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Nebraska...not feeling Frosty anymore

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  • recent DB commit Trai Mosley in coverage
    Grammar... The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you're nuts.

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    • Recruiting update..
      Grammar... The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you're nuts.

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      • By RON KANTOWSKI
        LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

        It was a little past 8 p.m. Sunday when a stream of family and friends and guys with soft middles who used to be Nebraska Cornhuskers and Oakland Raiders finally slowed to a trickle, and David Humm said he had been in the damn wheelchair for 15 years now.

        Humm, 61, was sitting up front in the Napa ballroom at the South Point, to the left of center. He was sipping a glass of wine that he held in his left hand.

        In the center of the room was a glass case containing the honorary Blackshirt he had received from the Husker Greats Foundation a little while earlier.

        To the right of center was a giant video screen, upon which a young Dave Humm was using his left hand, the one that now held the glass of white wine, to lead Nebraska to a rousing 40-6 victory over Notre Dame in the 1973 Orange Bowl.

        Look, there goes Dave Humm, flipping a 50-yard touchdown pass to the great Johnny Rodgers. There goes Humm completing 13 of 19 passes for 185 yards against the vaunted Fighting Irish defense. And there goes NBC showing Tom Clements (9-for-22, three INTs, 103 yards), the Notre Dame quarterback, again. Notre Dame bias has been around a long time.

        As for that Blackshirt thing: This is a tradition that began at Nebraska in the 1960s. At first it was just to distinguish the offensive players from the defensive players in practice. Eventually, only the best defensive players at Nebraska received Blackshirts.

        When Dave Humm was playing quarterback at Nebraska, Willie Harper, the stalwart defensive end, was a Blackshirt. And Rich Glover, the nose tackle who won the Outland Trophy.

        And so it was a pretty big deal for an offensive player, a quarterback no less, to receive a Nebraska Blackshirt. Even an honorary one.

        I saw Eric Crouch on Sunday night. Crouch has a Heisman Trophy. He does not, however, have a Nebraska Blackshirt.

        Dave Humm has been battling multiple sclerosis for 25 years, and he’s frail, but he never complains. He thinks he’s the luckiest man on the face of the earth, like Lou Gehrig.

        The Nebraska people said he’s tougher than any of the Blackshirts. Even Rich Glover. So that’s why they came to Las Vegas on Sunday, to present Dave Humm with a Blackshirt with a big No. 12 on it, his number, and also to hold a golf tournament in his honor Monday, because these NFL pensions for the older guys don’t pay squat.

        While Dave Humm was telling a reporter what a honor all of this was, and how humbled he was by the turnout, former teammates and even a former student manager or two kept coming up to tell a story and to wish him well.

        “Honorary Blackshirt, hell,” said a man whose middle didn’t appear as soft as the others. “He’s an honorary Black MAN.”

        This was Raymond Chester, who played tight end for the Raiders and Colts, two of the teams Humm played quarterback for in the pros (Buffalo was the other). Humm was wearing Chester’s shoes. Size 14s, black, with a high polish. Humm said he normally wears size 13s. He said he was honored to be wearing Ray Chester’s shoes.

        And so it went. People kept coming up to Dave Humm. Nebraska people. Oakland Raiders people. Dave Humm people. They shook his hand, they wished him well, they reminded him of an athletic feat performed on the field, or two performed away from it.

        Dave told one of the old Huskers, or one of the old Raiders, for after a while it was hard to tell without a program, that he still was doing the Raiders pregame show out of a studio in his Las Vegas home, and that Willie Harper’s daughter once was his boss.

        “Damn, how many kids did Willie have anyway?” one said.

        Dave Humm kept listening to these stories, and then he would get back to saying how humbled he was, how lucky he was to have had the life he has. To have been recruited by Bob Devaney and to have played for Dr. Tom Osborne and John Madden and Tom Flores, to have earned the respect of Al Davis, to have the two Super Bowl rings and the rest.

        And I said, yeah, he must have been pretty good, pretty tough to last nine years in the NFL where the average career lasts three years. And then Dave Humm corrected me. He said it was 10 years, and if I shortchanged him again, he was going to jump out of that damn wheelchair and whip my ass.

        Dave Humm introduced me to a pretty blond girl who was wearing a black miniskirt. His daughter Courtney, 23, had never seen him play football.

