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Scott we are waiting.

tithay01

Walk On
Dec 12, 2010
254
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11/10/05

Scott's Thoughts by Scott Frost

Sometimes I think that I care too much. I was in Lawrence on Saturday and I saw our guys go down in defeat at the hands of a team that we had beaten every year for almost four decades. I can’t tell you how hard it was to watch. Seeing Jayhawk fans yelling and jeering and storming the field made my stomach turn. Now in the wake of that loss I have been hearing all sorts of opinions about what is going wrong and what should be changed. Some of them make some sense and some are ridiculous. People everywhere I go are asking me for my views on the program. I certainly don’t have all of the answers, but I can offer you some of my feelings as a former player who has bled, sweat, thrown-up, cried, fought, been criticized, been vindicated, and been a part of a champion while wearing Husker red. I have concerns and a few problems with some of the things that have happened surrounding our beloved program. I have talked to a lot of other players and they have the same concerns. I cannot speak for any of them or for anyone else, but I think people would like to know how ex-players feel, and I think that my opinions probably reflect those of most of the guys who have been a part of Husker football.

Let me begin by reiterating that the reason so many of us are so frustrated is that we care so much. That concern is what sets Nebraska apart. I started my career at another institution where it is not nearly as rare to go five and six, and I’ve seen first hand how much more passion there is surrounding Husker football than almost every other program in the country. Sometimes I don’t think that some of the people in the program right now knew what they were getting themselves into when they signed up to come here. That leads me to my first major concern about what is happening at Memorial Stadium- the complete and intentional departure and detachment from anything that had to do with the way it was.

Let’s start with the people. We didn’t just get a new coaching staff two years ago, there was basically a house cleaning. So many of the people in South stadium who made Nebraska what it was either left or were forced to leave that many of us as former players do not even feel comfortable coming around the campus anymore. That’s a shame. It was commonplace when I was playing to have ex-players like Cory Schlessinger, Tyrone Williams, and Will Shields come to meetings or compete against us in passing league. Now, most guys don’t even know who to call if they want to watch a practice. I know they kept Coach Gill around when they brought in the new staff and he was a link to the past, but he moved on. Jimmy Williams and Marvin Sanders weren’t asked to return. Their excellent coaching abilities aside, it sure would be nice to have someone like them on the staff that is familiar with the traditions of Nebraska football.

It isn’t just university employees either, it’s also the players. When we won the national championship in 1997, nine out of our eleven starters on offense were from the state of Nebraska. We had a system in place that was able to organize and develop more athletes, therefore there were more players on a Nebraska practice field than most schools normally have. A great number of those players were walk-ons from the state of Nebraska who would give their heart and soul for the football team. Not only did that create a team that cared more about winning, it also made for a huge amount of caring and involvement throughout the state. When you live in a town like Funk, Nebraska, and you know Kyle Larson personally, it generates a sense of pride in our state for a program that could take boys from our own hometowns and develop them into players who could compete with and beat anyone. I’m all for going to California and Florida to recruit great players. Heaven knows we need guys like Marlon Lucky and Harrison Beck to make us better, but I also wish we wouldn’t stop making the effort to bring home-grown athletes along as Huskers.

If you want more proof about the complete overhaul of Nebraska football, look at some of the small things. Why after so many years did “Husker Power” fail to be a worthy slogan for our team? Now it’s “the power of red”. Why did the program where the coaches went to Lincoln, Omaha, and a town out west to show loyal fans the game film end? Talk about a way to help keep fans interested and loyal (fundraising!). Even Herbie Husker got an overhaul from blonde to brunette. It almost feels like anything that symbolizes or relates to the Huskers of Devaney, Osborne, and Solich was simply not good enough anymore.

That leads me to the next major concern that I have right now-its character. I’m not making this point to attack or demean anyone. I just know the kind of character that people throughout the program used to have. It all started with Tom Osborne. The man simply has more honor and integrity than anyone I have ever known. When he knew something was right, he did it. When he knew something was wrong, he always stayed away. I never once got cursed at by a Nebraska coach on the football field. Our coaches had a biblical devotional every morning before they started their meetings. Tom would never promise a recruit playing time, he would simply tell them that they would get a fair opportunity to show what they could do. The best complement that you could get from him is that you were “a pretty good player”. He’s the kind of guy that could lead a group of people to accomplish the absolute most that they were capable of accomplishing.

The character didn’t just end with Tom either. Ron Brown and Turner Gill are two of the best people I know. Milt Tenopir was like a father to most of the guys who played for him. The relationship that Charlie had with most of his guys, while slightly different, was wonderful. It was like a big family, and that environment made us all want to work harder and succeed that much more. We simply did things better and cleaner at the University of Nebraska than they did it anywhere else. There was an element of class about the program that was the envy of every other college football team.

I want to become a college football coach, and I plan on looking for a place to start a career in that field after this season is over. A few months ago I told Ron Brown that I wanted to coach. His advice to me was that if I was getting into coaching just to try to win games and be around football, then it wasn’t worth it. It would drive me crazy and the hours wouldn’t be justified. If I was going to coach on the other hand, with my primary goal being to try and impact the lives of the guys that you work with than the job could be more rewarding than almost anything else I could do. I’m paraphrasing a little bit, but you get the point. I really think that for most of the staff, winning was a goal that was secondary to shaping us as players into good men. I’m not saying things are different now, I don’t know. I would just hate to see us become like everybody else in college football. We have always been special, and I hope we always will be.

