Safety Matt O'Hanlon

Nebraska Football Weekly Press Conference
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009
Memorial Stadium - Lincoln, Neb.
Pre-Kansas

On if he ever dreamed of being named the National Player of the Week
“I don’t think I ever really imagined that. Coming in here I kind of just wanted to do my part and be a part of this tradition. I never really thought that all this stuff would come to me.”<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

On what made him think he could make it in Lincoln after transferring from South Dakota

“I really had no idea. I wanted to have a shot. I wanted to try and see what I could do. Luckily enough, I got my shot.”

 

On if there is still motivation to prove to past coaches that he can play at this level
“I don’t know if I really think about that too much. I know I really didn’t get a whole lot of playing time or any real snaps on defense while I was here the first two or three years. It wasn’t until Coach (Bo) Pelini stepped in here, and I got a chance to get some defensive reps.”

 

On if the adversity has made the present that much sweeter

“To have gone through all the things that I’ve gone through, it’s been a roller-coaster ride for sure. To have all those things that I’ve gone through makes this process even more worth it.”

 

On what triggered his transfer from South Dakota to Nebraska after just two weeks

“Knowing what Nebraska’s tradition was like and then going up there and seeing, not that it’s bad, it was just something that I didn’t necessarily want at the time. I wanted to come up here and be a part of this tradition and be a part of games like Nebraska-Oklahoma.”