Pro Bowlers Inspire Recruiting, Trigger Dreams

Huskers Tied for Fourth in 2016 Super Bowl Selections

2016 NFL Pro Bowlers with Nebraska Ties:

Josh Brown New York Giants Placekicker

Lavonte David Tampa Bay Bucs Linebacker

Richie Incognito Buffalo Bills Offensive Guard

Sam Koch Baltimore Ravens Punter

2016 Pro Bowl: Sunday, 6 p.m. (CT) Aloha Stadium, Honolulu

Randy York N-Sider

Official Blog of the Huskers

Four 2016 NFL Pro Bowl selections with Nebraska ties helped Husker football hit the daily double for Sunday’s ESPN nationally televised game beginning at 6 p.m. (CT) in Honolulu.

First, Nebraska’s rich NFL heritage has been reinforced to inspire recruiting. Second, two current Huskers – placekicker Drew Brown and punter Sam Foltz – will be watching every kick and punt from two former Huskers who recently made their first Pro Bowl – New York Giants’ placekicker Josh Brown and Baltimore Ravens’ punter Sam Koch.

Brown, Foltz Can Relate to Specialists, Continue to Dream about the NFL

Brown (No. 34 above with Foltz) responded immediately when I asked him Friday if he planned to watch Sunday's Pro Bowl. "I'll be watching Josh (no relation), Sam, Richie, and Lavonte Sunday because those guys show what it takes to be successful in the NFL. Two are specialists that I can relate to," Brown told me. "I like to watch the pros do what they do best and try my best to model my game and my work ethic after theirs.

"There's no doubt that I have dreams to be in the NFL someday so all of my hard work year-round can pay off," Drew said. "I mostly use what my brother Kris (Brown)has taught me and passed on to me, so I can be able to reach the highest level of my craft. I'll be watching with Sam and Jordan Ober, along with our teammates. We work our butts off in the weight room, practice field and game field, and the classroom everyday to reach our fullest potential. I want to be like Kris someday, and coming here and performing my best is a start, but I will continue to work my hardest everyday to achieve what he did."

Foltz is equally excided about watching Koch showcase his talent punting. "I'll be watching and paying close attention to all four Huskers playing, but I will focus more on the specialist and the play of Sam and Josh." he told me. "Like Drew, I dream of playing in the NFL after my college days are over. I believe I have the talent and the work ethic to make that dream a reality. Working with Sam this summer only made me that much more confident in fulfilling that lifelong dream. That goal is always in my head and that's what drives me everyday. I want to be one of the 32 best punters in the world and that's what I strive for every morning when I wake up. To me, everyday is one step closer and you're either getting better or you're getting worse. So I always put one foot in front of the other and keep moving onward and upward."

Director of Football Operations Constantly Selling Huskers' NFL Success

Andy Vaughn is Nebraska’s Director of Football & Recruiting Operations. Since his arrival a year ago, he has constantly upgraded Nebraska’s NFL pictures that line the hallway on the football office’s second floor inside Memorial Stadium. Vaughn believes strongly that Nebraska’s NFL history is rich and relevant. Nebraska started this season with 24 former Huskers on NFL rosters. Nebraska's 353 NFL Draft picks rank fifth all-time and 34 former Husker players lasted at least 10 years in the NFL.

“I believe it’s very important for our current players and recruits to constantly be reminded of the success Nebraska players have had transitioning into the NFL,” Vaughn told me Friday. “Our staff can tell the story over and over, but kids need to see proof, and the NFL displays around the football office are an easy way to tell that story in an impactful and effective way that resonates with our main demographic.

“The visual evidence also reinforces Coach Riley’s vision that Nebraska is the ultimate training location for a student-athlete and Nebraska is the best place to train for life, plus a strong emphasis that includes academics, personal development and professional success in the business world and in the NFL."

Nebraska's NFL Displays are Designed to Catch the Human Eye First 

Since football recruits hang out on Nebraska’s second-floor football home, I asked Vaughn Friday why the NFL displays are so important to college recruiting. “The location of the current NFL display makes it one of the first things visitors see when they enter our facility,” he pointed out. “It’s also located right outside of the players’ lounge so our current guys see it every day. They can look up and see guys they played with while at Nebraska having success in the NFL.

“It’s also a reminder that if they put in the work, they have the opportunity to achieve those same goals,” Vaughn said. “Recruits all watch ESPN and play fantasy football. They know who produces in the NFL, so when they look up and see Lavonte David and Ndamukong Suh on our wall, the connection is there. 

“The type of student-athletes we want to recruit here are self-motivated, driven, competitive and focused individuals that want to be successful in all aspects of life and they know what they want in the future,” Vaughn said. “We want guys that will excel in the classroom just as much as they want to excel on the field. When you recruit that type of guy, he should naturally have aspirations of playing on Sundays. Showing them former Cornhuskers that accomplished the things they want to accomplish only reinforces that Nebraska is the best place to achieve all your goals...if you are willing to put in the work.” 

Three Huskers Express Excitement for First Pro Bowl:

Josh Brown (pictured above): “It’s great to be recognized. It’s humbling. You kind of just have to wait and see, but it feels very good to be recognized.”

Lavonte David (pictured above): "It's an opportunity of a lifetime to get to Hawaii and have my family come out and support me and be there with a lot of great athletes.”

Sam Koch (pictured above): "This has definitely been a long time in the making. This is a very surreal and exciting moment for my family and me. I can’t wait to represent the Ravens.”

 

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Flashback: Lavonte’s Defining Moment

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