While the rest of y'all were wondering whether Andrus Peat was going to pick Nebraska, I was busy talking to some guy from Cozad, Nebraska who's set to become a first round NFL draft pick in April.

Jared Crick is working out with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) during Super Bowl week to learn more about fueling and nutrition and how it affects athletic performance. If you'll remember, a couple years ago, a certain defensive lineman from Nebraska went through the same thing that Crick is going through now.

Given that that my interview was conducted with Crick on National Signing Day, it should be noted that Crick wasn't highly ranked coming out of high school, yet, here he is, preparing to play on Sundays.

Continue reading this post »

The NFL is all-abuzz this week with talk about Ndamukong Suh being "dirty" (again). This week Suh is alleged to have taunted Atlanta's Matt Ryan while Ryan was injured.

This isn't the first time the subject has come up. It's an ongoing discussion that began before the NFL regular season, largely because of Suh's aggressive hits on quarterbacks.

Jason Whitlock implies it's because Suh is a beast who can't get out all his aggression in practice, so it's boiling over on the playing field (I feel guilty linking to his article because it belongs in a toilet. A real toilet, not a virtual one. Print it out, throw it in the toilet. You'll feel better.)  

Continue reading this post »

Accuracy

Accuracy

Accuracy

Accuracy 

Henery finished his college career as the most accurate kicker in the history of NCAA football.

He was selected as a first-team All-American by the AP, Rivals.com, CBSSports.com, and SI.com last season.

Continue reading this post »

I've heard estimates that as many as ten Huskers could go in today's final rounds of the NFL Draft. We certainly expect to see Roy Helu, Jr. and Niles Paul go fairly early, then the waiting game begins. Eric Hagg and Dejon Gomes? Probably.  Alex Henery? Pretty sure.

Then there are some x-factors.  Ricky Henry?  In the cards. Not to mention some backups that have gotten some speculation.  Adi Kunalic's big leg might be enticing to an NFL team with the new kickoff rules. And don't dismiss Zac Lee either. If his arm is healed, his skill set might mesh better with pro offenses than what he was asked to do at Nebraska his last two years.

We'll keep this thread updated throughout the day. We'll treat it like a game thread!

• Washington trades up to nab IB Roy Helu, Jr. in the fourth round with the 105th pick.
• Philadelphia grabs K/P Alex Henery in the fourth round with the 120th pick.
• Washington picks S Dejon Gomes in the fifth round with the 146th pick.
• Washington (who else!) picks WR Niles Paul, also in the fifth round, with the 155th pick.
• Pittsburgh picks OG Keith Williams in the sixth round with the 196th pick.
• Cleveland picks S Eric Hagg in the seventh round with the 248th pick.
  

The seven Huskers drafted is the highest total since 2001, when seven also were selected.  This was the 42nd straight year that at least three Huskers were drafted.

The New York Giants selected Prince Amukamara with the 19th pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Congratulations!

Giants fans are probably wondering about the guy they just picked. After watching him play for the past few years, Nebraska fans can give you some insight. And if that isn't enough, head over to the SB Nation NY Giants site Big Blue View for more.

Continue reading this post »

The NFL Draft starts tonight, and for the second straight year in a row, Husker fans will be waiting to see where a Nebraska player goes in the first round. Cornerback Prince Amukamara, last season's Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, is slated to be picked within the top ten of the first round.

Amukamara is not the highest rated cornerback in the draft. That honor goes to LSU's Chris Peterson. Nonetheless, Amukamara, otherwise known as HRH Royal Cover Cornerback of the Most Noble Order Of The Blackshirts, will be doing fine with whatever amount of dollars the NFL can throw at a first-round pick. 

Many of the NFL Mock Drafts  have Amukamara going seventh overall to the San Francisco 49ers. Out of 384 (or so) Mock Drafts, the majority see Chris Peterson sliding to seventh with Amukamara sliding past the eighth position. 

Continue reading this post »

Nebraska's Roy Helu, Jr. had a helluva career with the Huskers by the time he was done. Helu finished fourth in career rushing with 3,404 yards. His 2010 season total, 1,245 yards, was the second-best ever for a senior running back, and he set a single game rushing record of 307 yards against Missouri, scoring three touchdowns all of which were at least 53 yards. 

New Era Scouting's 2011 NFL Mock Draft (see the link below) has Helu going in the fifth round to the Chicago Bears, while the SB Nation Mock Draft, conducted by SB Nation NFL sites, had him going in the fifth round to the Indianapolis Colts. 

Continue reading this post »

 Want a good idea of how much respect kickers will get in the 2011 NFL Draft? 

Danny O' Neil from the Seattle Times makes it clear in an article that purports to list the top-ranked offensive linemen AND kickers. You get a treat of five linemen and a kicker. The kicker isn't Alex Henery, it's Lou Groza Award winner Kai Forbath from UCLA, of which O' Neil states: 

Won the 2010 Lou Groza award as the nation's top kicker, and made 84.1 percent of his field-goal attempts the past four years.    

And here I thought that Dan Bailey of Oklahoma State won the 2010 Lou Groza Award. Maybe those Lou Groza people ought to change their web site. 

Continue reading this post »