What was Cody Glenn thinking?

Oh that Cody Glenn.

In the aftermath of getting drafted in the fifth round by the Washington Redskins, the “real reason” why Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini suspended him for the final four games of the season came out.

Or so we thought.

Glenn, who made a position change from sporadically used running back to starting linebacker, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he made up the story about selling his tickets, which would have been a violation of NCAA rules. The fifth-round pick said he wanted to satisfy reporters and get them to quit asking him about the suspension. Various NU officials said the suspension due to ticket scalping was “news to us.”“It was me being dumb, just trying to have people leave me alone,” Glenn said in a Lincoln Journal Star interview. “It’s something I said that I probably shouldn’t have, looking at it now.”

The LJS also reported that Glenn spoke with department officials Tuesday morning to clear things up. At the time of the suspension, Pelini cited violation of team rules as the reason for his dismissal. Glenn on Tuesday refused to disclose the real reason for his suspension, saying it was between him and Pelini.

The first question I ask is, what the hell was Glenn thinking? How dare he throw the program under the bus after the coaching staff saved what was a languishing career?

This does not seem like it will end with the infraction being swept under the rug. It just seems like a can of worms has been opened now. I'm wondering why Glenn wouldn't have kept the "team violation" message and said something along the lines of "I've told my new coaches what they need to know, but out of respect for my former program it remains a private matter."

Which leaves me to ask, was Glenn advised to go in such a direction?

The best way I see out of this for Nebraska with zero punishment is if they inform the NCAA of the exact details of Glenn's suspension and do it right now. Further, either NU or Glenn needs to have a news conference and explain the details to the media so as to clear up any ambiguity and not have the issue drag.

If Glenn is making all of this up, it's quite obvious he's absolutely clueless about the media that cover the NFL. This isn't Lincoln anymore. We’re talking Washington DC. NFL media, especially that on the East Coast will not take "no comment" for an answer from anybody, politician or athlete.

This is not going to get better for Glenn. There will be reporters in front of his locker the first day of minicamp and they're not going to go away like they do in Lincoln. These guys will dig and report rumors with poor sources. Glenn's gotten the Nebraska athletic department in a PR bind even if it's completely fabricated. I really hope the first thing Tom Osborne does is call the NCAA compliance office and explain to them every single detail of Glenn's suspension, even if it wasn't due to an NCAA violation in any way. Otherwise, the NCAA's going to have questions and will look for any reason to get Nebraska in trouble. I'd rather it be Nebraska getting out in front of it before the NCAA starts sniffing, even if it's entirely unwarranted.

Let's hope Marlon gets lucky in the NFL

As mentioned in an earlier blog entry, the biggest reason I watch the NFL Draft is to see who the Bay Area teams select and where players from the University of Nebraska (my beloved alma mater) get drafted.

We saw linebacker Cody Glenn get drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round. Offensive lineman Matt Slauson went to the New York Jets in Round Six while fellow line-mate Lydon Murtha went to the Detroit Lions in Round Seven.

Later in the day, running back Marlon Lucky (Cincinnati), defensive end Zach Potter (New York Jets) , Todd Peterson (Jacksonville) and Nate Swift (Denver) signed undrafted free agent contracts.

I’m not terribly surprised that quarterback Joe Ganz or wide receiver Nate Swift did not get drafted but I must say that I’m surprised that no one drafted running back Marlon Lucky. Granted, Lucky was a virtual non-entity near the end of the season because of a turf-toe injury but he’s fast and showed great ability at times as a receiver.

While I want each and every one to have successful NFL careers, the one I am truly pulling for is Marlon Lucky. I know some Husker fans have reservations about him because of the hype he came with as a five-star recruit from North Hollywood, CA, in addition to the fact that Lucky did not live up to the hype. Yes, Lucky did some good things but on the whole his performance was underwhelming given the hype.

