What about the strength and conditioning program?

[pctopeka]

This has been a thought plaguing me for a few years, and the debacles in the big games against good teams for the last couple of years made me think of it again...what has become of the Nebraska strength and conditioning program?

For years, Nebraska had the premier strength and conditioning program in the nation under Boyd Epley. No team was better conditioned, no team was stronger player-for-player. Nebraska beat up and wore down other teams. Nebraska recruited a number of 2- and 3-star players who became physically dominant. The linemen were physically dominant and overpowered their opponents. All-Americans on the offensive and defensive lines were common...

After Pederson and Callahan shelved Epley, there has been as steady decline in the physical prowess and strength of Nebraska's players. Players rarely seem to get physically better during their time at Nebraska. Injuries have seemed to increase in both their frequency and severity. Now Nebraska's players get pushed around by the opposing players. Even South Dakota State's offensive line blew open big holes a couple of years ago...

The telling facts of this decline show up in the combine each year. Excluding Suh, who is not a human being, Nebraska's players consistently show poorly in the strength phase of the combine. For example, Nebraska's top NFL offensive line prospect last year, Marcel Jones, benched 225 a grand total of 13 reps. Hell, I'm 55 and still push 225 8-9 times! Lavonte David didn't do much better...Dennard didn't lift. Crick can be excused, as he had a torn pec. The players in the 2011 combine fared no better.

Perhaps Nebraska should look to revamping the conditioning program, rather than looking at the head coach, coordinators or position coaches...

 

[beanman]

Can't argue with you there. Some of our players are flat our slow and not explosive. We've got some on the offensive side of the ball that are pretty good though.

 

[beanman]

.

 

[EZ-E]

Boyd Epply was actually very impressed with what Dobson has built here as a S&C coach.

 

[mortes_caput]

I think Coach Dobson & staff are on the right track,the real problem is staffs around the country are copying the Nebraska bluebrint for strength & speed training.The hope is,per the video on thisisnebraska.com,that the strength staff is developing new things to give Nebraska back that edge.

 

[funhusker]

Nevermind that our S&C is still on the forefront of college athletics with the new computer assisted programs.

Sometimes players just get whipped. Ask the kids at Texas right now...

 

[whateveritis1224]

Maybe they don't put that much emphasis on maxing bench? I thought Crick did a middling job at the pro day. Wasn't the best, but it also wasn't a number where NFL teams questioned his strength. Really it was only Jones that had a pis poor number on the Bench.

 

[pctopeka]

I think Coach Dobson & staff are on the right track,the real problem is staffs around the country are copying the Nebraska bluebrint for strength & speed training.The hope is,per the video on thisisnebraska.com,that the strength staff is developing new things to give Nebraska back that edge.

College and pro teams from around the country have come to Nebraska since the 70's to learn from Epley...Devaney invited Fairbanks from Oklahoma to see the program in 1970.

The real problem may not be in the precise formulation of exercises, sets and reps...it may be in the effort expended by the players themselves.

 

[EZ-E]

I think Coach Dobson & staff are on the right track,the real problem is staffs around the country are copying the Nebraska bluebrint for strength & speed training.The hope is,per the video on thisisnebraska.com,that the strength staff is developing new things to give Nebraska back that edge.

College and pro teams from around the country have come to Nebraska since the 70's to learn from Epley...Devaney invited Fairbanks from Oklahoma to see the program in 1970.

The real problem may not be in the precise formulation of exercises, sets and reps...it may be in the effort expended by the players themselves.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

When will this bull sh#t end? Now we are incriminating the players? When does the witch hunt stop?

 

[pctopeka]

Maybe they don't put that much emphasis on maxing bench? I thought Crick did a middling job at the pro day. Wasn't the best, but it also wasn't a number where NFL teams questioned his strength. Really it was only Jones that had a pis poor number on the Bench.

Not really...Crick gets a pass due to his pec tear during the season. But other Nebraska players have stunk on the bench at the combine, save Suh. Offensive linemen, in particular, emphsize the push of the bench press. The Nebraska players' scores in the explosive tests were really mediocre, too...

Has Nebraska had an first team all-conference offensive lineman since Epley was shelved, let alone an All-American?

 

[EZ-E]

Maybe they don't put that much emphasis on maxing bench? I thought Crick did a middling job at the pro day. Wasn't the best, but it also wasn't a number where NFL teams questioned his strength. Really it was only Jones that had a pis poor number on the Bench.

