Roy Helu Jr. stood before reporters after practice Friday, telling them how Quentin Castille is the best running back on the Nebraska football team.
“He’s a better player than me right now and has been for awhile,” Helu said.
Castille will be the best back on some other team now.
Saturday, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini told the same reporters that Castille had been removed from the team for breaking an unspecified team rule.
The dismissal from the team was the final action in a tumultuous summer for Castille. He abruptly went to Atlanta, Ga., during the summer. Pelini granted Castille permission to take the trip.
Earlier in the camp, Castille spoke about why he went to Atlanta.
“(NU coach Bo Pelini) sensed that something was wrong with me,” Castille said. “But it was just stupid things that I was doing that I knew I shouldn’t have been doing. I left, and I came back. Now I feel like I’ve had a fresh start.”
Castille said the move was necessary for him to “clear his head.”
He’ll have plenty of time to clear his head now.
It’s a shame because he was the second part of what could have been a lethal tandem at running back for the Huskers.
He was a stark contrast to Helu’s more evasive style. Nebraska’s rushing attack with Helu and Castille gave defensive coordinators something to think about. Both complimented each other with their styles, each effectively attacking a different area of the defense.
But where Castille and Helu truly differed was in their ball security. Castille took a lot of heat in his first two seasons with the Huskers because he was prone to fumbling. That was an area Helu said Castille had been working hard on.
“His biggest thing was holding onto the ball, and he’s done that this month,” Helu said Friday. “He’s become more of a complete player. He hasn’t fumbled once in fall camp.”
It will be interesting to see how the dismissal of Castille affects Helu. The two had grown close over the summer. Castille cited a phone call from Helu he received when he was in Atlanta as a catalyst to their friendship.
“First time I talked to him, he was like ‘You’re that one teammate I always looked up to,’” Castille said. “And I was like ‘Man, I look up at you, too.’ There were so many things that me and him shared. When I came back, he was there for me.”
Nebraska running back coach Tim Beck noticed the change in their friendship, too.
“They are very good friends,” Beck said. “They feed off of each other. They encourage each other.”
Replacing Castille’s production falls on the shoulders of several talented but inexperienced backs. Coaches moved Marcus Mendoza back to running back after experimenting at wide receiver this spring.
He now has the second-most experience at the position.
Finding a contributor behind Helu is important because of his injury history. He had hamstring problems in the spring and missed two days of fall camp because of tightness.
After practice on Saturday, Pelini said a contender has already emerged to replace Castille at the backup spot.
“I’d say Rex Burkhead is clearly the No. 2 running back right now, but that can change,” Pelini said. “There’s a lot of depth and a lot of talent at the running back position: We feel real good about it. Time will tell, just like a lot of other positions, there’s a lot of competition going on.”
Beck said Burkhead has played well recently and that he’s been impressed with the Plano, Texas-native.
He added that the biggest adjustment for Burkhead and all freshman running backs will be catching up to the game speed and getting used to staying in to pass protect.
Helu said he’s confident in Burkhead’s ability to contribute immediately.
“He’s a smart kid, and that’s the edge that he has over the other running backs,” Helu said.
“He has picked up the offense. “
Even if Burkhead performs admirably at running back, the pressure will still be on Helu. For the first time in his career, Helu is the face of Nebraska’s running game.
There’s no more “thunder and lightning” or “Helu and Q.”
For now, it’s just “Roy and Rex,” but that just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
Mike Schaefer is a Senior News-editorial journalism major. Reach him at michaelschaefer@dailynebraskan.com
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