The adjectives have rolled of the tongues of many after Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead carried 35 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns to lead the No. 9 Huskers to a crucial 24-3 win over No. 13 Michigan State.
Burkhead has been described as “Superman” and “Legend” to go along with the obligatory “T-Rex.” The description of “Legend” is certainly saying something considering how many great Huskers have carried the ball such as Johnny Rodgers and Mike Rozier to name a couple. Well, Lawrence Phillips too. LP is an asshole for disgracing the program off the field but I won’t take away from what he did on the field, regardless of whether or not he should have been there.
Anyhow ….
Lincoln Journal Star columnist Steve Sipple caught up with former Husker running backs Tony Davis and Rozier. Davis was a fan favorite from 1973 to 1975 and earned the nickname “Tough Tony.” As for Rozier, all you have to say is 1983 Heisman Trophy winner.
"Rex has wonderful, wonderful body control," Davis told Sipple. "But the thing that's most impressive to me is his down and distance awareness and his ability to get what's needed to move the chains. He does that on as productive a basis as I've ever seen at that position, ever."
“You tell me a back that when it's third-and-4 or third-and-whatever gets the first down more often than Rex Burkhead."
Added Rozier in his interview with Sipple: “He’ll either put his head down and go through them or go around them. He's not scared to get hit. Some running backs, you can look at them and tell they're scared to get hit. They're curled up when they get hit. You've got to run through the hit, you know what I mean? You've got to give the hit.”
Burkhead, who is a junior, is not overly fast or powerful but defenders very seldom get a clean shot on him. However, after a 35 carry game against a very stout Michigan State defense does Nebraska perhaps dial his workload down? The Huskers face a Northwestern defense that is 95th in run defense followed by a road trip to face a Penn State defense that is No. 1 in the Big Ten followed by another road test at Michgan?
On one hand, you want Burkhead carrying the mail because 6 of 10 times he carries the ball the play is likely to result in a first down or a touchdown. Plus, Burkhead is very reliable in terms of ball security.
However, considering that Nebraska burned three redshirts at running back behind Burkhead (Ameer Abdullah, Aaron Green and Braylon Heard), why not rely on them to preserve Burkhead to a degree. That approach is no different than if you have a relief pitcher in baseball throw 50 pitches, you are not likely to want him throwing 50 more one game later.
Point being, the Michigan State game is only the start of Nebraska's challenging homestretch, and the games get tougher in the next two weeks. Do you want a banged up Burkhead facing a tough as nails Penn State front seven?
Again, Burkhead should get the majority of the carries this week against Northwestern but have him get say, 20 with Abdullah, Green and Heard getting say 6-8 apiece?
Showing posts with label Mike Rozier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike Rozier. Show all posts
Friday, November 4, 2011
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
JUCO transfers are not junko transfers
There are many arguments that will get a Nebraska football fan’s blood going. Too many to list.
One that recently crossed my mind was how Husker fans, well at least as a broad generalization; tend to have an aversion to recruiting JUCO transfers. Cynics will point to the Bill Snyder era (the first one) at Kansas State along with the Bill Callahan era at Nebraska. Under Bo Pelini, the Huskers have scaled back their emphasis on recruiting JUCO transfers.
This blog entry should not be confused with endorsing a recruiting class full of JUCO transfers but in listening to some people you would think JUCO transfers came with a birth defect.
Yes, they do come with a risk. However, it should also be pointed out that Mike Rozier was a JUCO transfer and went on to become a Heisman Trophy winner. Terrell Farley was also a JUCO transfer and was a key member of the 1995 National Championship Husker team. Granted, Nebraska’s defense had other tremendously talented players (i.e. The Peter Bros., Grant Wistrom, Jared Tomich, and Mike Booker to name a few) but Farley generated numerous big plays. Zac Taylor was also a JUCO transfer and one could argue that his play at quarterback kept the Callahan era from being a complete disaster. Taylor was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2006.
The 2009 Huskers will have at least two JUCO transfers that will play a role in the team’s success, quarterback Zac Lee and wide receiver Brandon Kinnie. Lee is the starter while Kinnie will likely see time because they are playing positions of need.
In general, I think certain people disdain JUCO transfers (Nebraska fans included) with such an elitist mentality for much the wrong reason because there are more reasons than "just" academics why a kid winds up at a JC.For one thing, as much as we Husker fans love the walk-on program, the bottom line is that kids are not as patient anymore about waiting their turn. Since I cover primarily high school sports, I have seen many kids who were the star on their high school team become hell bent on moving out of their hometown because they want something new. Because they were so much more talented than their high school peers, they didn't really have to work hard for their success. Then, they get to college and realize too late that they have to work much harder for their success. The next thing you know, they're back at their hometown JC but not because they couldn't cut the mustard academically. Plus, we live in an instant gratification world more than ever. The fact is, kids like an Adam Ickes, Todd Peterson or a Ben Eisenhart, who might be willing to forgo scholarships and early playing time elsewhere to wait their turn are fewer and further between than even 15 years ago.I also think that while relying heavily on JUCO transfers can be a risk, they often tend to have a better work ethic than your four and five star recruits from the high school ranks. Why? Nobody handed them anything and they are less likely to take what they have for granted because they have a shorter window of opportunity to prove themselves than a high school kid. Therefore, they push those four and five star recruits in practice to become better ballplayers – similar to the walk-ons. Granted, a JUCO transfer from outside Nebraska might not have Husker football woven into their blood but they tend to have the same work ethic as a walk-on.
