Potter keeping an eye on Carriker

I think Potter is going to develop into a really good player. Being under Carriker's wing and all, I think he will turn out ot be a good player.

 
Thanks for the post. It was a good read.

Published Friday

August 11, 2006

Huskers' Potter keeping close eye on Carriker

BY RICH KAIPUST

WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

LINCOLN - To Zach Potter, the big picture isn't so hard to see.

It's standing right in front of him daily. Wearing No. 90 and destroying everything in its way.

"You watch a guy of Adam Carriker's caliber, and it just amazes you," Potter said. "That's what you're striving to be."

Potter is lodged in the ultimate understudy role heading into his sophomore season with the Nebraska football team. He's the backup defensive end playing behind the All-America candidate and NFL prospect.

To be like Carriker, Potter must watch him. How he works, what he knows, how he brings it to every practice.

NU assistant coach John Blake sees it unfold and likes how it works. Carriker is patient and helpful with Potter; Potter listens and learns.

"Adam is such a great character guy, and such a great person, so there's a lot of respect there," said Blake, the Huskers' defensive line coach. "Watching what a man his size and height can do, what better mentor could you talk to?"

The 6-foot-7, 280-pound Potter is positioned to become the heir apparent at base end. But the process is only starting for the former All-Nebraska player from Omaha Creighton Prep.

Although Potter made an impact on special teams as a true freshman - having a hand in two of the Huskers' seven blocked kicks - he played sparingly on defense and didn't get the practice work he's getting now behind Carriker.

"It's just not fair to compare them right now," Blake said. "Adam's a strong man, just a powerful force, and experienced. Potter's real young. He has the frame to be big, but he's still got a ways to go."

That's where Carriker comes in.

The 6-6, 295-pound senior from Kennewick, Wash., was wide-eyed and 40 pounds lighter four years ago when he started learning under Chris Kelsay, Justin Smith and Trevor Johnson. They took the time with him, and he realized it was best to accept the help.

"It all just kind of goes down the line," Carriker said.

Playing behind Carriker also has its drawbacks. Barring injury, the third-year starter likely won't come off the field much in 2006. He helped anchor the defense a year ago with 91/2 sacks and 17 tackles for losses and left little playing time for his backups.

"In a way, it's bittersweet," Potter said. "I mean, yeah, I'm not probably going to get that many reps in a game and stuff. But at the same time, I get the chance to learn as much as I can behind him for a second year, before he goes off to the NFL, and that still gives me two years to play as much as I can."

Potter believes he's started to chip away at some of the gap between the two. It started with adding 10 pounds of good weight between seasons.

"What I was last year was basically a weak guy coming in, and now I've bulked up quite a bit in the weight room," Potter said. "Now I've just got to get down the knowledge of the game like he has."

Carriker knows how it goes. In fact, anything he says about Potter probably isn't far off what the Husker veteran defensive ends said about him three and four years ago.

"He's a big, tall kid," Carriker said. "We're kind of similar in our body motions and maybe the way we run a little.

"I would just say he's a little raw. He's got plenty of talent - that's not a question. But he's just got to be more aggressive on the field right now."

 
Potter has an inch or two on Adam "Drago" Carriker, but when you compare the size of their arms, its....um... obscene.

i know i am getting ahead of myself, but do you guys think they will make him a DT in the NFL? or will they keep him at D-End.. ???

 
pigs- i was thinking about that too, i bet he starts out as a DE but a few years down the road he ends up on the DL because of his strength... i dunno. Like you said, getting ahead of ourselves, but the season hasn't started so its all fair game.

 
I look for him to be a 3-4 DE. A two gap specialist that can rush the quarterback when needed but plays the run extremly well.

 
I'm thinking if Adam shows the pros good speed (cause they like DEs strong and quick in the NFL) he will stck there. Otherwise he'll need another 10 lbs to handle interior pro linemen for 60 minutes. OL in the NFL are getting bigger and bigger. Adam will need to go over 300-310 to be real effective to play DT. You just don't see em under that much anymore. Not in the NFL and starting.

 
I hope he keeps playing at end in the NFL. Wistrom plays there, as does Rucker, plus Carriker and Moore will be in the NFL next year, then maybe Turner down the line. Nebraska is quickly turining into "DE U"!

 
The next in succession may be Mike Smith. I was thinking this yesterday and then the OWH had a little Q/A with him today and point out that he is upto 275 from the 240 he was recruited at. (In part attributes PBJ and working out more). So now he is 6-6, 275. :thumbs

 
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