Between Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini referring to running back Rex Burkhead being "overlooked nationally" and linebacker LaVonte David being named one of 12 players named as a Butkus Award semifinalist, Monday was a confluence of extremes.
David leads the Huskers with 64 tackles (seven for lost yardage). He also has two sacks and a fumble recovery that perhaps saved Nebraska from going 7-5 to poentially no worse than 9-3. The No. 13 ranked Huskers host No. 9 Michigan State in a pivotal Big Ten matchup in Lincoln on Saturday. To refersh your memory, David's fumble recovery of Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller kickstarted a 34-27 come-from-behind win for Nebraska. David forced that fumble as well.
David leads the team in tackles with 64. He also has seven tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, and a rather significant forced fumble and recovery that you may remember.
Zach Brown (North Carolina), Vontaze Burfict (Arizona State), Audie Cole (North Carolina State), Dont’a Hightower (Alabama), Luke Kuechly (Boston College), Travis Lewis (Oklahoma), Keenan Robinson (Texas), Sean Spence (Miami), Manti Te’o (Notre Dame), Courtney Upshaw (Alabama) and Jarvis Jones (Georgia) are also semifinalists.
The Husker defense entered the season with high expectations but so far David is one of the few Blackshirts (if you want to call them such). The defense, however, has been a disappointment as the Huskers entered Saturday's 41-14 win over Minnesota ranked 58th nationally in total defense and 75th against the run. The pressure on quarterbacks has been minimal and it doesn't take Monte Kiffin to notice their sloppy tackling.
Granted, Nebraska's defense enjoyed a bounceback effort of sorts in a 41-14 win over Minnesota but the Gophers offense is among the worst in the nation and scored both touchdowns after the Huskers built a 34-0 halftime lead.
In a way, the fact that the unit has been a collective disappointment makes it that much more impressive that David is enjoying the season he is currently having. Keep in mind, Nebraska defense tackle Jared Crick (torn pectoral muscle) is out for the season.
Butkus Award winner or not, David has established his place as being among the best linebackers in Nebraska history. Personally, I'm not into ranking players because such a hierarchy involves a lot of conjecture. Trev Alberts, who was a Butkus Award winner in 1993, is definitely the best linebacker in school history and one of the best regardless of position. Other great Nebraska linebackers include Tom Novak, Broderick Thomas, Barrett Ruud, Jerry Murtugh, Ed Stewart and Marc Munford. David definitely belongs in that conversation.
As for Burkhead, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini said Monday during his weekly press conference that he thinks Burkhead sometimes gets overlooked nationally despite the fact he has already rushed for 752 yards this season and has more than 2,000 yards rushing in his career.
"I think the coaches that play against him and watch him on film have a real appreciation for him," Pelini said. "Nationally, I don't know. Maybe he isn't flashy enough or doesn't talk enough. I think it's pretty obvious how good of a football player he is. He has a long career ahead of him."
Pelini sees the NFL in Burkhead's future, but feels pretty certain the running back won't leave early after his junior season.
"Rex? Nah. That would be a personal decision by Rex, but knowing him and his family, I think he is here to play four years of football. That is something will talk about down the road but not right now."
Burkhead is pretty similar to former Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, who was a Heisman Trophy candidate in 2009, and that's not just because Gerhart (now a Minnesota Viking) and Burkhead share the same skin color. Burkhead is not likely to get invited to New York City in December for the Heisman Trophy ceremony this year or net but he is the foundation of the Husker offense.
Remember coming into the season, many people were wondering if Burkhead could handle the load of being the featured running back considerig that Roy Helu (now a Washington Redskin) had graduated.
One of the reasons Burkhead gets overlooked nationally is because he is a white player at a predominantly African American position. Let's fact it, white running backs in college or the NFL that are featured backs are a novelty. There, I said it and don't care who reacts. That idea is no different than how black quarterbacks were considered a novelty when Warren Moon entered the NFL.
The truth of the matter is, a good player is a good player whether he's white black, pink or orange. Burkhead also gets overlooked because he is not the kind of running back that will break, say, a 75 yard touchdown run. He consistently gets first downs and touchdowns, that's not a bad thing.
Without David and Burkhead, the Huskers are probably 3-4 instead of 6-1.
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