However, let’s remember this – he never asked for the hype. In fact, you can make the argument that recruiting as a whole has become toxically overhyped.

Lucky recently interviewed for a story in the Los Angeles Times. In reading that story and hearing other interviews, he seems like a class act as a young man. He’s the kind of person the program should want to produce and keep in the Husker family.

One of Lucky’s quotes in the story was: "I loved it out there. Just the history of it, the fans and how much they loved us. You know what was cool? They never booed us. We were getting blown out my junior year, and the stadium was still full. People were still cheering when we'd make a good play, telling us to `Keep our heads up.' They just loved us, no matter what."

Of course, Lucky conveniently forgets that half of the fans vacated the stadium at halftime with the Huskers trailing 31-0 to Oklahoma state (a game they lost 45-14). I'm glad he, and his teammates were able to differentiate boos directed at certain paid professionals versus the players themselves. I do not necessarily boo for that reason but goodness knows Steve Pederson, Bill Callahan and Kevin Cosgrove deserved those heckles. Lucky entertained the thought of leaving school after his junior season for the NFL Draft before new head coach Bo Pelini convinced him to stay. Lucky did not have as good of a year statistically as he did as a junior. In fact, at the end of the season, Lucky gave some “what might have been” quotes.

The truth of the matter is that he shouldered some huge expectations here and his humility is nice to see. I don't normally think anyone "deserves" anything, but the more you learn about Lucky, his past, and what he (and his teammates) endured while at NU, the more I hope he can make something happen in the NFL.

Let’s also understand that Lucky did not play behind the greatest of offensive lines while at Nebraska. Individually, we had good linemen but as a unit, they were never taught or given a good chance to excel. The situational play calling was so predictable and the lack of proper preparation so obvious that even the greatest of running backs would have had trouble running in that system.

Lucky will not be an every down back but if he gets into the right situation, he could make a living as a receiver and even as a kickoff returner. I’m not predicting that he’ll become the next Roger Craig but since his college career involved some inconsistency and a lot of unrealized potential. He might be a sleeper.

Glenn the draft day surprise for the Huskers

As mentioned in an earlier blog entry, the biggest reason I watch the NFL Draft is to see who the Bay Area teams select and where players from the University of Nebraska (my beloved alma mater) get drafted.

We saw linebacker Cody Glenn get drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round. Offensive lineman Matt Slauson went to the New York Jets in Round Six while fellow line-mate Lydon Murtha went to the Detroit Lions in Round Seven.

I’m not terribly surprised that quarterback Joe Ganz or wide receiver Nate Swift did not get drafted but I must say that I’m surprised that no one drafted running back Marlon Lucky. Granted, Lucky was a virtual non-entity near the end of the season because of a turf-toe injury but he’s fast and showed great ability at times as a receiver.

I’m shocked that Glenn got drafted given his baggage. Glenn was the Huskers feel good story for the first half of the season, moving from a sporadically used running back to a starter at linebacker. Husker head coach Bo Pelini then suspended Glenn indefinitely after Game Nine.

Pelini never gave any specific reason for Glenn’s suspension but according to the Washington Post internet site, NFL sources reported that Glenn's suspension arose from ticket scalping. In short, Pelini had no choice or it would have been very bad for the program.

Just giving the Redskins the benefit of the doubt, they perhaps investigated the situation and are satisfied that Glenn is rectifying it.

I’m happy for Glenn and hope he has a successful career but he had not played enough to be drafted in the fifth round as a linebacker. Because of his lack of experience at linebacker, he could have been picked up as a free agent after the draft.

The dynamic that will bear watching is Slauson getting picked up by the Jets. Keep in mind, former Husker head coach Bill Callahan is the Jets assistant head coach and offensive line coach. Callahan recruited Slauson to come to Nebraska.

Slauson was pretty careful in his comments last year not to say anything bad about Callahan after he was replaced in favor of Bo Pelini but it was clear that he was pretty happy with the new staff and the way things turned out.

