meds too probably.

 

[jmfb]

This quote frustrates me

"I hear Husker spring practices are a little more spirited. That is a plus. I do not think teams will ever practice how we practiced. … If a team ever comes back to that mentality, they will crush the college ranks."

Riley needs to get some old time Huskers to show him how a practice should be conducted.

Here's my question - what really is the difference between the way those teams practiced and how college teams practice now? We have guys going down to injury all the time these days. If the Huskers in those days practice as they claim... the physicality and ferociousness... how did their bodies survive?

Was it steroids? Rampant pain medication use? Was it better training through the pop warner and high school days? Was it the style of play? Was it the benefits of having a far more loaded roster? A combination of some, all, or none of these things?

I believe steroids were a big part of the success back in the glory days. Pain meds too probably.

Not true IMO

I played with several guys who played and started for NU They all made gains, but nothing out of the ordinary with great diet and worlds best college S/c coach

Genetically some guys pack it on quickly and others doing same routines and diet wont get same results- nothing to do with steroids

One kid was a juicer NU wouldnt let him walk on until he lost a bunch of weight and passed a bunch of tests. He eventually walked on, earned a scholly and started

I know he wasnt juicing while he was at NU- he played in an era where NU dominated he got tested all the time

 

[KazLong]

Feel really bad reading these.

Small decisions can have a huge impact.

Hope he finds some peace and meaning to his new life.

 

[cg_8]

No one should ever be on a FB field just because they are more talented. If you are lazy in practice that should never be rewarded, and it rarely is rewarded.

Completely agree. I too think there may be some rare occasions where it just doesn't matter what the guy does in practice because you know he's going to bring it on gameday. And in professional sports, for example, we know there are quite a few guys who miss some off season training, or perhaps get an extra day off of practice from the coaches sometimes, because you know they're going to be ready to go.

But, I believe you play the way you practice. I also believe the vast majority of players use practice as a way to see playing time, and if a guy hasn't made it onto the field, then he needs to up his game off the field in practice and the film room.

 

[commando]

not sure that i like the music choice...but the highlights are awesome

 

[Eric the Red]

Very very interesting and sad at the same time. Reading the letters, it appears to me that he is obviously a smart kid. Heck, his hand writing is one heck of a lot better than mine.

Now we know who finally got Pelini fired.

I think today if he were in school he'd be labeled with "emotional disturbance." Is fine one moment and the next he flips. I'm sure he has thought back to this recent event with himself driving a car toward these kids and is regretful. Yet at that moment his adrenaline kicked in and wasn't able to think clearly. I spoke with a school psychologist one time and he said when a some students get very elevated with emotion they lose 30 IQ points. If you are average (100 IQ) now you are down to 70 IQ. That's considered intellectually disabled.

Not sure if it's because he is in jail, but it looks like he sees the power of communication and talking things out.

Growing up in foster care many kids grow up "fight or flight." Very little bonding and/or relationships built.

 

[skersfan]

Being quoted by a good friend is an honor I do not take lightly Eric, Thank you.

I had two foster kids, one grew up to be a Police Officer in Lee's Summit. The other as hard as we tried did not make the step, he was killed by his real brother while visiting his family over a Thanksgiving Holiday. He was quiet and shy at one moment and a full on monster the next. Loved them both, and Tom has been a bright star in our lives. I still visit Donald's grave every time we are in Kansas City, still asking if there anything we could have done to prevent what happened. Life for those kids is like a light switch, on and off.

 

[Eric the Red]

Being quoted by a good friend is an honor I do not take lightly Eric, Thank you.

I had two foster kids, one grew up to be a Police Officer in Lee's Summit. The other as hard as we tried did not make the step, he was killed by his real brother while visiting his family over a Thanksgiving Holiday. He was quiet and shy at one moment and a full on monster the next. Loved them both, and Tom has been a bright star in our lives. I still visit Donald's grave every time we are in Kansas City, still asking if there anything we could have done to prevent what happened. Life for those kids is like a light switch, on and off.

Hey, that quote sums up my beliefs 100%. I'm not going to mess with perfection.

Unreal story...you did the best you could.

I have a boy that was in foster care for many years as his father was trying to "figure himself out" and mother dies when he was 2 from meth in my class. While bouncing from foster home to foster home he would literally bring every single possession he owned to and from school every day. The backpack weighed about 50 pounds...he weighed 80.

Lawrence Phillips belongs in jail, but his biological parents belong there as well.