To become a great team like what we all hope Nebraska aspires to become again, it's a balancing act. You obviously want five-star recruits but you also need hard-nosed walk-ons and JUCO transfers with talent and intangibles like Taylor.In addition, there are plenty of kids who might have been decent enough students in high school but perhaps lacked a little maturity off the field. For those kids, a JUCO situation is in their best interest. This aspect is also prevalent in non-athletes too. After all, take the kid who graduated from high school with barely enough credits and put him or her next to one who graduated with honors. Often times, they wind up in the same place. The first of which might begin their academic career at a JC and the other at a highly regarded four-year school. The latter of which might be the anointed one but winds out either back at his hometown JC or flunking out of school because he or she partied their life away.
I know I'm rambling like crazy but the same thing can apply in athletics too. Look at former Notre Dame quarterback Ron Pawlus, he was the anointed one out of high school and look what happened. Look at Taylor, he failed at Wake Forest and went to a JUCO before coming to Nebraska. Granted, Taylor has not become the next Joe Montana or John Elway but all I know is this – I want that guy on my team not just for his ability (which I think is pretty good but not great) but for his intangibles. Plus, Pawlus never had a job that ended requiring Sunday work.
One that recently crossed my mind was how Husker fans, well at least as a broad generalization; tend to have an aversion to recruiting JUCO transfers. Cynics will point to the Bill Snyder era (the first one) at Kansas State along with the Bill Callahan era at Nebraska. Under Bo Pelini, the Huskers have scaled back their emphasis on recruiting JUCO transfers.
This blog entry should not be confused with endorsing a recruiting class full of JUCO transfers but in listening to some people you would think JUCO transfers came with a birth defect.
Yes, they do come with a risk. However, it should also be pointed out that Mike Rozier was a JUCO transfer and went on to become a Heisman Trophy winner. Terrell Farley was also a JUCO transfer and was a key member of the 1995 National Championship Husker team. Granted, Nebraska’s defense had other tremendously talented players (i.e. The Peter Bros., Grant Wistrom, Jared Tomich, and Mike Booker to name a few) but Farley generated numerous big plays. Zac Taylor was also a JUCO transfer and one could argue that his play at quarterback kept the Callahan era from being a complete disaster. Taylor was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2006.
The 2009 Huskers will have at least two JUCO transfers that will play a role in the team’s success, quarterback Zac Lee and wide receiver Brandon Kinnie. Lee is the starter while Kinnie will likely see time because they are playing positions of need.
In general, I think certain people disdain JUCO transfers (Nebraska fans included) with such an elitist mentality for much the wrong reason because there are more reasons than "just" academics why a kid winds up at a JC.For one thing, as much as we Husker fans love the walk-on program, the bottom line is that kids are not as patient anymore about waiting their turn. Since I cover primarily high school sports, I have seen many kids who were the star on their high school team become hell bent on moving out of their hometown because they want something new. Because they were so much more talented than their high school peers, they didn't really have to work hard for their success. Then, they get to college and realize too late that they have to work much harder for their success. The next thing you know, they're back at their hometown JC but not because they couldn't cut the mustard academically. Plus, we live in an instant gratification world more than ever. The fact is, kids like an Adam Ickes, Todd Peterson or a Ben Eisenhart, who might be willing to forgo scholarships and early playing time elsewhere to wait their turn are fewer and further between than even 15 years ago.I also think that while relying heavily on JUCO transfers can be a risk, they often tend to have a better work ethic than your four and five star recruits from the high school ranks. Why? Nobody handed them anything and they are less likely to take what they have for granted because they have a shorter window of opportunity to prove themselves than a high school kid. Therefore, they push those four and five star recruits in practice to become better ballplayers – similar to the walk-ons. Granted, a JUCO transfer from outside Nebraska might not have Husker football woven into their blood but they tend to have the same work ethic as a walk-on.
To become a great team like what we all hope Nebraska aspires to become again, it's a balancing act. You obviously want five-star recruits but you also need hard-nosed walk-ons and JUCO transfers with talent and intangibles like Taylor.In addition, there are plenty of kids who might have been decent enough students in high school but perhaps lacked a little maturity off the field. For those kids, a JUCO situation is in their best interest. This aspect is also prevalent in non-athletes too. After all, take the kid who graduated from high school with barely enough credits and put him or her next to one who graduated with honors. Often times, they wind up in the same place. The first of which might begin their academic career at a JC and the other at a highly regarded four-year school. The latter of which might be the anointed one but winds out either back at his hometown JC or flunking out of school because he or she partied their life away.
I know I'm rambling like crazy but the same thing can apply in athletics too. Look at former Notre Dame quarterback Ron Pawlus, he was the anointed one out of high school and look what happened. Look at Taylor, he failed at Wake Forest and went to a JUCO before coming to Nebraska. Granted, Taylor has not become the next Joe Montana or John Elway but all I know is this – I want that guy on my team not just for his ability (which I think is pretty good but not great) but for his intangibles. Plus, Pawlus never had a job that ended requiring Sunday work.
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