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NU Football: Junking fast food reshapes Potter
BY MITCH SHERMAN
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
LINK
LINCOLN — The dollar menu agreed with Zach Potter's budget. It agreed with his taste buds.
And most dangerous, fast food and late-night pizza agreed with Nebraska's plan last season for the 6-foot-7 defensive end from Omaha Creighton Prep.
Potter, who enrolled at NU two years ago as a 260-pound former tight end and basketball star, ballooned to 300 pounds last season after the Huskers asked him to emulate Adam Carriker.
The difference was Carriker, a monster in the weight room and now a probable rookie starter on the interior of the St. Louis Rams defensive line, put on his weight by adding muscle. Potter put his on, well, through the dollar menu. Big difference.
Now, it appears Potter perhaps has seen the light. An offseason awakening allowed him to cut the fat — he lost almost 20 pounds — and add some strength. He hit the weights and developed an improved attitude about his body. As the projected starter at strongside defensive end, the junior ranks as one of the Huskers' most improved players this month, according to defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove.
"He's made some big strides since the spring," Cosgrove said. "He's more confident now. He's a lot stronger and more explosive than he's been. It's fun to watch guys like that develop. He did some good things in the spring, but he's playing much better right now than he did."
Potter said he lost the weight through work in winter conditioning, spring practice and this summer.
His eating habits have also changed, but it's nothing dramatic, he said.
"With all the running that we did, working out in the weight room and just really eating healthy, it just happened," Potter said. "I got rid of the dollar menus — well, a couple times, here and there, I'll get something — but I just look at (a healthier diet) like it's important."
Since he lost the weight, Potter said he's added about five pounds.
"It's good weight, actually, for a change. I really didn't like being (300 pounds). I got back to where I feel comfortable. It's staying off now, and I really like it."
Cosgrove said he's seen more explosiveness from Potter, evidence of the athlete who made 94 tackles and caught 24 passes as a senior at Prep. He also averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds per game on the basketball court and was billed as the top high school prospect in Nebraska in 2004-05.
"He's getting off on the ball," Cosgrove said. "He's playing with his hands. He's showing more suddenness. You can see his strength, how he's developed that. I've been very impressed."
Potter figures to get his share of playing time this season, but it likely won't resemble Carriker's workload over the past two years.
Nebraska is experimenting with several defensive alignments. In some looks, tackle Ty Steinkuhler shifts to play the base-end position. Other times, NU might use only three linemen or disguise a fourth as linebacker Clayton Sievers or Steve Octavien.
In addition, Potter said, new defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt likes to rotate his linemen often.
Expect redshirt freshman Pierre Allen to make an impact at the same position as Potter. Allen also added weight last season, perhaps too quickly, Potter said, and slimmed down in the offseason.
"Adam (Carriker) put that weight on over five years," Potter said, "and he liked playing at that weight. If I get up there again, it's definitely going to be the right type of weight.
"Right now, I have more energy during practice. I don't get as tired. Don't get me wrong, I still get tired. But I've got my legs underneath me a lot more. If I have my legs, I can explode out of my stance and get off the ball, which is a key at my position."
Potter has yet to figure into even one game at Nebraska as an important defensive contributor. He played a career high of about 15 snaps apiece against Louisiana Tech and Nicholls last September.
His most extensive time in a notable game? Eight snaps, he said, in the Huskers' 22-20 loss to Texas last year.
"I'm really excited," he said, "but it's going to be a big change for me."
BY MITCH SHERMAN
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
LINK
LINCOLN — The dollar menu agreed with Zach Potter's budget. It agreed with his taste buds.
And most dangerous, fast food and late-night pizza agreed with Nebraska's plan last season for the 6-foot-7 defensive end from Omaha Creighton Prep.
Potter, who enrolled at NU two years ago as a 260-pound former tight end and basketball star, ballooned to 300 pounds last season after the Huskers asked him to emulate Adam Carriker.
The difference was Carriker, a monster in the weight room and now a probable rookie starter on the interior of the St. Louis Rams defensive line, put on his weight by adding muscle. Potter put his on, well, through the dollar menu. Big difference.
Now, it appears Potter perhaps has seen the light. An offseason awakening allowed him to cut the fat — he lost almost 20 pounds — and add some strength. He hit the weights and developed an improved attitude about his body. As the projected starter at strongside defensive end, the junior ranks as one of the Huskers' most improved players this month, according to defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove.
"He's made some big strides since the spring," Cosgrove said. "He's more confident now. He's a lot stronger and more explosive than he's been. It's fun to watch guys like that develop. He did some good things in the spring, but he's playing much better right now than he did."
Potter said he lost the weight through work in winter conditioning, spring practice and this summer.
His eating habits have also changed, but it's nothing dramatic, he said.
"With all the running that we did, working out in the weight room and just really eating healthy, it just happened," Potter said. "I got rid of the dollar menus — well, a couple times, here and there, I'll get something — but I just look at (a healthier diet) like it's important."
Since he lost the weight, Potter said he's added about five pounds.
"It's good weight, actually, for a change. I really didn't like being (300 pounds). I got back to where I feel comfortable. It's staying off now, and I really like it."
Cosgrove said he's seen more explosiveness from Potter, evidence of the athlete who made 94 tackles and caught 24 passes as a senior at Prep. He also averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds per game on the basketball court and was billed as the top high school prospect in Nebraska in 2004-05.
"He's getting off on the ball," Cosgrove said. "He's playing with his hands. He's showing more suddenness. You can see his strength, how he's developed that. I've been very impressed."
Potter figures to get his share of playing time this season, but it likely won't resemble Carriker's workload over the past two years.
Nebraska is experimenting with several defensive alignments. In some looks, tackle Ty Steinkuhler shifts to play the base-end position. Other times, NU might use only three linemen or disguise a fourth as linebacker Clayton Sievers or Steve Octavien.
In addition, Potter said, new defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt likes to rotate his linemen often.
Expect redshirt freshman Pierre Allen to make an impact at the same position as Potter. Allen also added weight last season, perhaps too quickly, Potter said, and slimmed down in the offseason.
"Adam (Carriker) put that weight on over five years," Potter said, "and he liked playing at that weight. If I get up there again, it's definitely going to be the right type of weight.
"Right now, I have more energy during practice. I don't get as tired. Don't get me wrong, I still get tired. But I've got my legs underneath me a lot more. If I have my legs, I can explode out of my stance and get off the ball, which is a key at my position."
Potter has yet to figure into even one game at Nebraska as an important defensive contributor. He played a career high of about 15 snaps apiece against Louisiana Tech and Nicholls last September.
His most extensive time in a notable game? Eight snaps, he said, in the Huskers' 22-20 loss to Texas last year.
"I'm really excited," he said, "but it's going to be a big change for me."
