Dorsey-Like Collins Earns Team?s Top Honor

Randy York’s N-Sider

Thursday, one of Nebraska’s most talented players transitioned from relative obscurity to a centerpiece of respect from his head coach.  “Maliek Collins reminds me of a player I coached at LSU big time,” Bo Pelini told the media after Thursday’s practice, admitting that his definitive statement is “high praise because Glenn Dorsey was a heckuva player…Maliek reminds me a lot of Dorsey…except he’s bigger.”

Pelini was LSU’s defensive coordinator when Dorsey played on the Tigers’ 2007 national championship team.  Dorsey not only was a two-time first-team All-American, but also won the Lombardi, Lott, Nagurski and Outland Awards.  The month before LSU won its national title, Pelini accepted Tom Osborne’s offer to become Nebraska’s head coach.  NU’s former director of athletics approved Pelini’s desire to return to Baton Rouge to help LSU, coached by Les Miles, win the national title.  I met Dorsey in Omaha when he received his Outland Trophy Award.  "I'm just grateful I had the opportunity to play for Coach Pelini," Dorsey said at the time.  "He's done tremendous things for me.  Without a doubt, he's made me the player I am.  I just enjoy the way he coaches and being around him."  Dorsey praised Pelini's propensity for intensity and said his former defensive coordinator simplified a system that built the foundation for LSU's 2007 national championship. Dorsey, now a nose tackle for the San Francisco 49ers, underwent surgery for a torn bicep in August and is expected to return to the lineup in late November or early December.

Collins Named Defensive Player of the Game

A 6-foot-2, 300-pound sophomore defensive tackle from Kansas City, Mo., Collins was named Defensive Player of the Game after Nebraska beat Rutgers, 42-24 last Saturday in Lincoln.  He was credited with seven tackles, trailing only linebacker Zaire Anderson’s 11 stops. Collins not only recorded a sack, but finished the game with three tackles that resulted in eight yards of losses.  Teammate and fellow defensive lineman Kevin Williams was not surprised to see Collins so simultaneously efficient and effective.

“He’s an exciting player, and I feel like we kind of complement each other,” Williams said of Collins.  “I feel like all four of us complement each other, especially with Randy (Gregory) as well. With a lot of teams turning their protection towards Randy and trying to scheme against him, that leaves us open a lot.  Whoever has a one-on-one, whoever is open has been stepping up and making plays.”

Bo: Collins is Big, Explosive and Really Talented

Saturday was the perfect time for Collins to elevate his play and status at the same time.  “We thought Maliek was really talented right from the get-go,” Pelini said.  “He’s a guy who wrestled. He was a big, explosive, talented athlete who was raw, which most guys are at that age. I thought there was a very high end to him. We don’t hit a lot of things right, but we hit that one right. I think he’s really talented … a really good player right now…he can become a great player.”

As a prospective recruit, Collins flew under the radar at Kansas City’s Center High School, but Nebraska was dialed into his athleticism early on.  “Sometimes it’s the area of the country you’re in.  He came from a school that wasn’t known as a football powerhouse.  Coach (John) Garrison does a great job doing his homework down there in the Kansas City area.  He identified him. It didn’t take very long for us to watch the film and say, ‘Wow, this guy is pretty special.’ All you have to do is look at the draft across the country year after year. It doesn’t really matter what you’re ranked (recruiting-wise).  There are a lot of good football players out there. You just have to do a good job identifying them.”

Abdullah, Bell Share Nebraska’s Offensive Honor

To the surprise of no one, Ameer Abdullah and Kenny Bell shared Nebraska’s Offensive Player of the Game honor in the Huskers’ win over Rutgers. Abdulla set Nebraska’s all-time single-game record with 341 all-purpose yards, including 225 rushing, 26 receiving and 90 on kick returns.  Bell also walked into the locker room with a milestone.  His six receptions boosted his career catches to 167, one more than Nate Swift, the previous school record-holder (2005-08).  Bell’s 2,473 receiving yards are within six yards of Johnny Rodgers’ school record 2,479 career receiving yards, so his first catch against Purdue Saturday would become a new all-time record.

"Every time I step on the field, whether its practice or a game, I'm always creating memories here," Abdullah said. "There are things I'm always going to remember coming here and playing for this great university, so definitely it's an honor set the record.  Not many people are blessed with that opportunity."  Like Abdullah, who passed two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin to rank No. 4 all-time in Big Ten Conference all-purpose yards, Bell felt a sense of joining elite company. “It's awesome,” he said.  “It's a great feeling, obviously, to be in the same breath as Nate Swift and Johnny Rodgers.”

Freshman Chris Jones Earns Special Teams Honor

With two legendary senior captains sharing the offensive Player of the Game honor and an up-and-coming sophomore lineman earning the defensive honor, who was Nebraska’s Special Team’s Player of the Game?  Glad you asked.  That honor went to Chris Jones, a 6-foot, 170-pound freshman defensive back from Sandalwood High School in Jacksonville, Fla.  Jones finished the game with a solo tackle and a high level of respect from the coaches who watch the film.  Interestingly, even though he had a number of scholarship offers. Jones only visited Nebraska and Purdue before deciding to become a Husker. 

Three Freshmen Scout Team Players Recognized

Nebraska also placed three Scout Team members on the Tunnel Walk wall for their extraordinary efforts to help the Huskers prepare for Rutgers.  They are: Thomas Connely, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound freshman from Kearney (Neb.) Catholic High School; Jerald Foster, a 6-foot-3 freshman defensive lineman from Southeast High School in Lincoln, Neb.; and Brady Pelzer, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound freshman wide receiver from Bellevue (Neb.) East.

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