Huskers – Page 118 – North Platte Post Archive

Huskers’ Gregory Wants to Expand Game Beyond Sacks

Posted on August 4, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory wants to be known for being more than just a pass rusher.

After leading the Big Ten with 10 1/2 sacks last season, he says he needs to become better as a run-stopper.

Gregory’s difficulty holding his ground against the run stemmed from his struggle to maintain weight. He dropped as low as 230 pounds last season. Last week, the 6-foot-6 Gregory was up to 248.

Some NFL draft projections have Gregory listed in the upper half of the first round next year. Gregory said he wouldn’t decide until after the season whether to enter the draft as an underclassman. But he acknowledged he bought an insurance policy two months ago to protect himself in case an injury causes his draft position to drop.

Dressing Firm Sponsors August Football Tailgating

Posted on August 2, 2014August 2, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The makers of Dorothy Lynch salad dressing are celebrating their product’s 50th anniversary by sponsoring a series of tailgating events leading up the first Nebraska game.

The tailgating events will all be held at Hy-Vee grocery stores in the Lincoln area on Friday evenings starting at 6.

The events will feature Greg Sharpe, who calls Nebraska football games on the radio, and a variety of football food made with Dorothy Lynch.

Fans will also have a chance to win a pair of tickets to a Nebraska home game and enter a drawing to win four skybox tickets to the Nov. 1 Purdue game.

The next event will be held Friday at the Hy-Vee at 70th and Pioneers Boulevard.

More details are available online at https://www.facebook.com/DorothyLynchDressing .

Nebraska has 1,000 of 8,500 Student Tickets Left

Posted on August 1, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — With less than a month until the season opener, Nebraska still has 1,000 of its 8,500 student football tickets for sale.

Athletic department spokeswoman Chris Anderson said Friday the school expects to sell out of student tickets. All remaining tickets are for seats in the south end zone.

Anderson said several promotions are planned for students. Among them are pregame festivities, a student rewards program and the ability to purchase guest tickets.

Anderson said August traditionally is a strong month for student ticket sales because of the arrival of freshmen.

Student sales have lagged nationally in recent years. According to media reports, Michigan expects to sell 12,000 to 13,000, down from 19,000 last season. Iowa has seen its sales drop from about 10,000 to 7,000 the past two years.

Huskers Announce Pair of Early Enrollees

Posted on August 1, 2014

A pair of highly touted high school football players have declared their intention to enroll early at Nebraska for the 2015 season. Colorado defensive backs Avery Anderson and Eric Lee Jr. signed financial aid agreements on Friday and will join the Husker football program in January.

A 6-0, 175-pound defensive back, Anderson will be a senior at Pine Creek High School in Colorado Springs this fall. The Eagles won the 2013 Colorado Class 4A state title with Anderson as a first-team all-state safety. Anderson is ranked among the nation’s top 160 recruits according to Rivals.com, which tabbed him as the No. 156 overall recruit and the No. 17 cornerback nationally.

Lee is a 5-11, 185-pound defensive back from Highlands Ranch, Colo., who will play his final season for Valor Christian High School this fall. Lee was a first-team all-state selection last season for the defending Colorado Class 5A state champions. Rivals.com lists Lee as the nation’s No. 141 overall recruit and the 15th-best cornerback.

Both Anderson and Lee are regarded as four-star recruits and are ranked as the top two recruits in Colorado by Rivals.com.

2015 Nebraska Football Recruit Early Enrollees

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown High School

Avery Anderson DB 6-0 175 Colorado Springs, Colo. Pine Creek

Eric Lee Jr. DB 5-11 185 Highlands Ranch, Colo. Valor Christian

Avery Anderson

6-0, 175, DB, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Pine Creek)

