Husker hopes ride on a big, left toe
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BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
Cory Ross said he used to poke fun at players slowed by turf toe. Get over it, he'd say.
Now, he understands the injury's ramifications.
"We need a tougher name for it," said Ross, who injured his toe Oct. 16 against Baylor. "Turf toe sounds kind of sissy-like."
Ross, the Huskers' leading rusher with 811 yards, said he essentially has a hyperextended big toe on his left foot. He said the injury will plague him during the rest of the season, because a significant period of rest is the best cure.
And with Nebraska in the thick of the Big 12 North title race, this is no time for rest, Ross said.
The Huskers, 5-3 overall, stand alone in first place in the North at 3-2 as they prepare for Saturday's game against division rival Iowa State.
The 4-4 Cyclones are tied with Missouri for second in the North at 2-3.
"We have games to win," Ross said. "It's a team effort. I just want to do my part."
Ross did his part last week, rushing for a career-high 194 yards on 19 carries in a 24-3 win against Missouri.
The Denver native searched for the right words to describe the pain in his toe after the game.
"You almost have to go through it to know what it's like," Ross said. "It's weird."
Ross said his most intense pain occurs right after games. He limps into postgame interviews. The pain lingers Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, then begins to subside, he said.
On game day, the toe is numbed by a shot administered by team doctors.
"That's the worst place to get a shot," Ross said, adding, "You'd love to hear some of the things I say" as the shot is administered.
Ross said the injury has little impact on the way he runs during games.
"The first series is always a little weird, because I can barely feel my foot," he said.
So while his teammates practice today, Ross will concentrate on working out in the weight room with strength coach Dave Kennedy. Ross hopes to practice Thursday and Friday.
"There's not a player on our offense — or probably on our team — who has sacrificed more in order to get on the field," said offensive coordinator Jay Norvell. "We're proud of him."
Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan said the 5-foot-6, 195-pound Ross has shown he can miss significant practice time and still perform well in a game.
Cases in point: Ross sped 63 yards after catching a shovel pass Oct. 23 against Kansas State and last week reeled off an 86-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
By this point in the season, Callahan said, Ross has run enough plays in practice that a few missed workouts will have little-to-no impact.
"I mean, you can run 98-stretch only so many ways," Callahan said.
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Callahan noted preliminary weather reports indicate wind gusts may reach 30 mph Saturday in Ames.
Nevertheless, Nebraska coaches sound confident quarterback Joe Dailey will pull out of his slump. In the last two games, the sophomore from New Jersey is 7-for-29 passing (24 percent).
"It's kind of like being a pitcher," Norvell said. "Sometimes you don't get the ball over the plate. There's really no secret to it. You bear down and try to rip it over the plate.
"Pretty soon, you start throwing strikes."
And Dailey's attitude, Norvell said, is extremely upbeat.
"He's bouncing around today like a little kid."
But if Dailey's wayward aerials continue, Nebraska may again turn to the speedy and shifty Ross, averaging 5.5 yards per carry this season.
Ross is arguably the Huskers' most feared weapon on offense, especially in light of standout tight end Matt Herian's broken leg.
Unlike Dailey, though, you won't see Ross bouncing around South Stadium.
"He might bounce around on one foot right now," Norvell cracked.
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