Callahan has a pattern of being petty and vindictive but I don't think they would have drafted him if there was a rift. I have to think that Callahan has input on who is selected, particularly along the offensive line.

NFL Draft and College recruiting reek of infatuation with "Measurables"

Like most years at this time, I spent part of the weekend watching the NFL Draft and channel surfing between Major League Baseball games and the NBA Playoffs.

I used to watch the entire draft due to professional obligations as a freelance writer for Silver & Black Illustrated, owned by American Sports Media, which is a company that hasn’t outgrown the slavery era (meaning assign writers work and pay them so late they have to beg for their paycheck). S&BI covers the Oakland Raiders, whom I had the chance to cover from 1999-2005.

Now I just watch the draft with passing interest to see whom the Bay Area NFL franchises select and where our beloved Nebraska players get drafted. In one respect, the NFL Draft is somewhat similar to college football recruiting in that it’s an inexact science.

Don’t you just love listening to Mel “I Have Plenty Of Hair” Kiper?

Sometimes first-rounders in the NFL and five-star recruits in college live up to the hype. Others – they turn out to be a bust. If a walk-on in college or Round 4 or later pick does not out, so what, you didn’t think they would. If they turn into a key contributor, so much the better.

With the NFL Draft and college football recruiting, it never ceases to amaze me how much announcers and scouts get so uber-infatuated with the “measurables” such as 40-yard dash times, how many times a guy can bench press 225 pounds, vertical leap, etc. Doesn’t the ability to play the game count for something?

How many times does a guy run straight down the field uninhibited for 40 yards? Heck, 10-yard dashes mean more in my book.

With quarterbacks, I get nauseated beyond belief every time I hear about “arm strength” or lack thereof. Remember Joe Montana? He never had the strongest arm but dammitt all he did was beat you. Doesn’t throwing the ball accurately count for something? I mean, throwing the ball 60 yards downfield is one thing but talk to me arm strength if the ball is overthrown. In my world leadership, ability to read defenses, leadership and mobility within the pocket matter most.

At running back and for that matter wide receiver, speed is also overrated unless a guy is in the open field. Quickness matters more because if a defender does not get a clean hit, the back or receiver is less susceptible to injury. For running back, give me a guy with quickness, vision, good hands and the ability to pick up blitzes.

At receiver, I say the hell with height too. Just because a receiver is 6-foot-3, he height advantage means nothing if he lacks desire to get the ball. So what matters most at receiver? Hands. What a concept. You have to catch the damn ball. Run precise routes and beat press coverage.

As for linemen, don’t tell me about size. That’s about as meaningless as how hard a baseball pitcher throws. If a big lineman cannot move, he’s of no good to you, me or the man on the moon. If a baseball pitcher throws 97 miles-an-hour, who gives a rat’s behind if he doesn’t throw strikes. Give me quickness off the ball, good technique and the ability to execute their assignment.

Same thing with defensive linemen and linebackers, plus give me the ability to shed blocks and make good solid tackles. With defensive backs, give me confidence, footwork, and quickness.

With every player across the board give me intelligence and character.

Despite inexperience at QB, Huskers serious Big 12 North contender

The opening game for Nebraska football might be four months and change away but listening to some so-called experts and reading message boards, the Huskers inexperience at quarterback is supposed to be the biggest obstacle that could prevent the team from winning the Big 12 North title.

Not to sound like a Kool-Aid sipper because there’s only so much you can read into spring practices but I'm pretty optimistic because the impression you get from Bo Pelini and staff is that no matter who plays, the coaching staff will get the most out of them. That includes the quarterback position.

Just a few weeks ago, I blogged in this space that getting to the Big 12 title game will be the easy part. Winning it will be the hard part.

NU has a great shot at winning the Big 12 North in 2009. In the interest of “process of elimination,” forget Iowa State and Kansas State. Both have new coaches and a truckload of question marks.

