Football team finds balance between talent and training

A lot has changed in the past couple of years for the Nebraska football team. What was once a team that had no confidence in themselves or their playbook is now ranked in the preseason Top 25 polls and expected to win the Big 12 Conference's North division.

NU safety Rickey Thenarse said the key was simplicity.

"We understand what we're doing a lot more now," Thenarse said. "When I was younger, we just had the (play)book thrown at us, and we were expected to know what to do. Coach Bo (Pelini) approaches it completely different."

In his first year as head coach, Pelini took a down-trodden team and started them off from scratch. He implemented base techniques that he wanted players to do on every play.

Pelini understood that his concepts would take time to learn, something his predecessor and former NU coach Bill Callahan never thought of. That's why Nebraska is favored to win the Big 12 North just two years after the disaster of 2007.

The simplifying of the schemes last season has allowed the Huskers to add a lot more to their plans for 2009, which in turn is allowing each player more room to develop and become better athletes.

Secondary coach Marvin Sanders said he's excited about the development he's seen in the players from year one to year two. He said the difference is that they understand the "why" aspect of what they are doing on the field now.

"If you're a safety and you know everybody's responsibility around you and why they are doing it, you know what you can do and why you can do it," Sanders said. "It's being able to know the ‘why' right now that allows these guys to fly around with more of a chip on their shoulder."

The extra jump in the NU step came after the Huskers went 9-4 in 2008 with, what several players considered, base package material. Thenarse said that because a tremendous amount wasn't thrown at them, they were "able to grow more as a team instead of individuals."

Pelini simply outclassed Callahan in this aspect of being a college coach. Wide receiver Menelik Holt reiterated this fact.

"When Callahan was here, we still had a great group of guys, we just had a lot of individual guys," Holt said. "I think (Callahan) kind of forced the team chemistry. Callahan is an NFL guy, and he was like ‘I shouldn't have to tell you how to be a man, you're old enough to know.' He thought we were old enough to have it expected of us."

Holt admitted that even as a senior, he's far from being the adult he plans to be after graduation, but he knows Pelini has already had a role in who he is as a person — something he wouldn't say about the coach that recruited him to Nebraska.

The development of these players not only as athletes, but as young men, is strengthening the team unity with each passing day. It is a team-oriented mindset that was able to attract defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh enough for him to want to stay for his senior season.

Younger players are getting more work each day, and tight-end Mike McNeill said he is enjoying the competition it creates.

"(The coaches) are working the younger guys in on separate occasions on certain drills," McNeill said. "We are definitely trying to develop the younger guys. We are deeper at positions, so yes, the competition is high and the developmental level is high."

It started with a simplified base package in 2008, and players and coaches alike hope to get a lot more done this season. Thenarse, among others, said he's excited to see what this team can do with a whole extra year of learning and growing under Pelini.

"I know I've learned a lot since he's came here," Thenarse said. "We've all grown as players because it wasn't all tossed at us at once, and I think that has us ready more than ever for this year."


spencerschubert@dailynebraskan.com