        While the older guys with the soft middles kept coming up, she sat at the next table, alone, looking up at the big screen at how big and strong her dad looked against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, and how handsome he was.
        Grammar... The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you're nuts.

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        • UNL is getting a new field..



          Grammar... The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you're nuts.

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          • recruiting discussion
            Grammar... The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you're nuts.

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            • UNL has new cleats..
              Grammar... The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you're nuts.

              Comment


              • sipple:

                Things I know and think I know:

                Tim Beck will receive a lot of the credit for Nebraska's successful recruitment of Zack Darlington. And rightfully so.

                Don't underestimate Bo Pelini's involvement.

                "Sometimes I read on those Husker message boards that Bo Pelini doesn't recruit well and this and that," said Richard Darlington, Zack's father and also his head coach at Apopka (Fla.) High School.

                "Let me tell you about Bo: He tells the truth," the elder Darlington said. "He's straight-up with people. I respect that. Most schools are a bunch of B.S. I don't want a bunch of bells and whistles and promises. That's not what it's about; it's about being real."

                Zack Darlington, who on Friday verbally committed to become part of Nebraska's class of 2014, is a three-star quarterback who turned down scholarship offers from Arizona, West Virginia, Ohio State and Virginia Tech, among others. He appears to be a fine fit for NU's fast-paced spread offense.

                During the recruiting process, he formed a strong bond with Beck, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

                Pelini, however, laid the groundwork for the quarterback's commitment with a surprise visit to Apopka High early in December, according to Richard Darlington.

                Pelini was in nearby Orlando for the College Football Awards Show. He never had met Richard Darlington but called him anyway to arrange a visit. Apopka was in the state semifinals and Pelini wanted to wish Darlington luck -- a nice goodwill gesture.

                Darlington also figured Pelini perhaps had designs on Martez Ivey, Apopka's 6-foot-5, 275-pound offensive guard, a certain top-100 player in the class of 2015.

                With Pelini on campus, coach Darlington seized an opportunity to show the Husker coach video of Zack.

                "That's kind of what got it all going," Richard Darlington said.

                Not a bad piece of recruiting by Pelini.

                You could say he merely was doing his job. But there were plenty of coaches in Orlando that week, and only one dialed up the Apopka head coach.

                "Coach Pelini got a quarterback out of it," Darlington said, "and he may end up getting one of the best linemen in the nation."

                Pelini has had his share of recruiting missteps at Nebraska, especially early on as head coach. The staff's "misses" in the 2010 class plague the defense to this day.

                However, Nebraska's class of 2013 is arguably Pelini's finest at NU. And the 2014 class suddenly looks solid, led by a fiery blond quarterback who seems to see eye-to-eye with Pelini philosophically. That's important in part because the younger Darlington now becomes a key recruiter for the 2014 class.

                "When the process started to get serious with a few schools, I just prayed for Zack to be able to discern who was telling him the truth and where God wanted him to be," Richard Darlington said.

                "Now he's more certain than ever he wants to go to Nebraska. I think a lot of it is because of coach Pelini and the way he's been about things. He's been very upfront. Zack likes that."

                Dad also feels very comfortable.

                "Zack may someday become the starting quarterback at Nebraska. Or maybe he won't," Richard Darlington said. "But it's bigger than that. No matter what happens, I believe they still care about him."

                * Johnny Manziel is Exhibit A for why it's completely in-bounds if a coach decides to ban his players from Twitter.

                Spare me the free-speech argument. You don't have a constitutional right to play football for Texas A&M.

                Manziel wrote, "(Expletive) like tonight is a reason why I can't wait to leave College Station … whenever it may be."

                The Heisman-winning quarterback later deleted the tweet and responded with, "Don't ever forget that I love A&M with all of my heart, but please please walk a day in my shoes."

                Manziel is a fabulous player. But he's 20. He obviously lacks some emotional maturity, as do many young adults. His tweets have become a distraction to the team -- one that is completely unnecessary.

                * Nebraska's "Johnny Heisman" walked in Johnny Manziel's shoes, sort of. Johnny Rodgers won the Heisman in 1972, his senior season.

                "I had so many good things happening in college, and so many bad things, that I had attention all over the place," Rodgers said Tuesday. "I was just trying to get some good attention."

                He had gotten picked up for driving on a suspended license. And there also was the infamous gas-station incident.

                Thing is, "I get more attention now than I did then," he said. "Winning the Heisman was a big deal back then, but it wasn't like it is now. Now, it's a big, big deal."

