Huskers say they're in good hands with Panico
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BY JOHN MABRY / Lincoln Journal Star
The Husker football coaches will tell you until they're hoarse that the most important skill in returning punts is catching it.
Freshman Santino Panico has mastered that art.
He's catching it in the stands. He's catching it in the papers. He's catching it on the call-in shows.
And all poor Panico is doing is what the coaches have asked him to do. Catch the football.
"He's doing a heck of a job," said NU defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove, the overseer of the Husker return game. "He's catching the ball. He's our most consistent guy catching the ball. The No. 1 thing you have to do is secure the ball for the offense, and that's what he does well."
The problem is Panico's 3.38 yards per return. Folks who remember DeJuan Groce's return magic of a couple of years ago are having a hard time swallowing the lack of productivity on punt returns.
What does Panico think of the criticism? Not much. In fact, he won't talk about it with the media. He has politely declined recent interview requests.
"You can't really listen to what's being written," said NU junior Cory Ross, who would probably be returning punts if it weren't for his bout with turf toe. "You just have to go with what the coaches are doing.
"The No. 1 thing is just catching the ball. The only thing I try to help him with is making the first man miss."
Whether fans want Ross or Johnny Rodgers back there, it doesn't matter. Cosgrove and head coach Bill Callahan said there are no plans to change things for today's game against Oklahoma.
"We've got the best guy out there right now," Callahan said.
When the Huskers received a commitment earlier in the week from Bellevue East running back/defensive back Robert Rands, there was some speculation that it was a move to shore up the return game for next season.
But that's next season. As it stands, Panico, a 6-footer from Libertyville, Ill., isn't going anywhere, which is a minor point of concern with Cosgrove.
"Has he gotten the yardage he'd like to see on his returns? No," Cosgrove said. "But that will come with experience. He's trying. He's trying. Most of the time when he catches the ball there's somebody on him.
"He's got to learn to get his foot in the ground and get up the field. He's so concentrated on catching that ball. He's got to take the next step."
Cosgrove said "there's been some room (to run) at times," but it all comes back to job security being tied to ball security.
"We have guys that probably could (do it)," he said, "but we don't secure the ball, and you can't afford any turnovers in that return game."
Reach John Mabry at 473-7320 or jmabry@journalstar.com.
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