Building on that point, I would like to add this. It is not fair to be calling for the firing of any of our coaches right now. Everyone is entitled to their opinions about how things are going on the field, but we owe these guys a fair chance to get things turned around. If I was a coach that took over a program like Nebraska I would feel like I deserved at least three or four years to fully integrate my philosophies and tactics as a coach and leader. Granted there probably needs to be signs of improvement along the way, but it’s not fair to be talking about a change right now. It also doesn’t make sense to be firing so many arrows at the staff in the middle of the season. These guys have a job to do, and the fewer distractions they have, the better they will perform. On top of that, we don’t want the players feeling like they are in the midst of a firestorm. We don’t want them worried that they might have a new coach in a year or two or three. I have heard rumors that some of our vaunted freshmen are kicking around the idea of transferring. We can’t lose these kids. Whoever is coaching needs talented players. There is a time and a place for everything. If things haven’t improved by the end of the ’06 season then maybe people should voice their opinions on who is the right person to lead our program, but not right now. Now is the time that we should be supporting our team and our players so that they understand that they are a part of something special.

People always ask me what I think about the West Coast Offense. I simply say this. They are going to have to prove to me that it is the best way to win in Lincoln, Nebraska before I believe it. I’m not saying it can’t work. There are all sorts of different kinds of offensive systems that work in college football; everything from Utah’s spread offense to USC’s west coast, to Air Force’s option attack. If you have the right players and you coach your system well, most offenses can be successful. You can’t argue with the success that the WCO has had at both the collegiate and professional levels. It can work, but the jury is still out as to whether it will work here. On the other hand, I hear people arguing that a running and or option attack like the one we used to run is outdated and won’t work anymore. Let me tell you something- not that much has changed since the mid-nineties. The athletes are not that much bigger and stronger. Einstein didn’t come back to life and invent a defense that can stop a properly run belly option. Like I said, any system can work if you teach the right players the right way. That being said, there were reasons why Tom Osborne ran the system that he did (reference my blog from 9/14). You don’t have to throw the ball every down to win. You don’t have to run it every down either, but some kind of running game sure would help.


Finally, my biggest frustration as a former player is the way in which some decisions have been made by the administration as well as the way some things have been handled. It is hard for me to comment on some of these situations because I have heard most of the stories second and third hand, but there are a few things I feel alright talking about. The first is the dismissal of the old coaching staff. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I know that some of those people were not treated very well and not given a fair chance. There were a lot of Nebraskans who wanted to see a change in the coaching staff when Frank was in charge. Whether you wanted a change or not, you have to agree that those guys deserved to be treated with respect and they deserved to have the administration be up front with them. From letters slipped under doors to pointless and insincere interviews, the whole process seemed to be devious and harmful to a lot of people that many of us as former players are loyal to.

After the firing of these people, the search for a new coach began. It was this process that left many of us confused and agitated, because it was done solely and completely by one man. Most major programs, when they hire a new coach, will put together a search committee. There are people who are loyal to our program who would have been tremendous resources in the selection process. I would have loved to have seen a committee made up of gentlemen such as Tom Osborne, Charlie McBride, Monte Kiffin, Ahman Green, Grant Wistrom, Mike Minter, Barry Alvarez, and Al Papik help identify the best candidate to take over our program. I guarantee that when Notre Dame picked a new head coach last year, more than one person was in on the decision. It’s just hard for me to believe that someone who probably couldn’t draw up an over front or and under front is the best person to pick a football coach. I actually think that things could have ended up worse, especially when you consider some of the other coaches that were rumored to have planes waiting at their local airports.

The decision was made; our program is headed in a completely new direction. Now we all have to deal with it. All of us, including the administration. If those guys get things turned around and we start winning games and championships than everyone will look like a genius. If things don’t turn around, then we all know where the majority of the criticism will be directed. I know as a quarterback that when the team did well, I got a lot more praise than I deserved. When the team didn’t do well, far more than my rightful share of the blame fell on my shoulders. It goes with the territory. Steve Pedersen brought that on himself when he was so cavalier in making these tough decisions. Right or wrong, hero or villain, he took a big risk and painted himself into a tight corner. Time will tell how everyone is viewed in the history of our program.

I know I am not the only one who feels this way about all of these issues. Most of the guys that I played with are more vocal than I am about many of these things. It isn’t just former players either. I know the stadium project hasn’t raised all of the money that they need yet. There are several people, and most of us know who they are, who could write a check tomorrow to have the whole facility finished. They’re not doing it because they are not happy with the state of affairs at South Stadium. I love Nebraska football. I love the state of Nebraska. I long for the days when the characteristics of the team we put on the field on Saturdays exemplified the characteristics of the hard working people of our state. We used to have the Taj mahal of college football programs. Now it feels like someone took 40 tons of dynamite to our proud and noble masterpiece and built a three bedroom ranch in its place. I’m not saying all of these things to be malicious or overly critical of anyone, but when it comes to a state institution, people have the right to be judgmental. I just want to share my opinions with all of the Husker fans out there who care as much about the program as I do.
 
11/10/05

Scott's Thoughts by Scott Frost

Sometimes I think that I care too much. I was in Lawrence on Saturday and I saw our guys go down in defeat at the hands of a team that we had beaten every year for almost four decades. I can’t tell you how hard it was to watch. Seeing Jayhawk fans yelling and jeering and storming the field made my stomach turn. Now in the wake of that loss I have been hearing all sorts of opinions about what is going wrong and what should be changed. Some of them make some sense and some are ridiculous. People everywhere I go are asking me for my views on the program. I certainly don’t have all of the answers, but I can offer you some of my feelings as a former player who has bled, sweat, thrown-up, cried, fought, been criticized, been vindicated, and been a part of a champion while wearing Husker red. I have concerns and a few problems with some of the things that have happened surrounding our beloved program. I have talked to a lot of other players and they have the same concerns. I cannot speak for any of them or for anyone else, but I think people would like to know how ex-players feel, and I think that my opinions probably reflect those of most of the guys who have been a part of Husker football.

Let me begin by reiterating that the reason so many of us are so frustrated is that we care so much. That concern is what sets Nebraska apart. I started my career at another institution where it is not nearly as rare to go five and six, and I’ve seen first hand how much more passion there is surrounding Husker football than almost every other program in the country. Sometimes I don’t think that some of the people in the program right now knew what they were getting themselves into when they signed up to come here. That leads me to my first major concern about what is happening at Memorial Stadium- the complete and intentional departure and detachment from anything that had to do with the way it was.

