Riley’s Creampuff Recruiting
- Thread starter StPaulHusker
- Start date
Guy Chamberlin
Heisman Trophy Winner
I'm thinking of other plays in that game -- and they happen all over football -- where a defender makes a big hit, then jumps up to give a full series of warrior poses. These can be second down plays in the third quarter where the player makes the hit after giving up seven yards to a team that is otherwise crushing them.
Love the enthusiasm, but don't act like you suddenly deserve respect for your single act of awesomeness. As opposing players taunt in these situations: "look at the scoreboard."
The last thing you want an opposing team to do is smirk.
HuskerNBigD
Starter
Yup!
It's like when a receiver snags a 30 yard pass and the safety lays him out and celebrates.
MountainMan
Banned
I think the biggest problem with Nebraska general isn’t the Riley recruits, or the frost recruits or whomever.
Nebraska has an inordinate amount of higher ranked recruits fail to develop or wash out because Nebraska simply doesn’t have enough of them.
Usually we get one or two four star recruits at a position, the fanbase collectively loses its mind over them, and they get to practice and they aren’t pushed by anyone except maybe their position coach. Without another guy of equal rating right behind him, it gets hard to be better. Especially when you know your position is all but cemented barring injury.
Now you might get a Spielman every now again who can self motivate, but I really think it’s rare.
Its hard to have “good on good” when there isn’t nearly enough good going around.
The “stars don’t matter” trope is absolute dreck. We just need more of them. And once they’re here, it needs to make clear they their spot is earned and we can probably do without our verbal commits having an entire blog about them for half a year too.
Nebraska has an inordinate amount of higher ranked recruits fail to develop or wash out because Nebraska simply doesn’t have enough of them.
Usually we get one or two four star recruits at a position, the fanbase collectively loses its mind over them, and they get to practice and they aren’t pushed by anyone except maybe their position coach. Without another guy of equal rating right behind him, it gets hard to be better. Especially when you know your position is all but cemented barring injury.
Now you might get a Spielman every now again who can self motivate, but I really think it’s rare.
Its hard to have “good on good” when there isn’t nearly enough good going around.
The “stars don’t matter” trope is absolute dreck. We just need more of them. And once they’re here, it needs to make clear they their spot is earned and we can probably do without our verbal commits having an entire blog about them for half a year too.
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Redux
Assistant Coach
I don't think the narrative has been Riley recruited creampuffs.
I DO think the narrative (and fact of the matter) is that Riley turned his recruits into creampuffs. And he did recruit a lot of players that either never made it to campus, transferred out when things got tough and or ended up not panning out because they didn't want to put in the work or don't like the new staff.
But no, he didn't intentionally recruit creampuffs.
MountainMan
Banned
We have had a history of recruits becoming soft/not developing/being complacent and/or seeking greener pastures long before Riley. Off the top of my head:
Kenny Bell
Chase Rome
Todd Peat
Aaron Green
Jared Afalava
Kenny Bell
Chase Rome
Todd Peat
Aaron Green
Jared Afalava
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BigRedBuster
International Man of Mystery
BigRedBuster
International Man of Mystery
A major part of this is HOW the coach recruits the player. I read comments from players where Frost instills in them even as recruits his passion to winning and turning this program around. Martinez has talked about it from time to time how instantly, he wanted to play for Frost because of his passion to win.
I'm guessing Riley never really instilled that in his recruits. It wasn't that those players were soft or were destined to be soft. But, the attitude that is instilled from the first time a coach meats a player.....means something in the future.
4skers89
All-Conference
I think Riley recruitied players that were susceptible to contracting creampuff syndrome while simultaneously spreading the disease with ice cream. None of which was intentional.
Guy Chamberlin
Heisman Trophy Winner
The problem for me is that the blowouts are all blending together. The games where the ENTIRE TEAM plays skittish and undisciplined and doesn't look like it belongs on the same field with both college football elite and some otherwise beatable conference rivals. They simply don't like the pressure. And that narrative runs through Callahan, Pelini, Riley, and the first few games of the Frost era.
MountainMan
Banned
I’ve long been of the opinion he got very complacent during his time here. Though I admit I just googled his stats and he had improvement from his freshman to sophomore year. He regressed hard his junior year, then rallied a little his senior near.
Maybe it’s just me but my memories of him are tapping his helmet to sub out and stories of him bartending rather than trying to get better.
Anyway. Tangent over.
Nebfanatic
All-American
Lamar didn't make the play, Dismuke did. If it had not been a penalty you wouldn't be bitching about it so I really don't want to hear that. :movegoalpost:
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MountainMan
Banned
The “ice cream”’comment really is starting to reveal more about the poster making it than the player/coach it’s directed to.
StPaulHusker
Banned
I looked back at his recruiting profile and he did, indeed commit to Pelini first. I just remember Riley on a whirlwind recruiting effort right off the bat talking to committed or almost committed players. Couldn't remember when Stan was.