Avery Anderson will look to lead Pine Creek High School to a second straight state championship this fall. In helping the Eagles to the 2013 Colorado Class 4A state championship as a junior, Anderson was named a first-team all-state free safety by the Colorado High School Activities Association. He also earned all-league and all-region recognition after totaling 53 tackles, one interception and three breakups while leading Pine Creek to its first state championship and a 12-2 record under coach Todd Miller. Offensively, Anderson added 53 carries for 386 yards and eight touchdowns. Anderson was a consensus four-star prospect, and he was rated as the No. 2 player in Colorado by Rivals.com, behind fellow early enrollee Eric Lee Jr. Anderson was a member of the Rivals250, coming in at No. 156 on the list of the nation’s top prospects. Additionally, the service ranked Anderson as the nation’s No. 17 cornerback. Anderson was one of 400 prospects nationally to earn a nomination for the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. In May, Anderson earned defensive back MVP honors at the Rivals Camp Series in Chicago. He committed to Nebraska in February after considering offers from Arizona State, Kansas State and Utah, among others. Anderson is the son of Killian and Angela Anderson and he was born on Sept. 11, 1996.

Eric Lee Jr.

5-11, 185, DB, Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Valor Christian)

Eric Lee helped Valor Christian to the 2013 Colorado Class 5A state championship, and he looks to lead the Eagles to back-to-back titles in the state’s largest class this fall. As a junior, Lee was honored as a first-team all-state defensive back by the Colorado High School Activities Association. Lee’s high school coach is Rod Sherman, and Lee also benefited from the expertise of assistant coach Brian Dawkins, a former All-Pro NFL safety. Lee recorded 45 tackles for Valor Christian as a junior, while intercepting two passes and adding five breakups and three fumble recoveries. A consensus four-star prospect, Lee was ranked as the No. 1 player in Colorado by Rivals.com. He was also ranked as the nation’s No. 141 overall recruit by Rivals and the No. 15 cornerback. ESPN.com also regarded Lee as the top recruit in Colorado, while ranking him as the nation’s 142nd overall recruit and the No. 16 cornerback. Scout.com and 247Sports.com also ranked Lee among the nation’s best 150 players and top 20 cornerbacks. Lee was one of 400 prospects nationally to earn a nomination for the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He also earned an invite to participate in the 2015 Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl and was named the top performer at the 2014 Mile High 7-on-7 camp. Lee committed to the Huskers in February after also considering scholarship offers from Arizona State, Colorado, Colorado State, Kansas State and Oregon State. He was born on Aug. 13, 1996, and is the son of Dana and Eric Lee Sr. Eric Lee Sr. earned his doctorate degree from Nebraska.

Nebraska and adidas Unveil Red Rising TECHFIT Uniforms

Posted on August 1, 2014

Lincoln – The University of Nebraska and adidas unveiled new Red Rising TECHFIT football uniforms this morning that the Huskers will wear on Sept. 27 when they host Illinois at8 p.m. on Homecoming.

Celebrating the 125^th year of Nebraska football, the new all-red uniform features black metallic stripes on the jersey and pant, ultra-light black and silver metallic numbers and a large Nebraska “N” on the chest of the TECHFIT compression base layer.

Nebraska’s new uniform also incorporates TECHFIT Shockweb technology. The adidas TECHFIT Shockweb uniform is the only true compression uniform system in the industry. Shockweb fits tighter to the body, making players more difficult to tackle. TECHFIT Shockweb is lighter, helping to make the player fast and increasing his range of motion, to support the athlete’s performance at the highest levels.

For more information and images of Nebraska’s new uniform, please visit @Huskers, @adidasFballUS, www.Facebook.com/huskers and www.Facebook.com/adidasfootballUS

Huskers Ranked 22nd in Preseason Coaches Poll

Posted on July 31, 2014

Lincoln — On the eve of fall practice, the Nebraska football team was ranked 22nd in the initial Amway Coaches Poll released Thursday morning. The Huskers received 228 points in a poll of 62 FBS head coaches.

Nebraska returns 14 starters, including All-America candidates Ameer Abdullah and Randy Gregory, and 45 letterwinners from a team that went 9-4 and capped the year with a Gator Bowl victory over Georgia.