Missouri, which has won the division the past two seasons, is likely to come crashing back to Earth after losing Chase Coffman, Jeremy Maclin, and Chase Daniel. The Tiger defense is about as soggy as a wet noodle. Keep in mind, with the great talent Mizzu had, it flat lined in the second half of the season. The Tigers looked unstoppable in starting 5-0 but looked pretty ordinary in going 5-4 the rest of the way. Missouri's schedule is favorable enough that they will be able to stay in the hunt. Nebraska has the more difficult schedule, but has talent, depth, and experience at several critical areas. Kansas and Nebraska will be the front-runners for the North title and the game in Lawrence will be huge. Nebraska's defense should be improved over last season and the return of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was a bigger development than any recruit we signed last season.

The lazy analyst will point to their returning quarterback and wide receivers and think that will be enough. However, Todd Reesing, Dezmon Briscoe, and Derek Meier all had monster numbers in 2008 yet only managed to go 4-4 in Big 12. Why will 2009 be any different - especially considering the losses they suffered at other positions?

Colorado might be the wild card of the much. Because the Buffaloes had so many injuries in a 5-7 season, it’s hard to truly evaluate them objectively. Those injuries allowed several youngsters to get playing time but CU goes 9-3 at best in 2009 but 7-5 is more likely.

Pelini picking battles carefully with refs an important matter

You’d be hardpressed not to find a Nebraska football fan that has not raved about Bo Pelini’s work as the team’s head coach.

The Huskers went 9-4 in his first year as coach but most importantly the team won six of its final seven games. His record was at the top when it comes to first year coaches around the country. He did all of that while encountering the learning curve that comes with making the transition from coordinator to head coach.

Pelini undeniably deserves high marks for bringing out that extra something in the players and developing a relationship with players that was lacking under Bill Callahan and to a lesser degree Frank Solich. The culture is definitely in place and so is the foundation. Pelini brings a contagious passion. That enthusiasm, however, can be two-fold. The plus side is that the players took on his personality in that they constantly played with maximum effort. The downside was that Pelini’s first year was also marked by sideline outbursts that he later had to make apology.

"I learned a lot in my first year," Pelini said in a press conference. "Everyone makes mistakes along the way. When you re-evaluate, you hope to make corrections and become better."

Despite the maturity, don’t expect Pelini to suddenly become a diplomat. However, he must learn to pick his battles with referees more judiciously. Pelini comes from the school of “if I feel my team is not getting a fair shake, I’m going to address it.” That’s fine but Pelini needs to learn how to do it within reason.

He seems to be aware of such issue. At least, he’s verbally addressed the matter.In all my years of being around sports as an athlete, fan or media member, I have seen many coaches, athletes or whoever seal their fate when it comes to dealing with referees.

I once had a conversation with a former high school-league commissioner in Napa, California, named Paul Hoover, who passed away in 2003. This discussion, mind you, came at another point in my career. Hoover theorized that anyone on an emotionally thinking level claims that the quality of officiating has declined in recent years, but they fail to realize one thing. Given the abuse referees take, people are not beating the door down to become one. That statement makes almost too much sense, because who in their right mind wants to deal boorish behavior?

Let's face it, for the most part, refs only hear from people when they are mad. How often do you hear someone say, "Good call, ref," and mean it genuinely as opposed to carrying a biting undertone? Very seldom.

Before I go any further, if you think the ref is "out to get your team" after most every call that goes against your team, you are out to lunch. On the other hand, if you are one of these self-righteous people who gets on your high horse and always claims that a coach or athlete is "whining" when they address a call, you are equally out to lunch. Heck, if you're a coach, athlete or fan, it's your right to disagree with a call that goes against your team because criticism is fair as long as it's valid. After all, people are human. The trick is "how" you address the situation.