                Manziel would back that notion.

                * The fact that folks keep asking me if Lincoln sports fans care much about the College World Series tells me a lot of Lincoln folks perhaps don't care all that much. I care. But the event's personality changed dramatically when it moved downtown to TD Ameritrade Park. The CWS feels awfully corporate nowadays.

                * My favorite John Melton quip occurred when Tom Osborne asked him why he always sits in the back of jetliners. "Have you ever seen one back into a mountain?" Melton answered. John was one of a kind.

                * Citing safety concerns for defenders, Bret Bielema, according to AL.com, is proposing a rule change that would mandate a 15-second substitution period after every first down. Somewhere Tim Beck just choked on his chewing tobacco.
                Grammar... The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you're nuts.

                Comment


                • sipple:

                  Things I know and think I know:

                  Tim Beck will receive a lot of the credit for Nebraska's successful recruitment of Zack Darlington. And rightfully so.

                  Don't underestimate Bo Pelini's involvement.

                  "Sometimes I read on those Husker message boards that Bo Pelini doesn't recruit well and this and that," said Richard Darlington, Zack's father and also his head coach at Apopka (Fla.) High School.

                  "Let me tell you about Bo: He tells the truth," the elder Darlington said. "He's straight-up with people. I respect that. Most schools are a bunch of B.S. I don't want a bunch of bells and whistles and promises. That's not what it's about; it's about being real."

                  Zack Darlington, who on Friday verbally committed to become part of Nebraska's class of 2014, is a three-star quarterback who turned down scholarship offers from Arizona, West Virginia, Ohio State and Virginia Tech, among others. He appears to be a fine fit for NU's fast-paced spread offense.

                  During the recruiting process, he formed a strong bond with Beck, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

                  Pelini, however, laid the groundwork for the quarterback's commitment with a surprise visit to Apopka High early in December, according to Richard Darlington.

                  Pelini was in nearby Orlando for the College Football Awards Show. He never had met Richard Darlington but called him anyway to arrange a visit. Apopka was in the state semifinals and Pelini wanted to wish Darlington luck -- a nice goodwill gesture.

                  Darlington also figured Pelini perhaps had designs on Martez Ivey, Apopka's 6-foot-5, 275-pound offensive guard, a certain top-100 player in the class of 2015.

                  With Pelini on campus, coach Darlington seized an opportunity to show the Husker coach video of Zack.

                  "That's kind of what got it all going," Richard Darlington said.

                  Not a bad piece of recruiting by Pelini.

                  You could say he merely was doing his job. But there were plenty of coaches in Orlando that week, and only one dialed up the Apopka head coach.

                  "Coach Pelini got a quarterback out of it," Darlington said, "and he may end up getting one of the best linemen in the nation."

                  Pelini has had his share of recruiting missteps at Nebraska, especially early on as head coach. The staff's "misses" in the 2010 class plague the defense to this day.

                  However, Nebraska's class of 2013 is arguably Pelini's finest at NU. And the 2014 class suddenly looks solid, led by a fiery blond quarterback who seems to see eye-to-eye with Pelini philosophically. That's important in part because the younger Darlington now becomes a key recruiter for the 2014 class.

                  "When the process started to get serious with a few schools, I just prayed for Zack to be able to discern who was telling him the truth and where God wanted him to be," Richard Darlington said.

                  "Now he's more certain than ever he wants to go to Nebraska. I think a lot of it is because of coach Pelini and the way he's been about things. He's been very upfront. Zack likes that."

                  Dad also feels very comfortable.

                  "Zack may someday become the starting quarterback at Nebraska. Or maybe he won't," Richard Darlington said. "But it's bigger than that. No matter what happens, I believe they still care about him."

                  * Johnny Manziel is Exhibit A for why it's completely in-bounds if a coach decides to ban his players from Twitter.

                  Spare me the free-speech argument. You don't have a constitutional right to play football for Texas A&M.

                  Manziel wrote, "(Expletive) like tonight is a reason why I can't wait to leave College Station ? whenever it may be."

                  The Heisman-winning quarterback later deleted the tweet and responded with, "Don't ever forget that I love A&M with all of my heart, but please please walk a day in my shoes."

                  Manziel is a fabulous player. But he's 20. He obviously lacks some emotional maturity, as do many young adults. His tweets have become a distraction to the team -- one that is completely unnecessary.

