Steven M. Sipple: NU clinics bring in NFL gurus
Prompted by a reporter Friday, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton touched on a topic that always perks the ears of Nebraska football fans.
Does Payton think Bill Callahan might someday return to the NFL? Would Callahan scratch that itch if an opportunity arises?
“I think the itch he has is the itch we all have — it’s to win,” said Payton, keynote speaker Friday night at the NU Spring Football Coaches Clinic. “To be able to teach players in an environment like this, I think he’s extremely motivated.
“This is a special place,” Payton added. “This is a place where you feel that expectation and that excitement toward football. So I don’t know that there’s a lot of (NFL) itch. I think he’s pretty excited about the opportunity he has here.”
Say this about Callahan: He oversees one heck of a coaching clinic. Through his NFL connections — he coached in the league for nearly a decade — he draws to campus the biggest of big-name coaches.
Jon Gruden was the main speaker last year, Dick Vermeil in 2005.
And now Payton, 43, Associated Press NFL coach of the year this past season.
“I feel obligated to the state to bring the best teachers in football in here,” Callahan said. “They’re good guys, good friends, good people.”
The more you’re around Callahan, the more you feel his passion for football and the importance of teaching it correctly. Dog his play-calling if you will, but you can’t deny his enthusiasm, work ethic and drive to succeed.
Payton felt it in 1997. A promising college assistant at the time, Payton got his first NFL assistant coaching gig with the Philadelphia Eagles as quarterbacks coach. Callahan, the Eagles’ offensive line coach at the time, recommended Payton for the job. For a year, they commuted to work most mornings, Payton said.
You can imagine the elaborate West Coast offense terminology flying around that front seat.
“He’s one of the best I’ve been around,” Payton said of Callahan. “He taught me a ton at a young age.”
Payton said Callahan “is very disciplined, a tremendous worker and extremely intelligent. He knows exactly what he’s looking for. He’s very detail-oriented and I think he can explain things very easily.
“Some guys just have a knack for teaching well.”
Of course, Callahan isn’t a perfect head coach (recall the Cotton Bowl). But this much is certain: Anybody who watches Nebraska practice will find the pace and organization things to behold, almost awe-inspiring (at least to dawdling sports writers). We should all be so efficient in our work.
Nebraska’s practice Friday impressed Payton.
“I couldn’t get over the tempo,” he said. “We start Monday with our offseason program, and you get inspired when you watch a practice like this and you see things that can help you, just in regards to how you teach and how you maximize your time.
“I’ve known Bill long enough to really not be surprised by what I saw. And yet there’s always something that just catches your eye.”
For instance, Payton noted how quickly Nebraska got in and out of huddles.
So, any Husker players impress him?
Well, he said, the fleet and rangy fellow wearing No. 16 looked awfully proficient.
“It’d be good to go home with him today,” Payton said.
In other words, senior wideout Maurice Purify’s physical condition may not be such a weighty issue after all.
More important, did any quarterbacks catch Payton’s eye? Sam Keller? Joe Ganz? Anyone?
“All of them looked like they were working hard,” Payton said. “I thought the efficiency with which they operated was pretty good.”
Ah, another sidestep.
“I thought the defense flew around,” Payton added. “Saw some good offensive linemen, some good young linemen.”
Nebraska’s offense in many ways resembles New Orleans’ attack, he said.
“Probably half of our league runs a similar system in regards to terminology. There’s no better training ground (for NFL prospects).”
As for Callahan’s potential NFL itch, perhaps he’ll again scratch it someday. Don’t know. In the meantime, he’s busting his tail at Nebraska. And he’s leaving an imprint.
For instance, he’s particularly proud of the state-of-the-art video technology now in place for Husker coaches and players — the system ranks among the top two or three nationally, college or pro, he says proudly.
Another imprint: His diligence and enthusiasm in putting together the NU Spring Coaches Clinic.
Vermeil, Gruden, Payton.
Nice to see them in our town.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
Does Payton think Bill Callahan might someday return to the NFL? Would Callahan scratch that itch if an opportunity arises?
“I think the itch he has is the itch we all have — it’s to win,” said Payton, keynote speaker Friday night at the NU Spring Football Coaches Clinic. “To be able to teach players in an environment like this, I think he’s extremely motivated.
“This is a special place,” Payton added. “This is a place where you feel that expectation and that excitement toward football. So I don’t know that there’s a lot of (NFL) itch. I think he’s pretty excited about the opportunity he has here.”
Say this about Callahan: He oversees one heck of a coaching clinic. Through his NFL connections — he coached in the league for nearly a decade — he draws to campus the biggest of big-name coaches.
Jon Gruden was the main speaker last year, Dick Vermeil in 2005.
And now Payton, 43, Associated Press NFL coach of the year this past season.
“I feel obligated to the state to bring the best teachers in football in here,” Callahan said. “They’re good guys, good friends, good people.”
The more you’re around Callahan, the more you feel his passion for football and the importance of teaching it correctly. Dog his play-calling if you will, but you can’t deny his enthusiasm, work ethic and drive to succeed.
Payton felt it in 1997. A promising college assistant at the time, Payton got his first NFL assistant coaching gig with the Philadelphia Eagles as quarterbacks coach. Callahan, the Eagles’ offensive line coach at the time, recommended Payton for the job. For a year, they commuted to work most mornings, Payton said.
You can imagine the elaborate West Coast offense terminology flying around that front seat.
“He’s one of the best I’ve been around,” Payton said of Callahan. “He taught me a ton at a young age.”
Payton said Callahan “is very disciplined, a tremendous worker and extremely intelligent. He knows exactly what he’s looking for. He’s very detail-oriented and I think he can explain things very easily.
“Some guys just have a knack for teaching well.”
Of course, Callahan isn’t a perfect head coach (recall the Cotton Bowl). But this much is certain: Anybody who watches Nebraska practice will find the pace and organization things to behold, almost awe-inspiring (at least to dawdling sports writers). We should all be so efficient in our work.
Nebraska’s practice Friday impressed Payton.
“I couldn’t get over the tempo,” he said. “We start Monday with our offseason program, and you get inspired when you watch a practice like this and you see things that can help you, just in regards to how you teach and how you maximize your time.
“I’ve known Bill long enough to really not be surprised by what I saw. And yet there’s always something that just catches your eye.”
For instance, Payton noted how quickly Nebraska got in and out of huddles.
So, any Husker players impress him?
Well, he said, the fleet and rangy fellow wearing No. 16 looked awfully proficient.
“It’d be good to go home with him today,” Payton said.
In other words, senior wideout Maurice Purify’s physical condition may not be such a weighty issue after all.
More important, did any quarterbacks catch Payton’s eye? Sam Keller? Joe Ganz? Anyone?
“All of them looked like they were working hard,” Payton said. “I thought the efficiency with which they operated was pretty good.”
Ah, another sidestep.
“I thought the defense flew around,” Payton added. “Saw some good offensive linemen, some good young linemen.”
Nebraska’s offense in many ways resembles New Orleans’ attack, he said.
“Probably half of our league runs a similar system in regards to terminology. There’s no better training ground (for NFL prospects).”
As for Callahan’s potential NFL itch, perhaps he’ll again scratch it someday. Don’t know. In the meantime, he’s busting his tail at Nebraska. And he’s leaving an imprint.
For instance, he’s particularly proud of the state-of-the-art video technology now in place for Husker coaches and players — the system ranks among the top two or three nationally, college or pro, he says proudly.
Another imprint: His diligence and enthusiasm in putting together the NU Spring Coaches Clinic.
Vermeil, Gruden, Payton.
Nice to see them in our town.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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