Let’s start with the people. We didn’t just get a new coaching staff two years ago, there was basically a house cleaning. So many of the people in South stadium who made Nebraska what it was either left or were forced to leave that many of us as former players do not even feel comfortable coming around the campus anymore. That’s a shame. It was commonplace when I was playing to have ex-players like Cory Schlessinger, Tyrone Williams, and Will Shields come to meetings or compete against us in passing league. Now, most guys don’t even know who to call if they want to watch a practice. I know they kept Coach Gill around when they brought in the new staff and he was a link to the past, but he moved on. Jimmy Williams and Marvin Sanders weren’t asked to return. Their excellent coaching abilities aside, it sure would be nice to have someone like them on the staff that is familiar with the traditions of Nebraska football.

It isn’t just university employees either, it’s also the players. When we won the national championship in 1997, nine out of our eleven starters on offense were from the state of Nebraska. We had a system in place that was able to organize and develop more athletes, therefore there were more players on a Nebraska practice field than most schools normally have. A great number of those players were walk-ons from the state of Nebraska who would give their heart and soul for the football team. Not only did that create a team that cared more about winning, it also made for a huge amount of caring and involvement throughout the state. When you live in a town like Funk, Nebraska, and you know Kyle Larson personally, it generates a sense of pride in our state for a program that could take boys from our own hometowns and develop them into players who could compete with and beat anyone. I’m all for going to California and Florida to recruit great players. Heaven knows we need guys like Marlon Lucky and Harrison Beck to make us better, but I also wish we wouldn’t stop making the effort to bring home-grown athletes along as Huskers.

If you want more proof about the complete overhaul of Nebraska football, look at some of the small things. Why after so many years did “Husker Power” fail to be a worthy slogan for our team? Now it’s “the power of red”. Why did the program where the coaches went to Lincoln, Omaha, and a town out west to show loyal fans the game film end? Talk about a way to help keep fans interested and loyal (fundraising!). Even Herbie Husker got an overhaul from blonde to brunette. It almost feels like anything that symbolizes or relates to the Huskers of Devaney, Osborne, and Solich was simply not good enough anymore.

That leads me to the next major concern that I have right now-its character. I’m not making this point to attack or demean anyone. I just know the kind of character that people throughout the program used to have. It all started with Tom Osborne. The man simply has more honor and integrity than anyone I have ever known. When he knew something was right, he did it. When he knew something was wrong, he always stayed away. I never once got cursed at by a Nebraska coach on the football field. Our coaches had a biblical devotional every morning before they started their meetings. Tom would never promise a recruit playing time, he would simply tell them that they would get a fair opportunity to show what they could do. The best complement that you could get from him is that you were “a pretty good player”. He’s the kind of guy that could lead a group of people to accomplish the absolute most that they were capable of accomplishing.

The character didn’t just end with Tom either. Ron Brown and Turner Gill are two of the best people I know. Milt Tenopir was like a father to most of the guys who played for him. The relationship that Charlie had with most of his guys, while slightly different, was wonderful. It was like a big family, and that environment made us all want to work harder and succeed that much more. We simply did things better and cleaner at the University of Nebraska than they did it anywhere else. There was an element of class about the program that was the envy of every other college football team.

I want to become a college football coach, and I plan on looking for a place to start a career in that field after this season is over. A few months ago I told Ron Brown that I wanted to coach. His advice to me was that if I was getting into coaching just to try to win games and be around football, then it wasn’t worth it. It would drive me crazy and the hours wouldn’t be justified. If I was going to coach on the other hand, with my primary goal being to try and impact the lives of the guys that you work with than the job could be more rewarding than almost anything else I could do. I’m paraphrasing a little bit, but you get the point. I really think that for most of the staff, winning was a goal that was secondary to shaping us as players into good men. I’m not saying things are different now, I don’t know. I would just hate to see us become like everybody else in college football. We have always been special, and I hope we always will be.

Building on that point, I would like to add this. It is not fair to be calling for the firing of any of our coaches right now. Everyone is entitled to their opinions about how things are going on the field, but we owe these guys a fair chance to get things turned around. If I was a coach that took over a program like Nebraska I would feel like I deserved at least three or four years to fully integrate my philosophies and tactics as a coach and leader. Granted there probably needs to be signs of improvement along the way, but it’s not fair to be talking about a change right now. It also doesn’t make sense to be firing so many arrows at the staff in the middle of the season. These guys have a job to do, and the fewer distractions they have, the better they will perform. On top of that, we don’t want the players feeling like they are in the midst of a firestorm. We don’t want them worried that they might have a new coach in a year or two or three. I have heard rumors that some of our vaunted freshmen are kicking around the idea of transferring. We can’t lose these kids. Whoever is coaching needs talented players. There is a time and a place for everything. If things haven’t improved by the end of the ’06 season then maybe people should voice their opinions on who is the right person to lead our program, but not right now. Now is the time that we should be supporting our team and our players so that they understand that they are a part of something special.

People always ask me what I think about the West Coast Offense. I simply say this. They are going to have to prove to me that it is the best way to win in Lincoln, Nebraska before I believe it. I’m not saying it can’t work. There are all sorts of different kinds of offensive systems that work in college football; everything from Utah’s spread offense to USC’s west coast, to Air Force’s option attack. If you have the right players and you coach your system well, most offenses can be successful. You can’t argue with the success that the WCO has had at both the collegiate and professional levels. It can work, but the jury is still out as to whether it will work here. On the other hand, I hear people arguing that a running and or option attack like the one we used to run is outdated and won’t work anymore. Let me tell you something- not that much has changed since the mid-nineties. The athletes are not that much bigger and stronger. Einstein didn’t come back to life and invent a defense that can stop a properly run belly option. Like I said, any system can work if you teach the right players the right way. That being said, there were reasons why Tom Osborne ran the system that he did (reference my blog from 9/14). You don’t have to throw the ball every down to win. You don’t have to run it every down either, but some kind of running game sure would help.


