BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA
All-American
Knee injury slows down NU's Lee
By Mike Babcock
For The Independent
LINCOLN -- Don't count out Zac Lee, Nebraska football coach Bill Callahan said after practice on Wednesday. He'll be a "viable candidate" in the quarterback competition come fall.
Barring the unexpected, such as a rash of injuries at the position, Callahan's comment was mostly obligatory, an attempt to keep Lee's spirits up as he rehabilitates a knee injury suffered in a California junior college championship game. Lee was hit trying to jump over a defender.
He left the game, but only briefly. He sat out a series and then returned, thinking the knee would be OK.
He "did all right," Lee said recently, "went like 5-for-6 or something (passing)."
But he was pulled after he "just kind of came up lame," he said.
The incident illustrates two qualities about the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Lee. One, he's competitive; he'll play through pain. And two, he can throw a football. In his one season at San Francisco City College, he completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,400 yards and 35 touchdowns.
Those numbers supported his consensus ranking as the nation's top junior college quarterback prospect. Rivals.com assigned him four stars in its five-star system.
Considering his credentials, and the fact that he enrolled for second-semester classes, Lee could have been in the midst of this spring's quarterback competition had he been healthy.
"It's been difficult, to say the least," he said. "But people are great here. I'm having a good time, a great experience, (with) great teammates. And it's made it that much easier."
At least it has made his being sidelined tolerable. Nothing could make it easy.
Lee has never gone through anything like this. The closest was when he delayed his enrollment at San Francisco City College for a semester, grayshirted, to preserve a season of eligibility.
"You make yourself that much more valuable to whatever four-year school wants to pick you up," he said.
As a result, he has four years to play three seasons at Nebraska.
The grayshirt season was different, however, "because I could still do things," he said.
What he has done this spring is a lot of running, lifting weights, stair-climbing and upper-body work with the team. He's been able to throw, of course, and any time a receiver wants some extra work, he stays after practice and throws, "just trying to get comfortable with the guys," he said.
But it's not the same as competing for a job.
"It's humbling," he said. "It's another little hill to climb, and I'm trying to climb it as best I can."
He also is learning in meetings and by watching in practice, with playsheets in hand.
The offense is "all about being quick, knowing what's coming before it comes," said Sam Keller, who had to do much the same thing during the fall while sitting out as a transfer redshirt and playing quarterback on the scout team. "He can do that from the sideline by watching what the defense does, mental reps."
Lee, whose father Bob played quarterback for 12 seasons in the NFL, hasn't been overwhelmed by the complexity of the offense.
"It's about what I expected," he said. "You hear things; some of the wording gets a little tricky. It's another challenge, though. I'm looking forward to taking it on."
He has been impressed by it, however, because "the quarterback has the power, which is what you want as the quarterback. You want to be able to go up there and do what you see. If you see something to the big man, Mo, you can go there," Lee said, referring to wide receiver Maurice Purify.
Lee grayshirted Purify's sophomore season at San Francisco City College.
With Callahan's offense, "you're not going to get in a bad situation," said Lee. "You have to know what's going on, but you have an answer for everything."
The offense will be in good hands, whoever emerges in the quarterback competition, he said. "I think the guys we've got at quarterback are very talented."
He'll be ready to join in by the start of pre-season practice, "knock on wood," he said.
"I should be full-go in a couple of months, here, so by mid-summer I should be kind of off and running I guess. There's going to be a lot of learning that needs to be done, obviously, because I'm not out here. I have to soak up as much as I can, especially this summer, get in that playbook."
If he has to redshirt, well, "I could," Lee said. "That's something I'll cross . . . I'm sure coach Callahan and I will talk about it once that road comes. I'll see what he says.
"Whatever he decides, I'm sure he'll have a good reason. And I'll go along with it."
ind
By Mike Babcock
For The Independent
LINCOLN -- Don't count out Zac Lee, Nebraska football coach Bill Callahan said after practice on Wednesday. He'll be a "viable candidate" in the quarterback competition come fall.
Barring the unexpected, such as a rash of injuries at the position, Callahan's comment was mostly obligatory, an attempt to keep Lee's spirits up as he rehabilitates a knee injury suffered in a California junior college championship game. Lee was hit trying to jump over a defender.
He left the game, but only briefly. He sat out a series and then returned, thinking the knee would be OK.
He "did all right," Lee said recently, "went like 5-for-6 or something (passing)."
But he was pulled after he "just kind of came up lame," he said.
The incident illustrates two qualities about the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Lee. One, he's competitive; he'll play through pain. And two, he can throw a football. In his one season at San Francisco City College, he completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,400 yards and 35 touchdowns.
Those numbers supported his consensus ranking as the nation's top junior college quarterback prospect. Rivals.com assigned him four stars in its five-star system.
Considering his credentials, and the fact that he enrolled for second-semester classes, Lee could have been in the midst of this spring's quarterback competition had he been healthy.
"It's been difficult, to say the least," he said. "But people are great here. I'm having a good time, a great experience, (with) great teammates. And it's made it that much easier."
At least it has made his being sidelined tolerable. Nothing could make it easy.
Lee has never gone through anything like this. The closest was when he delayed his enrollment at San Francisco City College for a semester, grayshirted, to preserve a season of eligibility.
"You make yourself that much more valuable to whatever four-year school wants to pick you up," he said.
As a result, he has four years to play three seasons at Nebraska.
The grayshirt season was different, however, "because I could still do things," he said.
What he has done this spring is a lot of running, lifting weights, stair-climbing and upper-body work with the team. He's been able to throw, of course, and any time a receiver wants some extra work, he stays after practice and throws, "just trying to get comfortable with the guys," he said.
But it's not the same as competing for a job.
"It's humbling," he said. "It's another little hill to climb, and I'm trying to climb it as best I can."
He also is learning in meetings and by watching in practice, with playsheets in hand.
The offense is "all about being quick, knowing what's coming before it comes," said Sam Keller, who had to do much the same thing during the fall while sitting out as a transfer redshirt and playing quarterback on the scout team. "He can do that from the sideline by watching what the defense does, mental reps."
Lee, whose father Bob played quarterback for 12 seasons in the NFL, hasn't been overwhelmed by the complexity of the offense.
"It's about what I expected," he said. "You hear things; some of the wording gets a little tricky. It's another challenge, though. I'm looking forward to taking it on."
He has been impressed by it, however, because "the quarterback has the power, which is what you want as the quarterback. You want to be able to go up there and do what you see. If you see something to the big man, Mo, you can go there," Lee said, referring to wide receiver Maurice Purify.
Lee grayshirted Purify's sophomore season at San Francisco City College.
With Callahan's offense, "you're not going to get in a bad situation," said Lee. "You have to know what's going on, but you have an answer for everything."
The offense will be in good hands, whoever emerges in the quarterback competition, he said. "I think the guys we've got at quarterback are very talented."
He'll be ready to join in by the start of pre-season practice, "knock on wood," he said.
"I should be full-go in a couple of months, here, so by mid-summer I should be kind of off and running I guess. There's going to be a lot of learning that needs to be done, obviously, because I'm not out here. I have to soak up as much as I can, especially this summer, get in that playbook."
If he has to redshirt, well, "I could," Lee said. "That's something I'll cross . . . I'm sure coach Callahan and I will talk about it once that road comes. I'll see what he says.
"Whatever he decides, I'm sure he'll have a good reason. And I'll go along with it."
ind