                  * Nebraska's "Johnny Heisman" walked in Johnny Manziel's shoes, sort of. Johnny Rodgers won the Heisman in 1972, his senior season.

                  "I had so many good things happening in college, and so many bad things, that I had attention all over the place," Rodgers said Tuesday. "I was just trying to get some good attention."

                  He had gotten picked up for driving on a suspended license. And there also was the infamous gas-station incident.

                  Thing is, "I get more attention now than I did then," he said. "Winning the Heisman was a big deal back then, but it wasn't like it is now. Now, it's a big, big deal."

                  Manziel would back that notion.

                  * The fact that folks keep asking me if Lincoln sports fans care much about the College World Series tells me a lot of Lincoln folks perhaps don't care all that much. I care. But the event's personality changed dramatically when it moved downtown to TD Ameritrade Park. The CWS feels awfully corporate nowadays.

                  * My favorite John Melton quip occurred when Tom Osborne asked him why he always sits in the back of jetliners. "Have you ever seen one back into a mountain?" Melton answered. John was one of a kind.

                  * Citing safety concerns for defenders, Bret Bielema, according to AL.com, is proposing a rule change that would mandate a 15-second substitution period after every first down. Somewhere Tim Beck just choked on his chewing tobacco.
                  Grammar... The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you're nuts.

                  Comment





                  • update on the new arena
                    Grammar... The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you're nuts.

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                    • 7-year-old Jack Hoffman is finished with his chemo

                      By Tom Fornelli | College Football Writer
                      June 19, 2013 12:43 pm ET

                      That video of 7-year-old Jack Hoffman running for a touchdown during Nebraska's spring game is easily the best moment of this college football offseason, but it appears Hoffman had an even better day this week.

                      Hoffman, who has been battling brain cancer for the last two years, visited the College World Series on Monday where he signed autographs for fans and made an important announcement on the Jumbotron during a game.

                      Hoffman told the crowd Tuesday would be the day he underwent his final chemotherapy treatment.

                      That is just fantastic news for a kid who has done so much to help raise awareness and support for pediatric brain cancer research in recent months.

                      Since rushing for the touchdown during Nebraska's spring game Hoffman has had a trading card created for him and had a visit with President Barack Obama at the White House.



                      Jack goes global

                      I don?t know how often photos of American football show up in monthly magazines in Europe, but my guess is not often.

                      Thus it was a surprise when German magazine View contacted Hail Varsity about using some of our photos from Jack Hoffman?s spring game run in the June 2013 issue.

                      View is a monthly photo magazine promising ?Die Besten Bilder Des Monats? (Best Pictures of the Month). The title of the Jack story ? ?Das Spiel Seines Lebens? ? translates to ?The Game of His Life.?

                      http://hailvarsity.com/2013/06/jack-goes-global/ (pictures on Hail Varsity)
                      Grammar... The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you're nuts.

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                      • Lincoln - The Nebraska Athletic Department announced plans Wednesday, June 19, for a historic day-night doubleheader for Husker women’s and men’s basketball to celebrate their regular-season openers at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Friday, Nov. 8.

                        The first regular-season basketball game inside the arena tips off at noon between a pair of 2013 top-20 teams when Coach Connie Yori’s Husker women face UCLA. The game between the Huskers, who advanced to the 2013 NCAA Sweet 16 and finished No. 18 in the final USA Today Coaches Top 25, and the Bruins, who finished No. 15 in the USA Today rankings after advancing to the NCAA second round, will follow a special morning Husker Life Skills event inside Pinnacle Bank Arena. The “Invest 2 Be The Best” pep rally is expected to include approximately 5,000 middle school students from Lincoln and surrounding communities.

                        The Huskers’ historic day at Pinnacle Bank Arena will conclude with another marquee matchup between the Nebraska men’s basketball team and 2013 NCAA Sweet 16 participant Florida Gulf Coast. The tip time for the season-opening sellout with “Dunk City” in the “Star City” has not been set, but the game will be televised nationally in primetime by BTN.

                        Season tickets for Nebraska men’s basketball have sold out for the first time in school history, and the sellout promises to give the men the largest season-opening home crowd in Husker history in their first regular-season game inside Pinnacle Bank Arena. The $179 million arena will seat more than 15,000 fans. Coach Tim Miles’ second Husker team will face a Florida Gulf Coast squad that returns four starters from a team that became the first No. 15 seed in NCAA history to reach the Sweet 16. The Eagles will be under the direction of new head coach Joe Dooley.