Nebraska is one of four Big Ten teams in the top 25, joining Ohio State (sixth), Michigan State (eighth) and Wisconsin (14th). In addition, five other 2014 opponents – Iowa, Miami (Fla.), Minnesota, Northwestern and Fresno State – were among the teams also receiving votes.

Fans will have their first chance to see the 2014 Huskers on Friday, as the Huskers will host Nebraska Football Fan Day presented by U.S. Cellular. Fan Day will run from 2 to 3:30 p.m. inside Memorial Stadium with all Husker players and coaches that will be part of fall camp in attendance and available to the fans.

· Amway Coaches Poll Link: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/polls/

Huskers Fan Day Set for Friday

Posted on July 30, 2014

Husker football fans will get their first opportunity to see the 2014 team Friday afternoon at Nebraska Football Fan Day presented by U.S. Cellular. Friday’s festivities represent the best opportunity for fans to meet and greet this year’s team before the start of practice next Monday.

Fan Day will run from 2 to 3:30 p.m. inside Memorial Stadium with all Husker players and coaches that will be part of fall camp in attendance and available to the fans.

Fans may enter Memorial Stadium through Gates 3 and 24 on the southeast and southwest corners of the stadium. Gates will open at 2 p.m. The majority of players will be seated on the field at Memorial Stadium, while true freshmen will be located in the stands throughout West Stadium.

Fans are asked to respect players and coaches, as well as other fans by limiting their autograph requests to one item per player or coach. Any apparel items fans are wishing to have autographed should be in hand, rather than being worn. These policies will help accommodate as many fans as possible within the 90-minute Fan Day window.

Also as a reminder, autographs obtained for players and coaches are for personal use only. Any re-sale of an autographed item is prohibited and re-sale of an item with a student-athlete’s signature could jeopardize the player’s eligibility.

Free parking for Fan Day will be available in the 14^th and Avery Parking Garage, the Champions Club parking lot (west of Memorial Stadium), Lot 8 (north end of Osborne Athletic Complex) and Lot 5 (northeast of Memorial Stadium). Parking is also available in the Stadium Drive parking garage, but fans will be charged for that garage.

Restrooms for fans will be available near Gates 2 and 24, as well as under the northeast corner of the stadium near Gate 15. Fans will not have access to the Osborne Athletic Complex, or the new construction areas in East Stadium. Drink stations will be available near the 50-yard line on the West sideline with water, Pepsi products and Gatorade.

Huskers Authentic Team Store will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fan Day and will have brand new adidas products, as well as this year’s media guides and schedule posters.

The Nebraska Athletic Department encourages fans to participate in Fan Day through social media by adding #Huskers to photos on Twitter or Instagram and by posting photos to Facebook.com/Huskers. Nebraska Athletics will sort through social media posts using the #Huskers hashtag. Posts will be placed on the big screen at Memorial Stadium throughout the afternoon. These posts will also be collected and displayed on Huskers.com.

Big Ten Announces Football Preseason Players to Watch List

Posted on July 30, 2014July 30, 2014

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced today its fourth annual football Players to Watch list, with 10 players earning preseason recognition. The preseason Players to Watch list is selected by a media panel and consists of five student-athletes each from the East Division and West Division.

Representing the East Division are Maryland wide receiver Stefon Diggs, Michigan wide receiver Devin Funchess, Michigan State defensive end Shilique Calhoun, Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller and Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg. Miller was named to the Big Ten Football Players to Watch list for the third straight season.

Nebraska and Wisconsin lead the way with two players each on the West Division Players to Watch list. Husker running back Ameer Abdullah and defensive end Randy Gregory are joined on the list by Badger running back Melvin Gordon and right tackle Rob Havenstein. Iowa offensive lineman Brandon Scherff rounds out the division’s honorees.

The Players to Watch list includes the reigning two-time Big Ten Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year and Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year in Miller. Other individual award winners from last season to claim preseason honors include the Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year in Hackenberg, the Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year in Funchess and the Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year in Calhoun.