Finally, my biggest frustration as a former player is the way in which some decisions have been made by the administration as well as the way some things have been handled. It is hard for me to comment on some of these situations because I have heard most of the stories second and third hand, but there are a few things I feel alright talking about. The first is the dismissal of the old coaching staff. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I know that some of those people were not treated very well and not given a fair chance. There were a lot of Nebraskans who wanted to see a change in the coaching staff when Frank was in charge. Whether you wanted a change or not, you have to agree that those guys deserved to be treated with respect and they deserved to have the administration be up front with them. From letters slipped under doors to pointless and insincere interviews, the whole process seemed to be devious and harmful to a lot of people that many of us as former players are loyal to.

After the firing of these people, the search for a new coach began. It was this process that left many of us confused and agitated, because it was done solely and completely by one man. Most major programs, when they hire a new coach, will put together a search committee. There are people who are loyal to our program who would have been tremendous resources in the selection process. I would have loved to have seen a committee made up of gentlemen such as Tom Osborne, Charlie McBride, Monte Kiffin, Ahman Green, Grant Wistrom, Mike Minter, Barry Alvarez, and Al Papik help identify the best candidate to take over our program. I guarantee that when Notre Dame picked a new head coach last year, more than one person was in on the decision. It’s just hard for me to believe that someone who probably couldn’t draw up an over front or and under front is the best person to pick a football coach. I actually think that things could have ended up worse, especially when you consider some of the other coaches that were rumored to have planes waiting at their local airports.

The decision was made; our program is headed in a completely new direction. Now we all have to deal with it. All of us, including the administration. If those guys get things turned around and we start winning games and championships than everyone will look like a genius. If things don’t turn around, then we all know where the majority of the criticism will be directed. I know as a quarterback that when the team did well, I got a lot more praise than I deserved. When the team didn’t do well, far more than my rightful share of the blame fell on my shoulders. It goes with the territory. Steve Pedersen brought that on himself when he was so cavalier in making these tough decisions. Right or wrong, hero or villain, he took a big risk and painted himself into a tight corner. Time will tell how everyone is viewed in the history of our program.

I know I am not the only one who feels this way about all of these issues. Most of the guys that I played with are more vocal than I am about many of these things. It isn’t just former players either. I know the stadium project hasn’t raised all of the money that they need yet. There are several people, and most of us know who they are, who could write a check tomorrow to have the whole facility finished. They’re not doing it because they are not happy with the state of affairs at South Stadium. I love Nebraska football. I love the state of Nebraska. I long for the days when the characteristics of the team we put on the field on Saturdays exemplified the characteristics of the hard working people of our state. We used to have the Taj mahal of college football programs. Now it feels like someone took 40 tons of dynamite to our proud and noble masterpiece and built a three bedroom ranch in its place. I’m not saying all of these things to be malicious or overly critical of anyone, but when it comes to a state institution, people have the right to be judgmental. I just want to share my opinions with all of the Husker fans out there who care as much about the program as I do.
My favorite part:

"If I was a coach that took over a program like Nebraska I would feel like I deserved at least three or four years to fully integrate my philosophies and tactics as a coach and leader."

Bold statement in 2005 regarding a program just one recruiting cycle and one coach removed from playing for a National Championship.
 
it's all bs.. because he let the home town guy, who knows his system inside and out, move on to play at a competitor. Also let one of the best WR's in Husker history move on.. and no one can bemoan the character of the QB who has other guys do his workouts for him.. keep standing up for that kind of character guy, and say the other BS, and pretty soon everyone sees what you're saying is just garbage Scott.
 
Holy cow! How much time did you put in here? I couldn't get past the first paragraph.
 
it's all bs.. because he let the home town guy, who knows his system inside and out, move on to play at a competitor. Also let one of the best WR's in Husker history move on.. and no one can bemoan the character of the QB who has other guys do his workouts for him.. keep standing up for that kind of character guy, and say the other BS, and pretty soon everyone sees what you're saying is just garbage Scott.
In the meantime, you keep crapping on Frost and AM. People are already seeing what you’re saying is garbage.

I know you are praying he fails, because you have doubled down so much, if he succeeds, you will never live it down.
 
it's all bs.. because he let the home town guy, who knows his system inside and out, move on to play at a competitor. Also let one of the best WR's in Husker history move on.. and no one can bemoan the character of the QB who has other guys do his workouts for him.. keep standing up for that kind of character guy, and say the other BS, and pretty soon everyone sees what you're saying is just garbage Scott.

So you really think Vedral is better QB than McCaffery?

Didn’t see that last year with him knowing that offense inside and out..:rolleyes:
 
So you really think Vedral is better QB than McCaffery?

Didn’t see that last year with him knowing that offense inside and out..:rolleyes:
He’s been banging that drum since Vedral transferred back to NU. If not Vedral, someone else. Anyone else. AM is the worst QB in the modern era if you listen to Nikki. Maybe even worse than Satan.
 
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it's all bs.. because he let the home town guy, who knows his system inside and out, move on to play at a competitor.
Vedral is a grad transfer, so what exactly was the alternative to "letting" him move on? Promise him the starting job, based on those legendary performances against Minnesota and Indiana?

Even if you've had it with Martinez, that seems like a huge stretch just to have something to bitch about. Why would you want Frost to promise Vedral the job over McCaffrey?
 
