Big Red Diaries: Niles Paul
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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
True freshman wide receiver Niles Paul, from Omaha North High School, has played in three games this season, mostly on special teams, where Paul said he’s happy to contribute.
In Nebraska’s season opener against Nevada, Paul caught one pass for 6 yards. It’s been his only reception.
Saturday against Iowa State, Paul’s former teammate from Omaha North, Phillip Bates, caught two passes for 19 yards for Iowa State.
The nephew of former Husker running back Ahman Green, Paul is Nebraska’s first scholarship player from Omaha North since Wilson Thomas, who signed in 1998.
The Journal Star’s Brian Rosenthal visited Tuesday with Paul and discussed his progress this season.
“My season’s going real well. I like the role that I have on this team. I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying playing for Nebraska. I get to go down the field and hit somebody at full speed. What person who loves football wouldn’t love going down the field and hitting somebody at full speed? I play on kickoff, kick return, punt return. I’m backup on kick return and punt return. The Ball State game, I think it was number 90, they said he was 31 years old, and I put him on his back. So I enjoyed doing that.”
“I’m definitely satisfied at receiver. Coaches don’t feel like I’m ready to go in yet, and that’s the coaches’ decision, and I respect my coaches. I realize they’re only looking out for me. I thought (after Nevada) I would see more catches. I thought that was kind of me proving that I’m not scared to catch the ball. I can play on the collegiate level in football.”
“I talked to Phillip before, after and during the game (on Saturday). I talked trash to him after, during and before, but I congratulated him on one of his catches. I told him I was proud of him. In a way, I was disappointed. They moved him from the spot he loved, quarterback, to wide receiver. I know he was probably upset, but I was happy to see him get some catches, showing that a Nebraska kid can go in there and compete. Overall, though, he loves it. It’s a perfect fit for him. I just hope they let him play quarterback.”
“I’ve learned how to break down as a wide receiver, how to come back to the ball, how to read the defense, which I never did in high school. How to get off my man. I’m still working on getting off the DBs. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve got a lot of seniors in front of me and I have to wait my turn.”
“We all get along. I’m roommates with Todd Peterson when we travel. I love all those guys. I love to see them get a big play in a game. I just makes me happy. It’s like I’m out there catching a ball when I see Mo, T-Nunn, Nate Swift, Todd Peterson, all of them get a big play. From just watching them, I learn. I learn from T-Nunn how to play fast, from Nate Swift how to use your hands. I learn from Todd, technique, from Mo, how to play big. It’s just watching all of them. Everybody kind of gives me something different.”
“Coach Gilmore teaches me how to break down, how to read coverages. He’s still teaching me. The toughest part about reading coverages is understanding cover 2, cover 4. Reading the safeties, what the safeties are going to do, is the hardest part about reading the coverage.”
“I’ve pretty much got used to the conditioning. At first, it was hell. It was hard. I was like, ‘Dang, I ain’t never done this much running in track!’ And I’ve been running since I was 6. We still do a lot of conditioning. It hasn’t really tailed off. There’s still a lot of conditioning for the wide receivers, because all we do is just run, run, run.”
“In practice, I catch passes from Sam, Patrick Witt, Joe Ganz. Everybody. It’s just whenever I’m in, and they’re in at the same time. Patrick is a big quarterback with a strong arm. He throws hard. He kind of reminds me of Ryan Mallett from Michigan.”
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