Abdullah, Calhoun and Scherff were each named All-Americans last season. All 10 players earned all-conference honors in 2013, including first-team accolades for Abdullah, Calhoun, Funchess, Gregory, Miller and Scherff.

The complete list of Big Ten football preseason Players to Watch appears below:

EAST DIVISION

Stefon Diggs, WR, Maryland

Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan

Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State

Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State

Christian Hackenberg, QB, Penn State

WEST DIVISION

Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska

Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska

Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin

Rob Havenstein, RT, Wisconsin

Abdullah, Gregory Named to Walter Camp of Year Watch List

Posted on July 18, 2014

Ameer-Abdullah-Nebraska-Huskers-Football — Ameer Abdullah

Husker senior I-back Ameer Abdullah and junior defensive end Randy Gregory continued an impressive collection of preseason accolades on Friday, as both were named to watch list for the Walter Camp Player of the Year.

The Walter Camp Player of the Year is the fourth-oldest individual college football award. A total of 50 players were named to the Walter Camp list with Nebraska being one of nine schools with two or more players on the list. Abdullah was one of seven running backs on the list, while Gregory was one of only 17 defenders to make the watch list, including just five defensive linemen.

The 5-9, 195-pound Abdullah has previously been named to watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award and Paul Hornung Award. He has also been recognized as a preseason All-American by several media outlets and is considered a leading contender for the Heisman Trophy.

Abdullah earned first-team All-Big Ten honors when he rushed for 1,690 yards in 2013, the most of any player returning for 2014. Abdullah owns 2,977 career rushing yards to rank third among active returning players in career rushing yards, and he leads all active players with 4,914 career all-purpose yards.

Gregory has now been named to five watch lists in the past two weeks. In addition to being named to the Walter Camp list, he was also on the watch lists for the Lombardi Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Lott Trophy.

As a sophomore, Gregory became one of the Big Ten’s top defenders last season and has earned preseason All-America accolades in 2014. In his first year with the Huskers, Gregory led the Big Ten with 10.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. Nine of Gregory’s sacks came in Big Ten Conference play, including a season-high three sacks at Michigan.

Abdullah and Gregory are two of eight Big Ten players on the Walter Camp list. Ten semifinalists for the award will be announced in mid-November, with the winner announced on Thursday, Dec. 11.

Three Huskers have won the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, most recently Eric Crouch in 2001.

Abdullah and teammates Kenny Bell and Corey Cooper will represent Nebraska at Big Ten Media Days later this month in Chicago. Abdullah will also be a featured speaker at the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon, speaking on behalf of the 42 student-athletes in attendance.

All 14 Big Ten Football Coaches to appear at ESPN July 30-31

Posted on July 17, 2014

bo pelini — Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini

ROSEMONT, Ill. – All 14 Big Ten football coaches will visit ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., headquarters July 30-31 to take part in ESPN’s annual mid-summer college football coaches’ “car wash” – in which guests appear across multiple programs and platforms over one day.

The schedules for the Big Ten coaches will include a mixture of interviews with more than 25 different shows and writers across ESPN’s television, radio and digital media platforms. Outlets may include College Football Live, SportsCenter, First Take, SportsNation, Highly Questionable, Numbers Never Lie and E:60 on television and ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning, SVP & Russillo, The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Sedano & Stink, The Freddie Coleman Show, The Dan LeBartard Show and College GameDay Radio.

The coaches will also be interviewed by ESPN.com writers Travis Haney, Ivan Maisel and Brett McMurphy; appear on a variety of podcasts; participate in chats; and more.

The complete Big Ten schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, July 30	Thursday, July 31
Gary Andersen (Wisconsin)	Randy Edsall (Maryland)
Tim Beckman (Illinois)	Kirk Ferentz (Iowa)
Mark Dantonio (Michigan State)	Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern)
Kyle Flood (Rutgers)	Brady Hoke (Michigan)
James Franklin (Penn State)	Urban Meyer (Ohio State)
Darrell Hazell (Purdue)	Bo Pelini (Nebraska)
Jerry Kill (Minnesota)	Kevin Wilson (Indiana)