11/10/05

Scott's Thoughts by Scott Frost

Sometimes I think that I care too much. I was in Lawrence on Saturday and I saw our guys go down in defeat at the hands of a team that we had beaten every year for almost four decades. I can’t tell you how hard it was to watch. Seeing Jayhawk fans yelling and jeering and storming the field made my stomach turn. Now in the wake of that loss I have been hearing all sorts of opinions about what is going wrong and what should be changed. Some of them make some sense and some are ridiculous. People everywhere I go are asking me for my views on the program. I certainly don’t have all of the answers, but I can offer you some of my feelings as a former player who has bled, sweat, thrown-up, cried, fought, been criticized, been vindicated, and been a part of a champion while wearing Husker red. I have concerns and a few problems with some of the things that have happened surrounding our beloved program. I have talked to a lot of other players and they have the same concerns. I cannot speak for any of them or for anyone else, but I think people would like to know how ex-players feel, and I think that my opinions probably reflect those of most of the guys who have been a part of Husker football.

Let me begin by reiterating that the reason so many of us are so frustrated is that we care so much. That concern is what sets Nebraska apart. I started my career at another institution where it is not nearly as rare to go five and six, and I’ve seen first hand how much more passion there is surrounding Husker football than almost every other program in the country. Sometimes I don’t think that some of the people in the program right now knew what they were getting themselves into when they signed up to come here. That leads me to my first major concern about what is happening at Memorial Stadium- the complete and intentional departure and detachment from anything that had to do with the way it was.

Let’s start with the people. We didn’t just get a new coaching staff two years ago, there was basically a house cleaning. So many of the people in South stadium who made Nebraska what it was either left or were forced to leave that many of us as former players do not even feel comfortable coming around the campus anymore. That’s a shame. It was commonplace when I was playing to have ex-players like Cory Schlessinger, Tyrone Williams, and Will Shields come to meetings or compete against us in passing league. Now, most guys don’t even know who to call if they want to watch a practice. I know they kept Coach Gill around when they brought in the new staff and he was a link to the past, but he moved on. Jimmy Williams and Marvin Sanders weren’t asked to return. Their excellent coaching abilities aside, it sure would be nice to have someone like them on the staff that is familiar with the traditions of Nebraska football.

It isn’t just university employees either, it’s also the players. When we won the national championship in 1997, nine out of our eleven starters on offense were from the state of Nebraska. We had a system in place that was able to organize and develop more athletes, therefore there were more players on a Nebraska practice field than most schools normally have. A great number of those players were walk-ons from the state of Nebraska who would give their heart and soul for the football team. Not only did that create a team that cared more about winning, it also made for a huge amount of caring and involvement throughout the state. When you live in a town like Funk, Nebraska, and you know Kyle Larson personally, it generates a sense of pride in our state for a program that could take boys from our own hometowns and develop them into players who could compete with and beat anyone. I’m all for going to California and Florida to recruit great players. Heaven knows we need guys like Marlon Lucky and Harrison Beck to make us better, but I also wish we wouldn’t stop making the effort to bring home-grown athletes along as Huskers.

If you want more proof about the complete overhaul of Nebraska football, look at some of the small things. Why after so many years did “Husker Power” fail to be a worthy slogan for our team? Now it’s “the power of red”. Why did the program where the coaches went to Lincoln, Omaha, and a town out west to show loyal fans the game film end? Talk about a way to help keep fans interested and loyal (fundraising!). Even Herbie Husker got an overhaul from blonde to brunette. It almost feels like anything that symbolizes or relates to the Huskers of Devaney, Osborne, and Solich was simply not good enough anymore.

That leads me to the next major concern that I have right now-its character. I’m not making this point to attack or demean anyone. I just know the kind of character that people throughout the program used to have. It all started with Tom Osborne. The man simply has more honor and integrity than anyone I have ever known. When he knew something was right, he did it. When he knew something was wrong, he always stayed away. I never once got cursed at by a Nebraska coach on the football field. Our coaches had a biblical devotional every morning before they started their meetings. Tom would never promise a recruit playing time, he would simply tell them that they would get a fair opportunity to show what they could do. The best complement that you could get from him is that you were “a pretty good player”. He’s the kind of guy that could lead a group of people to accomplish the absolute most that they were capable of accomplishing.

The character didn’t just end with Tom either. Ron Brown and Turner Gill are two of the best people I know. Milt Tenopir was like a father to most of the guys who played for him. The relationship that Charlie had with most of his guys, while slightly different, was wonderful. It was like a big family, and that environment made us all want to work harder and succeed that much more. We simply did things better and cleaner at the University of Nebraska than they did it anywhere else. There was an element of class about the program that was the envy of every other college football team.

I want to become a college football coach, and I plan on looking for a place to start a career in that field after this season is over. A few months ago I told Ron Brown that I wanted to coach. His advice to me was that if I was getting into coaching just to try to win games and be around football, then it wasn’t worth it. It would drive me crazy and the hours wouldn’t be justified. If I was going to coach on the other hand, with my primary goal being to try and impact the lives of the guys that you work with than the job could be more rewarding than almost anything else I could do. I’m paraphrasing a little bit, but you get the point. I really think that for most of the staff, winning was a goal that was secondary to shaping us as players into good men. I’m not saying things are different now, I don’t know. I would just hate to see us become like everybody else in college football. We have always been special, and I hope we always will be.

Building on that point, I would like to add this. It is not fair to be calling for the firing of any of our coaches right now. Everyone is entitled to their opinions about how things are going on the field, but we owe these guys a fair chance to get things turned around. If I was a coach that took over a program like Nebraska I would feel like I deserved at least three or four years to fully integrate my philosophies and tactics as a coach and leader. Granted there probably needs to be signs of improvement along the way, but it’s not fair to be talking about a change right now. It also doesn’t make sense to be firing so many arrows at the staff in the middle of the season. These guys have a job to do, and the fewer distractions they have, the better they will perform. On top of that, we don’t want the players feeling like they are in the midst of a firestorm. We don’t want them worried that they might have a new coach in a year or two or three. I have heard rumors that some of our vaunted freshmen are kicking around the idea of transferring. We can’t lose these kids. Whoever is coaching needs talented players. There is a time and a place for everything. If things haven’t improved by the end of the ’06 season then maybe people should voice their opinions on who is the right person to lead our program, but not right now. Now is the time that we should be supporting our team and our players so that they understand that they are a part of something special.

