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Nebraska Football
Weekly Press Conference
Monday, Oct. 19, 2020
Pre Ohio State
Press Conference Video
How do you guys go about dealing with all that is different between this season and seasons in the past?
“I definitely think a lot of players are ready to go. It's been a long time coming from last year to this year. I definitely can see it in people's eyes that they're ready to go out there and play Saturday. Hit somebody new. We've been hitting each other quite often now, so it would be good just to go out there Saturday and just hit somebody new and just run around and play football in a new stadium again.”
How has Nick Henrich been able to kind of transition to playing both positions and do you see him being a good long term fit as an outside linebacker?
“Nick is one of those guys, like I said last week, he loves being in the film room, loves just learning the defense, loves playing football. So playing inside linebacker, you have to know everyone's job. Know everyone’s responsibilities, when and where they need to be. I think it's picking up really fast because we work with outside linebackers every day. Two people are there right next to one another, so I think Nick is doing a great job at pass rushing, doing a great job at dropping back. I think it's pretty easy to him.”
What does it mean to you to be a captain?
“To be a captain means the world. Seeing my fellow teammates vote me, I was jaw dropped. Them thinking that I'm their role model and how to go about the program, how to get things done and get Nebraska back to what it was is just unbelievable. Something that I remember for the rest of my life. When they called my name, it took me a second to bring it all in and whatnot. But it was unbelievable. It was just a lot of guys here that it could have been. We have a lot of seniors that been also doing this for a long time, too. We got great characters on this team that are unbelievable guys that I go into the stadium with every day so it could have been a lot of people. So, hearing my name, it was a good one.”
Was there a point where during this uncertainty where you wondered if you were going to have a senior season?
“It was definitely a tough one. The highs and the lows, getting good news and next thing you know it’s bad news coming along. It was tough for the seniors. I know a lot of our guys were just like what a way to go out. Is eligibility going to be there? Are we going to get to play? Is there going to be fans for our last rodeo? So it was a tough one, but thankfully it all worked out that we get to play again in Memorial Stadium and play just Big Ten football again. It was tough for a little bit just working out and not knowing what's next and running and not knowing what's next. But thankfully we get to play football Saturday.”
What do you guys have to tighten up and lock down to slow Ohio State down?
“Ohio State does a good job. Justin Fields, their offensive line, running backs. They don't beat themselves. They do what they have to do. Everyone's doing their job. So I think if we just know our assignment or alignments and just go play football and just know what you have to do at the right time and where you need to be, I think it would be good.”
When did you feel like you really started developing as a leader and your footing here?
“As I got here, I signed with Coach Hughes as a defensive line coach. He wasn't here when I got here, so that was my first coaching change. I came in as a defensive end, kind of smaller size. I'm going up against all these big guys that are in the defensive line and then there's me, so kind of undersized a little bit. I used my speed for my advantage. But as I think back to it, I think coming in as a defensive lineman helped me very well pass rushing with my hands and whatnot. Being in the trenches helped me a lot. As they transitioned me to outside linebacker with the new coaching staff as going into outside, that was a whole other coaching staff that I was with and coaching in my position. Then comes along Coach Frost, so a lot of people bouncing around, but every single coach taught me a lot of different things. Football-wise and then being a man outside of football, so I can't thank them enough for everything they've done for me. Definitely just being a leader kind of came to me as I got comfortable with playing in the inside linebacker. Bouncing around a little bit, it's kind of hard because you're trying to learn the system, learn the scheme, learn your position. You can't really be a leader because you are still trying to learn. Just being in Barrett Ruud’s inside linebacker group for a little bit and going along in his situation. You had so many leaders in there. Mohamed Barry, and everybody else like that just doing a great job of showing you what a leader is. And I think I would say since being an inside linebacker is when I learned how to be a leader.
How were you picked to play inside linebacker?
“I remember I had a sit-down conversation and they were saying that they could see me excel on inside. So, I made that transition from outside to inside linebacker.”
NU Athletic Communications