                        “We’re thrilled with the caliber of competition our teams will face on opening day and night at Pinnacle Bank Arena,” Nebraska Executive Associate Athletic Director Marc Boehm said. “We also wanted to reach out to people of all ages from Lincoln and the surrounding communities, so they could join us in the celebration of a truly historic day in the Haymarket. Partnering with Lincoln Public Schools and other schools in the area gives local youth a chance to see the first regular-season game inside the arena and be a part of history.

                        “With school-record record season-opening crowds for both the men and women for NCAA Tournament-caliber teams, we think it will be a momentous day for the city of Lincoln and the state of Nebraska, and the start of a memorable first season at the new arena.”

                        Nebraska Associate Athletic Director for Life Skills Keith Zimmer and his staff will be coordinating a pep rally, which will give students a chance to hear inspirational life skills and academic messages from Husker student-athletes and staff, before helping to tip off the opening of the arena.

                        “The interest level and enthusiasm from school administrators in Lincoln and nearby communities for the ‘Invest 2 Be the Best’ pep rally has been very strong,” Zimmer said. “Through music and other entertainment, students and staff will be encouraged to discover unique talents, get involved in their communities and strive to be multi-dimensional. It promises to be a memorable morning and afternoon, not only to be inspired at the pep rally but to enjoy a marquee women’s basketball game at the new arena.”

                        Nebraska has sold a school record of more than 2,600 women’s basketball season tickets for 2013-14, an increase of nearly 500 tickets over the start of last season. Season tickets went on sale May 8, and NU’s total has been growing on a daily basis. The increase in season ticket sales and the “Invest 2 Be The Best” pep rally will not only guarantee the Husker women the largest season-opening crowd in school history, but also the largest crowd for a non-conference game in the history of the program.

                        The women’s game between Nebraska and UCLA will be televised live statewide by NET-HD.
                        Grammar... The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you're nuts.

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                        • UNL recruiting plan
                          Grammar... The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you're nuts.

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                          • Looks like it's probably coming for one game.

                            ************************

                            Cornnation

                            Last year's "Unrivaled" jersey found no Nebraska fans in the middle: you either loved it or hated it. Some loved it because it was different and used black. Others hated it because they thought it looked cheesy and the numbers on the front were nearly impossible to read from a distance.

                            So would Nebraska do it again? Sam McKewon of the Omaha World-Herald contacted the Nebraska athletic department and received a curious answer. Not quite yes, and definitely not no.

                            *********
                            Samuel McKewon @swmckewonOWH

                            According to NU PR, the #huskers "do not have any announcements to make at this time" regarding any alternate Adidas uniforms for 2013.

                            ************

                            In other words, it's probably coming. If the answer was "no", you wouldn't say "at this time", but if the answer were yes, the next question would be what is it. So this "not yet" surely indicates one is coming.

                            So what should we expect? Surely a significant black presence, probably on the helmet.... maybe even the same black helmet as last year. The large arial "N" on the front of last year's jersey probably won't be back. Many people shifted their opinions after the game once they realized how difficult it was to read the numbers on the front of the jersey.

                            Perhaps a more stylized font for the numbers. I could see it going either "old style" and using the style of the 1962 jersey...or going modern with an aggressive font.

                            And what game would it be used? The UCLA game, which could be the biggest home game of the season, is one option. The Northwestern and Michigan State games will also be big. Or maybe it's the South Dakota State game, to add interest to a potential mismatch against a 1-AA opponent.

                            Or maybe a road game with a white jersey, black pants, and a red helmet?

                            If adidas wants another "unrivaled" game against another adidas school, the options are limited to just UCLA and Michigan. And for what it's worth, Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said last month that the Wolverines would not have any alternate uniform styles in 2013.

                            So what are your thoughts?

                            ---------------

                            Against.
                            Grammar... The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you're nuts.

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                            • Steven M. Sipple: Eric Crouch taking another shot

                              Welcome to Eric Crouch's basement.

                              You will notice a tan bedsheet nailed to the ceiling, and a video camera on a tripod. He commandeered the television from his 9-year-old son's bedroom for a monitor.

                              Crouch has two microphones ? one for him and one for his daughter, 13-year-old Lexi. The hanging bedsheet serves as the backdrop for his makeshift studio, a rather crude-but-functional affair.