People always ask me what I think about the West Coast Offense. I simply say this. They are going to have to prove to me that it is the best way to win in Lincoln, Nebraska before I believe it. I’m not saying it can’t work. There are all sorts of different kinds of offensive systems that work in college football; everything from Utah’s spread offense to USC’s west coast, to Air Force’s option attack. If you have the right players and you coach your system well, most offenses can be successful. You can’t argue with the success that the WCO has had at both the collegiate and professional levels. It can work, but the jury is still out as to whether it will work here. On the other hand, I hear people arguing that a running and or option attack like the one we used to run is outdated and won’t work anymore. Let me tell you something- not that much has changed since the mid-nineties. The athletes are not that much bigger and stronger. Einstein didn’t come back to life and invent a defense that can stop a properly run belly option. Like I said, any system can work if you teach the right players the right way. That being said, there were reasons why Tom Osborne ran the system that he did (reference my blog from 9/14). You don’t have to throw the ball every down to win. You don’t have to run it every down either, but some kind of running game sure would help.


Finally, my biggest frustration as a former player is the way in which some decisions have been made by the administration as well as the way some things have been handled. It is hard for me to comment on some of these situations because I have heard most of the stories second and third hand, but there are a few things I feel alright talking about. The first is the dismissal of the old coaching staff. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I know that some of those people were not treated very well and not given a fair chance. There were a lot of Nebraskans who wanted to see a change in the coaching staff when Frank was in charge. Whether you wanted a change or not, you have to agree that those guys deserved to be treated with respect and they deserved to have the administration be up front with them. From letters slipped under doors to pointless and insincere interviews, the whole process seemed to be devious and harmful to a lot of people that many of us as former players are loyal to.

After the firing of these people, the search for a new coach began. It was this process that left many of us confused and agitated, because it was done solely and completely by one man. Most major programs, when they hire a new coach, will put together a search committee. There are people who are loyal to our program who would have been tremendous resources in the selection process. I would have loved to have seen a committee made up of gentlemen such as Tom Osborne, Charlie McBride, Monte Kiffin, Ahman Green, Grant Wistrom, Mike Minter, Barry Alvarez, and Al Papik help identify the best candidate to take over our program. I guarantee that when Notre Dame picked a new head coach last year, more than one person was in on the decision. It’s just hard for me to believe that someone who probably couldn’t draw up an over front or and under front is the best person to pick a football coach. I actually think that things could have ended up worse, especially when you consider some of the other coaches that were rumored to have planes waiting at their local airports.

The decision was made; our program is headed in a completely new direction. Now we all have to deal with it. All of us, including the administration. If those guys get things turned around and we start winning games and championships than everyone will look like a genius. If things don’t turn around, then we all know where the majority of the criticism will be directed. I know as a quarterback that when the team did well, I got a lot more praise than I deserved. When the team didn’t do well, far more than my rightful share of the blame fell on my shoulders. It goes with the territory. Steve Pedersen brought that on himself when he was so cavalier in making these tough decisions. Right or wrong, hero or villain, he took a big risk and painted himself into a tight corner. Time will tell how everyone is viewed in the history of our program.

I know I am not the only one who feels this way about all of these issues. Most of the guys that I played with are more vocal than I am about many of these things. It isn’t just former players either. I know the stadium project hasn’t raised all of the money that they need yet. There are several people, and most of us know who they are, who could write a check tomorrow to have the whole facility finished. They’re not doing it because they are not happy with the state of affairs at South Stadium. I love Nebraska football. I love the state of Nebraska. I long for the days when the characteristics of the team we put on the field on Saturdays exemplified the characteristics of the hard working people of our state. We used to have the Taj mahal of college football programs. Now it feels like someone took 40 tons of dynamite to our proud and noble masterpiece and built a three bedroom ranch in its place. I’m not saying all of these things to be malicious or overly critical of anyone, but when it comes to a state institution, people have the right to be judgmental. I just want to share my opinions with all of the Husker fans out there who care as much about the program as I do.

Jesus. Chatty Cathy much?
 
So you really think Vedral is better QB than McCaffery?

Didn’t see that last year with him knowing that offense inside and out..:rolleyes:
I don't know, but I think Vedral would have been great to keep around to back up Luke if he wasn't better. As it stands right now, the only person with a lot of experience is the guy that can't run it at tempo or effectively.
 
Vedral is a grad transfer, so what exactly was the alternative to "letting" him move on? Promise him the starting job, based on those legendary performances against Minnesota and Indiana?

Even if you've had it with Martinez, that seems like a huge stretch just to have something to bitch about. Why would you want Frost to promise Vedral the job over McCaffrey?
I never said that.. what is so hard to understand? in the article Scott muses how important the local guys are, but fast forward today, he is so blind that he protects the one guy with the confidence problem to the detriment of the entire team.

And when it counted.. when he needed it, Scott actually goes with Luke, who made the throw against Iowa to get us that touchdown. Then he goes back to mr low self confidence again.

That is what made no sense.

We lost a lot of guys that didn't want to be part of this BS again this year.
 
Am I the only one who scrolled down a bit just to see how long this post was, but after five seconds of solid scrolling (without getting to the bottom) decided not to even read a word of it?

No I didn’t read all of it either, Hell it was 15 years ago before he had his first assistant job as Linebacker Coach at Northern Iowa in 2007..o_O
 
I don't know, but I think Vedral would have been great to keep around to back up Luke if he wasn't better. As it stands right now, the only person with a lot of experience is the guy that can't run it at tempo or effectively.
When a guy wants to start and the cards don't look good in the present situation you move on and let him do his thing. What's Frost do? Promise him post game interviews if he stays to be a back up.
 