There's nothing wrong with addressing a call that goes against your team as long as it's done within reason and respectfully. It's all about picking your battles carefully. Coaches or athletes who are frequently overly emotional pertaining to calls going against their team fail to realize that they are sealing their own fate by always claiming it's someone else's fault. That behavior sends the wrong message for many reasons.

For one thing, you send the message to your players is that it's OK to blame others when things go against you. I've got news for you, it's not always someone else's fault. Let's face it, we all like to believe that referees are objective, which I think most of them are. On the other hand, they have long memories. They will remember whether a coach or athlete is always overly demonstrative in addressing their call. Don’t think for one minute that college football referees are not aware of Pelini drawing a 15-yard penalty in the 2003 Alamo Bowl as interim head coach.

They are also fully aware of his 15-yard penalty in Nebraska’s 35-30 loss to Virginia Tech late in the game. The referees remember overly demonstrative coaches or athletes. At some point, that approach generates diminishing returns because those refs are less likely to give that team the benefit of the doubt on a judgment call. Just apply this idea to life, such as if you work with someone and that person always complains. You know the type - the coffee's too cold, the building is too cold, etc. Well, you get the idea. Let's be brutally honest, anyone in their right mind would tune out someone like that, even if that person's claim might be legitimate.

On the other hand, if someone rarely complains, you might take the view of, "Well, heck, it's got to be true." Anything to gain an edge.

Spring game 2009 things to look for

Spring Game No. 2 of the Bo Pelini is nearly here and if last year is any indication, you won’t be seeing any exhibition like play of the No. 1 offense going against the No. 4 defense like we did in four years of the Bill Callahan era.

Everyone has their own idea of what they would like to see. I have mine:

Barry Turner is back but how much of an impact can he make?

Turner’s return from knee surgery that cause him to miss virtually all of the 2008 season could help Nebraska become the Top 25 defense they need to be. Keep in mind, Matt Herian returned from a broken leg in 2006 but was only a shadow of his former self. Let’s hope Turner can be a difference maker.

Receivers have more speed but can they be sure-handed and block downfield?

The Husker offense could have used more speed at receiver last season. They will get that element this season with additions like Curenski Gilleylen and converted running back Marcus Mendoza. Nebraska, however, lost Nate Swift and Todd Petersen to graduation. Neither was a downfield blazer but were tough in traffic, in the clutch and as downfield blockers. Gilleylen has improved his hands; Antonio Bell could be the most complete receiver by the time he develops. Antonio Bell will be a big threat this year. Competition for the X receiver spot has been intense between Will Henry and Menelik Holt.

Who steps up on the O-Line, Ricky Henry or DJ Jones?

With projected starting tackle Javoirio Burkes out indefinitely due to an unclosed medical condition, the Huskers will need one if not both to fill the void quickly.

What will we see from Baker Steinkuhler?

When the Huskers recruited Steinkuhler, who is the son of former Husker great Dean Steinkuhler and brother of recently graduated Ty Steinkuhler, much was asked on where he fits in – as an offensive or defensive tackle? Baker Steinkuhler redshirted last season and the Huskers have him at defensive tackle. Can Baker become the stud tackle that takes over after Ndamukong Suh graduates?

Is Zac Lee ready?

The Spring Game format probably won’t tell us a whole but the biggest issue is making the right reads and handling the pressure within the pocket. Most importantly, he has to take command of the offense.

Are Castille’s fumbling problems a thing of the past?

With Roy Helu being held out for precautionary reasons, Quentin Castille will get a lot of attention along with Lester Ward, Austin Jones and Jeremy Wallace. Castille did not fumble in the Huskers 26-21 Gator Bowl win. Is that an aberration or a sign of things to come.
Who stands out in the defensive backfield?Turnovers did not come by the bushel as many anticipated last season with the return of Pelini and defensive backs coach Marvin Sanders. In fact, last season things were an adventure in the secondary at times. I’ll be interested to see if another year in the scheme will mean the DBs being in a better position to make plays.