Not really...Crick gets a pass due to his pec tear during the season. But other Nebraska players have stunk on the bench at the combine, save Suh. Offensive linemen, in particular, emphsize the push of the bench press. The Nebraska players' scores in the explosive tests were really mediocre, too...

Has Nebraska had an first team all-conference offensive lineman since Epley was shelved, let alone an All-American?

Didn't we have one last season? Or was Long second team?

 

[pctopeka]

I think Coach Dobson & staff are on the right track,the real problem is staffs around the country are copying the Nebraska bluebrint for strength & speed training.The hope is,per the video on thisisnebraska.com,that the strength staff is developing new things to give Nebraska back that edge.

College and pro teams from around the country have come to Nebraska since the 70's to learn from Epley...Devaney invited Fairbanks from Oklahoma to see the program in 1970.

The real problem may not be in the precise formulation of exercises, sets and reps...it may be in the effort expended by the players themselves.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

When will this bull sh#t end? Now we are incriminating the players? When does the witch hunt stop?

Oh, come on...posters on here (including you) question the players all the time. The players themselves say that they should have "played harder" after a loss, Why could they have "played harder"? No one is being "incriminated", don't be overy dramatic.

The last time I checked, the players are the ones that do the conditioning, are the ones that do the blocking and tackling, and they are the ones that ultimately are responsible for the way the team plays. It sounds like you want to give them a free pass...

The fact of the matter is this. Nebraska has a mediocre football team this year, even though all signs pointed to the team being very good. It is apparent that the players are often not ready to play the game. During the game, there are many mental errors made. Preparing to play and making the proper decisions during the game is ultimately the players' responsibiity. If the players are not giving full effort preparing for and playing the gaime, what makes you think that they are giving full effort during conditioning?

 

[EZ-E]

Here is the deal, I read the first part of your post. Didn't need to read the rest.

No player or coach ever associated with this program was above criticism. That is something you and I are in agreement on. However, let's not start reaching that far. Your post I was referring to was a huge stretch.

 

[bigpulve]

The bench press is an antiquated way to show true strength. So using the markers if the bench is a dumb reason to say the s&c program is bad. If you want to judge the program use how the athletes perform in the 4th quarter.

 

[flatwaterfan]

This has been a thought plaguing me for a few years, and the debacles in the big games against good teams for the last couple of years made me think of it again...what has become of the Nebraska strength and conditioning program?

For years, Nebraska had the premier strength and conditioning program in the nation under Boyd Epley. No team was better conditioned, no team was stronger player-for-player. Nebraska beat up and wore down other teams. Nebraska recruited a number of 2- and 3-star players who became physically dominant. The linemen were physically dominant and overpowered their opponents. All-Americans on the offensive and defensive lines were common...

After Pederson and Callahan shelved Epley, there has been as steady decline in the physical prowess and strength of Nebraska's players. Players rarely seem to get physically better during their time at Nebraska. Injuries have seemed to increase in both their frequency and severity. Now Nebraska's players get pushed around by the opposing players. Even South Dakota State's offensive line blew open big holes a couple of years ago...

The telling facts of this decline show up in the combine each year. Excluding Suh, who is not a human being, Nebraska's players consistently show poorly in the strength phase of the combine. For example, Nebraska's top NFL offensive line prospect last year, Marcel Jones, benched 225 a grand total of 13 reps. Hell, I'm 55 and still push 225 8-9 times! Lavonte David didn't do much better...Dennard didn't lift. Crick can be excused, as he had a torn pec. The players in the 2011 combine fared no better.

Perhaps Nebraska should look to revamping the conditioning program, rather than looking at the head coach, coordinators or position coaches...

All programs have strength & conditioning programs and work year around so that edge has disappeared. Sometime ago for the most part. So that's one factor. The other is that we use to recruit run blocking power OL guys. Then they wanted to throw the ball with B.C and went to taller guys with long arms & big hands that were good pass protecting. Lost that aggressive push forward. I think they have restored that aggressive nature, however they still want to be balanced and are still recruiting the taller athletic types not necessarily power guys. Defensively I think they have just not gotten the talent they need. I like the current philosophy of the strength staff and just think the football staff needs to recruit better talent.