Players speak of trust, respect for Callahan
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BY BRENT C. WAGNER / Lincoln Journal Star
There were eight text messages waiting for Mike Smith when he woke up at 10 a.m. Saturday.
One of them was sent to each Nebraska football player from the athletic department. It informed them there would be a 10:30 a.m. players meeting at the stadium.
"I was like, 'I might as well come up here, I'm already up,'" said Smith, a redshirt freshman offensive lineman.
The business of the meeting was a surprise to no one. The only shock factor may have been how early in the day the news came.
With many players scattered about the region to be with family following Friday's loss at Colorado, only about 25 players attended the meeting.
Joe Ganz learned Bill Callahan had been fired when he saw it on ESPN. Larry Asante slept in, and only found out when a reporter contacted him on his cell phone just before noon.
I-back Cody Glenn arrived about five minutes after the meeting was expected to begin, but still stopped to deliver a quote for the news cameras gathered outside the Osborne Sports Complex.
"I was talking to Brandon Jackson on the phone when it happened, but we both knew it was going to happen the week before, especially after the game last night," Glenn said.
The mood on the return charter flight was one of disappointment. Still, some players hoped that Callahan would return for another season -- although it sounded like the hope one has when one wants to win the lottery.
"In college football these days you don't get too many second chances," Ganz said Saturday by telephone from Chicago. "We ended up with one of the best offenses in the country — I was hoping they'd give him another shot.
"But Coach Osborne was brought here to make the tough decisions, and we have a lot of faith in him because I think he knows what he's doing."
Ben Eisenhart was one of only a handful of seniors who attended the meeting. Osborne didn't say anything he hadn't already in the press conference, but told the players he would answer any questions they had, Eisenhart said. He gave no timetable for hiring a new coach, but added: "It should be quickly."
No date has been set for the players to meet with Callahan, but many hoped for that chance. Ganz said he planned to contact Callahan when he returned to Lincoln after the weekend.
Players in Lincoln spoke of the trust and respect they had for Callahan. Few had lost faith in his system, Smith said.
Smith declined comment when asked if he thought, from a player's perspective, if Callahan deserved to be fired.
"It seemed we had a lot of talent, we just didn't gel together as a team and it stinks because we should have been better," Smith said.
Freshman defensive back Prince Amukamara said when that many all-star players get together, not everybody is going to be happy. Some will likely welcome a chance to prove themselves to a new staff.
"I don't think everyone was happy, but the majority was," Amukamara said.
Outsiders will point to Glenn as one who will welcome a new staff. Although his injury troubles appeared mostly behind him, Glenn saw action in only five games this season.
Still, Glenn says he didn't say Callahan deserved to be fired.
"We probably could have made some changes in the staff, but I wouldn't say (Callahan) because he was a good coach to put up 50 points in a couple games," Glenn said.
"(But) it's Nebraska. You don't have 5-7 seasons. You know after a season like that something is going to happen."
Glenn said he hoped offensive coordinator Shawn Watson would remain in some capacity, calling him a "great man" that would be great for the program. Many players welcomed the thought of a spread offense.
But for now, all the Huskers can do is watch the headlines with everyone else, hoping to hear who their new coach may be.
After a season full of disappointments and speculation, a break may come as a relief.
"I don't know if it's excitement moving on," Smith said. "But I'm glad this season is over, and we get to start a new one."
Reach Brent C. Wagner at 473-7435 or bwagner@journalstar.com.
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