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it's all bs.. because he let the home town guy, who knows his system inside and out, move on to play at a competitor. Also let one of the best WR's in Husker history move on.. and no one can bemoan the character of the QB who has other guys do his workouts for him.. keep standing up for that kind of character guy, and say the other BS, and pretty soon everyone sees what you're saying is just garbage Scott.
Nikki, if Vedral was so dang good how come he couldn’t hold onto the starting spot? It’s not like he didn’t have a few cracks at it when 2AM went down. When Vedral stepped in he had some decent showing but it wasn’t anything that said he needed to keep the position. What’s more concerning about your posts now is that you’re showing that same angst towards frost as you do 2AM... I obviously don’t know the future so I couldn’t tell you how Frost will turn out, but I will say I will continue to back him and hope he pulls it out, the guy has very good mentors and based off what I just read his vision lines up with what we like to see at UNL... give him time and let this play out before we start chasing him off with our pitchforks as well
 
I like seeing glimpses of where Scott’s mind was in 2005 compared to 15 years later now and seeing him in the position he’s in to resurrect the downfall of the past 15 years.
I’m very very happy Scott Frost is our coach. I just really hope he can bring the success back.
 
I never said that.. what is so hard to understand? in the article Scott muses how important the local guys are, but fast forward today, he is so blind that he protects the one guy with the confidence problem to the detriment of the entire team.

And when it counted.. when he needed it, Scott actually goes with Luke, who made the throw against Iowa to get us that touchdown. Then he goes back to mr low self confidence again.

That is what made no sense.

We lost a lot of guys that didn't want to be part of this BS again this year.
I wish Frost would have stayed with McCaffrey in the Iowa game too. Tell me again how that would have resulted in Vedral staying?
 
it's all bs.. because he let the home town guy, who knows his system inside and out, move on to play at a competitor. Also let one of the best WR's in Husker history move on.. and no one can bemoan the character of the QB who has other guys do his workouts for him.. keep standing up for that kind of character guy, and say the other BS, and pretty soon everyone sees what you're saying is just garbage Scott.
Totally disagree. Vedral wants to play and the coaches believe we have 2 better options. It’s not like Vedral didn’t get any chances to win the job and give Frost no other choices. Did you miss Minnesota spanking and Indiana loss at home? And you show nothing but ignorance commenting about Spielman. There is a lot we don’t know about this situation but can guarantee Frost didn’t just let him “ move on”. If you don’t want to be here don’t be a cancer in the locker room. Move on. Pretty damn sure Spielman wanted out for some reason come hell or high water.
 
Vedral moving on made all kinds of sense for him. I am a little concerned on why Spielman would leave, I guess he just got sick of having the crap beat out of him and having his "bell rung". Maybe it was physical health issue. Surprised about TCU as well, if true.
 
Scott was full of crap back then. Maybe he should have gotten behind Cally and given him more time. You could say the same for Riley (but I won't :D). We've always said that lack of talent or not having "your" players is just an excuse. Time for everyone to stop giving Frost a pass on 4/5 win seasons. It's not acceptable regardless of the excuses.

But I am not on the hate train. The fact is that Frost just needs to win. He'll get time to build the program, but it would help if he'd win games he's supposed to win and not find ways to lose. If he fixes his mindset, keeps on recruiting these top ranked classes and plays his best players, he'll be safe for years to come. I think Nikki would come unglued if we won only 5 games this year!
 
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I remember this and harshly criticized it back then, and still think it was a mistake for him to write. But it's irrelevant now, and my opinion of him has absolutely nothing to do with it. Why somebody would bring this up now is beyond me.
 
I remember this and harshly criticized it back then, and still think it was a mistake for him to write. But it's irrelevant now, and my opinion of him has absolutely nothing to do with it. Why somebody would bring this up now is beyond me.
OP has 252 posts and started his account in 2010... why he would bring it up is for trolling purposes, if you ask me.
 
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I remember this and harshly criticized it back then, and still think it was a mistake for him to write. But it's irrelevant now, and my opinion of him has absolutely nothing to do with it. Why somebody would bring this up now is beyond me.


Thats our society now. Every thing you have ever said, written or done. Every person with whom you have associated. It all bites you in the ass in the end. Cancel culture.
 
Waiting for a winning record? God forbid Riley was an alum, he would still be coaching here. Put up or shut up. Start winning.
 
And let's make this clear. Vedral would be serviceable for South Dakota St or someone of that caliber. The big boys? C'mon now...
 
Nikki, if Vedral was so dang good how come he couldn’t hold onto the starting spot? It’s not like he didn’t have a few cracks at it when 2AM went down. When Vedral stepped in he had some decent showing but it wasn’t anything that said he needed to keep the position. What’s more concerning about your posts now is that you’re showing that same angst towards frost as you do 2AM... I obviously don’t know the future so I couldn’t tell you how Frost will turn out, but I will say I will continue to back him and hope he pulls it out, the guy has very good mentors and based off what I just read his vision lines up with what we like to see at UNL... give him time and let this play out before we start chasing him off with our pitchforks as well
You can't just throw a guy in the starting spot, in the middle of the season, for a game or two, and expect instant results. There is an entire leadership component to a team and also a physical component to QB and skill players where they develop timing together and all sorts of nuances.

You could easily see how the tempo looked drastically different. That part was immediately visible with Vedral in there.

I absolutely believe, if Vedral had been the starter from spring ball all through last year, we would have absolutely won more games.

The self confidence issue with the current QB bled over to the rest of the team, with now others questioning their own abilities and the whole ship started sinking, all because a weak leader was left in charge of the team. That is on the coaching staff.

It shouldn't be concerning at all, because while I blamed the player the first 2 years, and I have gotten so much shit for it, I am now going to blame the coach, because of all people, he should understand what is going on. He's the person deciding who is playing and who are the leaders.

Now you have to read between the lines, but we had a lot of players leave.. all sorts of official answers were given, but I really believe it had more to do with not wanting to be part of the shit show again that was last year.

In life, you are as successful as the people you surround yourself with. Don't hang around losers, because that sort of stuff wears off. I think the same is true for athletics. Why would any player risk their window, being on a team led by a guy who is in over his head?

