New offense gives Nebraska players a better shot at the pros
digg it!
Facebook
del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit
By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
There's some kid dreaming about it right now.
He probably ran for 150 yards last night, or caught three touchdowns, or threw for five. He's probably undersized and could be broken in two by Ray Lewis, but he's still dreaming about it.
He's dreaming about playing football on Sundays.
"Like it or not, every single kid dreams of playing in the NFL," said Jeremy Crabtree, a recruiting analyst for the Web site rivals.com. "Even the kid who's a third-string offensive lineman dreams of playing in the NFL."
Said Nebraska junior tackle Seppo Evwaraye: "For Nebraska kids, the biggest dream is to play for the Cornhuskers. But if you think about a lot of other kids, they're thinking, ‘What if I could play football for a living?' Everybody who plays football watches the NFL and sees the possibility of making huge bucks."
So, as the NFL season kicks off in full this weekend, it seems the proper time to examine how Nebraska's new West Coast offense might sway high school recruits with Sunday dreams.
And how heavily would first-year Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan — who spent his two previous seasons coaching the Oakland Raiders — use his NFL background to entice those recruits?
For certain, Callahan doesn't seem to have a problem with his program being viewed by players as a steppingstone to the NFL.
Callahan has opened up all practices to NFL scouts. Tim Cassidy, Nebraska associate athletic director for football, said he anticipates about six scouts in attendance each day.
This is a break from past policy. Nebraska used to only let scouts watch practice during bye weeks.
Why the change?
"Just so players can get the exposure from NFL people that these guys need," Cassidy said. "It was Coach Callahan's decision. He has great relationships with NFL people. It was just something he wanted to do to give our players more exposure to the NFL."
Nebraska junior wide receiver Ross Pilkington said he has noticed the scouts and appreciates the opportunity to show what he can do.
"It's not a huge deal, but you know they're there," Pilkington said. "It helps get you to put your biggest effort out. I think it's huge to have all the connections he has in the league. It's nice to know he can talk to those guys about the players he has and what they can do for a team."
Crabtree said Callahan's NFL clout also will come in handy in the living rooms of recruits.
Said Crabtree: "When you sit down and talk to Coach Callahan and ask him, ‘How much will you mention your NFL background when you recruit?' He says, ‘I'll share stories. I'll relate experiences. I'll tell them the schemes that we use and rely on will be the same kind they will see in the league.'"
Cassidy said he believes Callahan's NFL experience has already proven beneficial at grabbing the attention of skill-position recruits this year.
Husker coaches can now legitimately tell top high school receivers and quarterbacks that NU has the offense to get them to the next level.
That could not be said when Nebraska ran an option attack that provided little showcase of a quarterback's throwing arm or a receiver's hands and route-running ability.
"I can't say the (old) offense hurt (past players)," Cassidy said. "But I know what we're doing here right now is certainly going to be beneficial to those guys who have an interest in playing in the NFL."
Current Huskers will vouch for that statement.
"This offense showcases my skills a whole lot more," said Nebraska junior running back Cory Ross. "Nebraska's option game was just a run thing, so you couldn't show your hands. I think that's what we lacked when some of our players went to the (NFL scouting) combine. We weren't used to catching the ball much; we had to adjust to it. Now, it's like we catch the ball every day in practice and in games we're allowed to show our catching abilities."
Husker sophomore quarterback Joe Dailey said he knows he will have to improve greatly to be considered for the NFL in three years. Yet, he was excited about the offensive switch because he felt he'd be on an even playing field with other quarterbacks.
"This offense allowed me to at least think about my chance and opportunity to make something of myself and move onto the league," Dailey said.
Crabtree said Husker offensive linemen will also get a more even shake from NFL scouts with the new offense. Despite having a host of great linemen in the past, Crabtree is among those who believe some scouts held a stereotype that Nebraska's big men could only run- block.
"If you're more well-rounded and can pass-block, that gives you a leg up at the next level," said Crabtree, who highlighted quarterback Harrison Beck and offensive lineman Rodney Picou as verbal commitments the old Nebraska likely wouldn't have gotten.
Of all the positions, most players agree the biggest change Husker fans will see in the team over the next few years is at the receiver spots. Crafty downfield blockers will be replaced by speed demons whose main job is to haul in passes.
"That's already started," Pilkington said. "Kids are going to start looking here knowing they can catch 50 to 100 balls a year compared to 20."
All this said, it should be noted that these players hardly disrespect what the option did for Nebraska.
"We won a lot of games with what people called an ‘old-fashioned' offense," Ross said.
But money and the NFL talks. No one denies that.
"There's just so much hype about the NFL," Cassidy said. "A lot of kids, and probably their parents, are looking for a way to make a good living. We know about the odds of playing in the NFL. The numbers speak for themselves. But you've got to start somewhere. And we think we offer a pretty good situation."
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7438 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.
Most Commented news