                              "Lexi and I just go back and forth, talking about her school and sports ? really nothing football-related," says Crouch, the 2001 Heisman Trophy winner. "I'm just trying to get smooth on camera."

                              It's safe to say Crouch, the former Nebraska great, is serious about his budding career as a television football analyst.

                              The passion in his voice is easily discernible as he discusses his venture.

                              He worked as an analyst for a dozen games last season ? in the Pac-12 and Big 12 ? for Fox Sports. He will be a game analyst this season for the Big Ten Network. He could see himself working as a broadcaster "for a long time," he says. He has a vision. He has goals. It feels great, he says.

                              This is a new Eric Crouch, of sorts. It's Crouch stepping out of his comfort zone. It's the 34-year-old Omaha native showing more of his personality than the general public has seen, perhaps ever.

                              I caught part of one of Crouch's games. He surprised me with how natural he sounded on-air.

                              He hopes ultimately to land a multi-year contract with a network. He feels a multi-year deal would indicate a network's belief in him. From there, he says, he could really build his craft.

                              "This is a big season for me," he says. "It's kind of like that season as a player after people had gotten a little bit of a taste of what you can do the season before. It's like your sophomore season. You're expected to improve a lot."

                              In his final two or three broadcasts last season, he says, he began to feel very comfortable. The game slowed down for him. He was able to relax and have fun.

                              "It should be fun," he says emphatically. "I should really be enjoying myself and showing my personality on-air."

                              He genuinely likes that part ? showing his personality ? although he acknowledges that he essentially has been "more of a reserved person." He was a quiet leader as Nebraska's starting quarterback, a leader by example.

                              "When I get around my friends and family, I kind of open up," he says. "I have to get to the point where, when I'm on-air and on camera, it's like I'm sitting there with my friends and family."

                              It isn't as if Crouch grew up dreaming about being a broadcaster. He was much more into the "warrior mentality" of football, he says. He was enthralled by the competition. He dreamed of playing in the NFL, not analyzing it.

                              "The vision was always to play football," he says. "And after that, for me, it got really gray."

                              He is going full-speed ahead on his broadcasting opportunity. He is clearly determined. He recently traveled to Philadelphia to learn intricacies of the craft from Bill Clement, an acclaimed NHL broadcaster.

                              "We did over eight hours, and it was pretty intense," Clement says. "I got him up in front of the camera as soon as he got here."

                              The key, Crouch says, is feeling comfortable. It's about having strong opinions and expressing them clearly ? strength and clarity. It's about telling a story and keeping folks interested. Bottom line, he says, there's a certain way to get the message across.

                              Says Clement: "I teach everything from the standpoint that it's all a story. When somebody's watching, you're actually taking them on a journey by introducing characters, plots, by telling the story of the game, what each team is trying to do. It's then monitoring the progress, or lack of, of those story lines. I told Eric it's planting seeds. You nurture and water them as the game progresses."

                              Crouch particularly admires NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth, praising his cool smoothness. I always suggest Chris Spielman as a college football analyst. And Hubie Brown in the NBA.

                              That Crouch played quarterback obviously is helpful in his new career path. Bear in mind, though, he gave receiver and safety a try in the NFL. He dabbled as a return man. As a result, he possesses a wide-ranging perspective that might give him an advantage over others. He says he tries to avoid wearing out people with quarterback-centric analysis.

                              Beside his budding career in television, Crouch stays very busy with his company, Crouch Recreation, which sells everything from playground equipment to flagpoles. He is part of a four-person operation that works out of an office in northwest Omaha.

                              He speaks with much more excitement about his potential broadcasting career. He calls it his "new hunger."

                              "He is so driven, and strives for perfection," Clement says. "Now, he's got a formula from which to work."

                              The next step, Clement says, is drawing out Crouch's personality.

                              "Who is Eric Crouch?" Sports Illustrated asks on the cover of its Nov. 26, 2001, edition ? which features Crouch in a serious forward glare, hands clutched around a football.

                              He ended his Husker career holding 32 school records.

                              He could become a heck of a broadcaster. He's intelligent and analytical ? a thinker. He has a great look, a strong voice and a nice command of the language, Clement says.

                              "You start looking for things to do after football's over," Crouch says, referring to his playing days. "This is a great way for football to still be part of my life. It's kind of a new beginning for me."






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                              Grammar... The difference between feeling your nuts and feeling you're nuts.

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                              • The trending of UNL's men's sports
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