I absolutely think a guy like Adrian would make a great friend and counselor.. but I would not want to go to war with that guy. At that is what leadership is like on a football team. You HAVE to KNOW and BELIEVE that guy is going to be able to get it done when you need it. Even as a fan, you can't tell me you know or believe, because he has failed those challenges so many times. Meeting them would be the exception, not the rule.

This is why this is on the coach now. You had a team where self confidence issues became like a cancer last year, all stemming from ONE guy. That ONE guy, was actually a CANCER to the team in my opinion. He caused all sorts of damage, without even meaning to do that, but it's the coach's fault for putting him in that position in the first place.

Why would any coach do that? One that sees the absolute athletic gifts that he never had. Scott see those, and salivates at it.. the things Martinez can do, and is capable of, but is too blind to see that the mentality is not there. Having talent alone is not enough. You have to have an ultra competitive mindset to be a big time football player and the privilege to lead and QB a team.

Anyway, in my mind, we haven't seen a coach building a team.. we've witnessed a coach so stubborn as to see his choices leading to the team falling apart around him the last two years, and not understanding how to re-evaluate his approach or his unwillingness to do so.
 
You can't just throw a guy in the starting spot, in the middle of the season, for a game or two, and expect instant results. There is an entire leadership component to a team and also a physical component to QB and skill players where they develop timing together and all sorts of nuances.

You could easily see how the tempo looked drastically different. That part was immediately visible with Vedral in there.

I absolutely believe, if Vedral had been the starter from spring ball all through last year, we would have absolutely won more games.

The self confidence issue with the current QB bled over to the rest of the team, with now others questioning their own abilities and the whole ship started sinking, all because a weak leader was left in charge of the team. That is on the coaching staff.

It shouldn't be concerning at all, because while I blamed the player the first 2 years, and I have gotten so much shit for it, I am now going to blame the coach, because of all people, he should understand what is going on. He's the person deciding who is playing and who are the leaders.

Now you have to read between the lines, but we had a lot of players leave.. all sorts of official answers were given, but I really believe it had more to do with not wanting to be part of the shit show again that was last year.

In life, you are as successful as the people you surround yourself with. Don't hang around losers, because that sort of stuff wears off. I think the same is true for athletics. Why would any player risk their window, being on a team led by a guy who is in over his head?

I absolutely think a guy like Adrian would make a great friend and counselor.. but I would not want to go to war with that guy. At that is what leadership is like on a football team. You HAVE to KNOW and BELIEVE that guy is going to be able to get it done when you need it. Even as a fan, you can't tell me you know or believe, because he has failed those challenges so many times. Meeting them would be the exception, not the rule.

This is why this is on the coach now. You had a team where self confidence issues became like a cancer last year, all stemming from ONE guy. That ONE guy, was actually a CANCER to the team in my opinion. He caused all sorts of damage, without even meaning to do that, but it's the coach's fault for putting him in that position in the first place.

Why would any coach do that? One that sees the absolute athletic gifts that he never had. Scott see those, and salivates at it.. the things Martinez can do, and is capable of, but is too blind to see that the mentality is not there. Having talent alone is not enough. You have to have an ultra competitive mindset to be a big time football player and the privilege to lead and QB a team.

Anyway, in my mind, we haven't seen a coach building a team.. we've witnessed a coach so stubborn as to see his choices leading to the team falling apart around him the last two years, and not understanding how to re-evaluate his approach or his unwillingness to do so.
I’ll admit that I didn’t make it past your first sentence before I could tell where this whole thing was going... but let me ask you this... hasn’t it happened to multiple QBs in the NFL and college where a QB was injured and the back up came in and was good enough to hold onto the job? I mean two examples off the top of my head is Kurt Warner and Tom Brady. If a head coach sees enough in those two games to warrant another start they will do it, and the coach will keep riding that QB until he feels like he doesn’t provide them with the best chance to win... I’m not saying Vedral was garbage, I think he was a good back up and ran the system admirably but he doesn’t/ couldn’t provide the same skill set as 2AM or McCaffrey and thats why he was relegated to backup status and would have been pushed to third string this year

edit:

Ok after reading through your post you do make some valid points where I can agree with you. I will agree that you have to have the mental makeup to match the potential skill set other wise it’s all wasted. It was obvious last year something was off with 2AM and maybe the 2AM we seen hi s freshman year will never come back, but I’d also say I would have had confidence issues with that OL last year as well, I would have doubted if my body would hold up especially if I had injury issues like 2AM. I also agree that if those same confidence issues plague 2AM this year that will be on coach Frost to pull the plug.

During your rant you also covered a few reasons why Frost never did pull the plug, but as you said, you have to read between the lines. There is timing issues, camaraderie and the overall are you willing to got to battle for this guy. There were a lot of issues last year and no not all of them stemmed from 2AM and Frost knew that and wasn’t going to penalize his starter for everyone’s mistakes... Now yes we are getting far enough into Frost’s tenure here that we should and will start holding him more accountable for everything. I understand what he was doing and I can see it, he has been stubborn but for good cause. He has been building depth, he didn’t burn McCaffrey’s red shirt last year so that gives him at a minimum two years to start for us, and he has been playing the slow game, redshirting everyone he can unless they are a complete game changer... this rebuild was always going to take time, now hopefully we can see the fruits of it all coming out...
 
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Scott was full of crap back then. Maybe he should have gotten behind Cally and given him more time. You could say the same for Riley (but I won't :D). We've always said that lack of talent or not having "your" players is just an excuse. Time for everyone to stop giving Frost a pass on 4/5 win seasons. It's not acceptable regardless of the excuses.

But I am not on the hate train. The fact is that Frost just needs to win. He'll get time to build the program, but it would help if he'd win games he's supposed to win and not find ways to lose. If he fixes his mindset, keeps on recruiting these top ranked classes and plays his best players, he'll be safe for years to come. I think Nikki would come unglued if we won only 5 games this year!
Too late.
 
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