Eric the Red
Team HuskerBoard
Swift's rise as NU receiver sparks historical comparisons
Nate Swift admits he doesn’t know everything about Nebraska’s football history. His memory is particularly fuzzy when it comes to receivers.
He’s discovered an easy way to brush up: Do something that sends media relations people searching through record books.
Swift’s back-to-back 100-yard receiving games did just that. It took everyone back to 1983, when Irving Fryar caught passes for more than 100 yards in consecutive games against Minnesota and UCLA.
It took 22 years for another NU receiver — Swift — to accomplish that feat.
“I think that’s really cool to be a part of that history,” said Swift, a redshirt freshman from Hutchinson, Minn.
Over Nebraska’s last two games, the 6-foot-2 Swift has caught 18 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns — nine for 135 yards against Missouri, and nine for 116 against Oklahoma.
“That’s a lot of catches, a lot of grabs for a wide receiver who’s just starting to show a presence,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said.
Swift didn’t even catch his first career pass until the third quarter of Nebraska’s fourth game, against Iowa State. He’s now tied with running back Cory Ross for most receptions with 28. His 398 receiving yards lead the team.
“It’s crazy that this is happening to me,” Swift said. “Coming into this year, all I was hoping for was playing time and being able to get down the field and contribute somehow. To have these last two games has just been like a dream to me, coming in here and being able to do that.”
Swift’s emergence has come at an opportunetime. Isaiah Fluellen, Mark LeFlore and Frantz Hardy have either been slowed or missed games because of injury, hampering Nebraska’s depth at wide receiver.
Swift hasn’t exactly been void of injury. He was bothered by a sore shoulder in fall camp and wore a green no-contact jersey in preseason practices. He played with a shoulder brace up until the Iowa State game.
“We knew in the spring he was going to be a good player,” Nebraska offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said. “He’s got really good natural football sense and ability. When he gets in competitive situations, he reacts real well. We’re not surprised by his development.
“You have to be smart and you have to be able to make adjustments, and he does that very well. He’s just got a natural feel for route running and getting open. When you run full-speed, it’s amazing how you can get open, and he’s been able to do that.”
It almost allowed Nebraska to tie Saturday’s game against Oklahoma in the fourth quarter.
Swift cut inside on a deep route and was wide-open deep in Sooner territory, but Zac Taylor’s pass with a strong wind sailed over Swift. If Swift is able to catch the pass in stride, he likely scores the tying touchdown in the final 2 minutes.
“He can see things, which really helps a receiver’s ability,” Callahan said. “Some guys can’t adapt to all the different types of rotations and different types of coverage techniques that they’re getting. But this guy continues to improve and impress.”
Swift, who describes himself as a possession-type receiver, is manning Nebraska’s “X” receiver spot. He’s also earned the trust of Taylor, who’s completed passes to 13 different players.
“I always know where Swift is going to be, and he has a pretty good feel of what I’m feeling on a play,” Taylor said. “He’s a great route runner. We have a lot of routes where the receiver can make a last-second decision based on the coverage.
“With Swift, he makes mistakes every now and then, but he’s really good about reading the coverage, and he knows exactly where he needs to be on any given play.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
Nate Swift admits he doesn’t know everything about Nebraska’s football history. His memory is particularly fuzzy when it comes to receivers.
He’s discovered an easy way to brush up: Do something that sends media relations people searching through record books.
Swift’s back-to-back 100-yard receiving games did just that. It took everyone back to 1983, when Irving Fryar caught passes for more than 100 yards in consecutive games against Minnesota and UCLA.
It took 22 years for another NU receiver — Swift — to accomplish that feat.
“I think that’s really cool to be a part of that history,” said Swift, a redshirt freshman from Hutchinson, Minn.
Over Nebraska’s last two games, the 6-foot-2 Swift has caught 18 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns — nine for 135 yards against Missouri, and nine for 116 against Oklahoma.
“That’s a lot of catches, a lot of grabs for a wide receiver who’s just starting to show a presence,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said.
Swift didn’t even catch his first career pass until the third quarter of Nebraska’s fourth game, against Iowa State. He’s now tied with running back Cory Ross for most receptions with 28. His 398 receiving yards lead the team.
“It’s crazy that this is happening to me,” Swift said. “Coming into this year, all I was hoping for was playing time and being able to get down the field and contribute somehow. To have these last two games has just been like a dream to me, coming in here and being able to do that.”
Swift’s emergence has come at an opportunetime. Isaiah Fluellen, Mark LeFlore and Frantz Hardy have either been slowed or missed games because of injury, hampering Nebraska’s depth at wide receiver.
Swift hasn’t exactly been void of injury. He was bothered by a sore shoulder in fall camp and wore a green no-contact jersey in preseason practices. He played with a shoulder brace up until the Iowa State game.
“We knew in the spring he was going to be a good player,” Nebraska offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said. “He’s got really good natural football sense and ability. When he gets in competitive situations, he reacts real well. We’re not surprised by his development.
“You have to be smart and you have to be able to make adjustments, and he does that very well. He’s just got a natural feel for route running and getting open. When you run full-speed, it’s amazing how you can get open, and he’s been able to do that.”
It almost allowed Nebraska to tie Saturday’s game against Oklahoma in the fourth quarter.
Swift cut inside on a deep route and was wide-open deep in Sooner territory, but Zac Taylor’s pass with a strong wind sailed over Swift. If Swift is able to catch the pass in stride, he likely scores the tying touchdown in the final 2 minutes.
“He can see things, which really helps a receiver’s ability,” Callahan said. “Some guys can’t adapt to all the different types of rotations and different types of coverage techniques that they’re getting. But this guy continues to improve and impress.”
Swift, who describes himself as a possession-type receiver, is manning Nebraska’s “X” receiver spot. He’s also earned the trust of Taylor, who’s completed passes to 13 different players.
“I always know where Swift is going to be, and he has a pretty good feel of what I’m feeling on a play,” Taylor said. “He’s a great route runner. We have a lot of routes where the receiver can make a last-second decision based on the coverage.
“With Swift, he makes mistakes every now and then, but he’s really good about reading the coverage, and he knows exactly where he needs to be on any given play.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
