Green shows signs of following in cousin's footsteps
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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
He wears a No. 30 red jersey with the name "Green" on the back.
On the field, he finds a hole or two, uses a burst of speed to the outside and outruns everybody to the end zone.
Of course, it's only natural some people will think of somebody else when they first see Tierre Green.
"It almost goes hand in hand," Green said, smiling. "When my name is mentioned, people will be like, ‘Oh, Ahman Green's cousin!'
"It doesn't bother me too much. It's actually more flattering than anything, because he's such a great back."
Ahman Green, of course, is Nebraska's second all-time leading rusher with 3,989 yards. He's now playing with the Green Bay Packers.
And every once in a while, he'll get a call from his younger cousin, who's just beginning his own Husker career.
"Basically, the only pointers he really gives me is to work hard in the weight room and get out there and give it 110 percent, just like he does," Tierre Green said. "He's the type of guy that works hard on every play. Even though he's a gifted athlete, he still gives it 110 percent, which makes him such a great back."
Perhaps Ahman's advice is already paying off.
In his Husker debut Saturday night against Western Illinois, Tierre, a redshirt freshman I-back, rushed seven times for 112 yards and two touchdowns in a 56-17 Nebraska victory. It's believed to be the most rushing yards by a Husker in a varsity debut since Tony Davis ran for 147 yards in the 1973 opener against UCLA. Davis, though, was a sophomore.
Many people left Memorial Stadium on Saturday night buzzing about Green's speed and ability to get outside — like he did on his scoring runs of 28 and 34 yards. He went virtually untouched both times.
"Everybody knew he was fast," Nebraska starting I-back Cory Ross said. "He just got in the game and got the opportunity to do something, and did it."
Ross led all NU rushers with 125 yards on 13 carries. But strong performances by Green and true freshman Brandon Jackson — who ran 13 times for 79 yards — is more evidence this running back-by-committee idea might be a good thing.
"We really feel like we're going to have to rotate those backs, because we're going to be by committee, and they give us different strengths," Nebraska offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said. "I think it's a great change-up when you put Tierre in a game with his speed. Brandon's a little bit more physical, so he gives us a little bit something different, too."
Said NU running backs coach Randy Jordan of Green's speed: "It helps us out a lot. He obviously showed he can hit the home run when he touches the ball.
"People have talked about it and heard it. It's just good to see him get in the open and actually see what he can do."
Green's breakaway, big-play potential is a weapon many NU followers say has been missing from Husker I-backs for quite some time — perhaps since the last Green.
Ross is showing signs of fitting a similar mold, but Tierre is not only the fastest I-back, he's among the fastest players on the team. Green said he was clocked at 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash during winter conditioning but said he's probably a little faster now, thanks to strength and conditioning coach Dave Kennedy.
On the depth chart, Green jumped past junior David Horne and beat out Jackson for the No. 2 spot. Jackson is third, and Horne, who wasn't listed on last week's depth chart while serving a one-game suspension, is listed fourth this week.
NU coach Bill Callahan, though, said there's not much definition at No. 2.
"I think everybody is running that two and running that one," Callahan said. "They all share the responsibility and the contribution of running the football and protection and running the routes.
"We're going to need everybody. And Tierre is one of those players that does have speed, and you do like to get him on the perimeter so you can utilize it. That's not to say he's not a functional back inside as well. All you need to do is go back and look at the inside-zone run that he ran for a touchdown. I think he's very capable of being a complete back in terms of his running ability."
Jordan agreed, saying Green has a good feel for the inside-zone play and the toss sweep.
Green, though, said he needs work running between the tackles.
"There's so much more to this offense," Green said. "To be the type of guy who's going to carry the ball a whole lot, you've got to be able to run it inside. That's the area I feel like I need to improve, and I'm going to continue to work at that. Hopefully it doesn't take me too long to do so."
Green, who's listed at 6 feet, 200 pounds, said he's already stronger than he was as a high school senior at Omaha Benson, or even last year as a redshirt.
"Coach K's program is pretty good," he said. "It all pays off when it comes down to it."
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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