This is going to be a longer post, so for those who read it through, I think you'll enjoy the conversation. For those that don't, well that's on you I guess, your call. There was one play, in my opinion, on Saturday night that defines the last 15+ years of Nebraska Football. I can't remember who our LG is at the moment, and I'm sure everyone has seen this play by now, but he got absolutely bulldozed by the MN DT and had his manhood taken from him. That is brutally honest, it cannot be argued. He was then pulled at half time and replaced by Bando. That is NOT coaching. In it's purest and most simplest form, that is, as a man, allowing another man, to put you on your ***, and not do a damn thing about it. That play alone, has defined Nebraska Football for the last 15+ years, soft when it matters. You can do all the squats, bench presses, deadlifts, eat as much food as you, gain confidence, great, whatever you want, awesome, but you cannot the aggression to not allow another man to put you on your *** and not do a damn thing about it, that comes from within you.
I think mental toughness and controlled aggression, especially in football, is severely undervalued and very much overlooked. I'm going to connect some things past and present in this post that will tie this all together. I know this is a beating a dead horse argument, but it remains true right now. Whether some people want to admit this, or argue about it, or accept this, whatever, the majority of our starting offense and defense, atleast the seasoned veterans are Mike Riley guys. The upper class men, are either Mike Riley guys or Bo's last recruiting class. Soft coach, soft development, soft players, mentally atleast. And that is probably the worst part. In sports, in life, in football especially, when push comes to shove and stuff gets real, there are two kinds of players: 1. They want the ball, they're winners, they want to absolutely flatten the man in front of them, they won't accept failure. 2. When it gets real, they hide in the back of the crowd while the fight goes down, they slowly walk back in the group while the Oklahoma drill is happening. Right now, that single play, is the product of the last 15 years of Husker Football become the guy that slowly moves away from the fight instead of wanting to flatten the man in front of him and take it to the house.
Lastly, I'm sure there are a lot of former athletes on here and what not, me being one myself. I think in weightlifting and football it's probably the most obvious, I'm going to zone in on lineman for example because that seems to be quite a big issue right now. In football, the really good lineman have that certain internal, mental "switch" that they flip when the lights turn on and they walk between the sidelines to get to their position. That switch triggers controlled internal aggression and taps into some real dark mental sh*t that unless you've experienced before I'm not sure is possible to explain in real good words. I'd say football and probably powerlifting are the most common places where you'll really see aggression manifest. You turn it on on the football field, or in the weight room and turn it off the best you can when you're supposed to. Guys that obviously had it in the past, both Peter brothers, Grant Wistrom, Terry Conneally, Lawrence Phillips, hell Scott Frost, 94 and 95 pipeline, 97 too, guys like that. Bringing this full circle, naming guys that have that switch, and are Frost guys, Mo Washington, 2018 Adrian Martinez, spotty 2019 Adrian Martinez, Cam Taylor, Darrion Daniels, Ben Stille, Mo Barry, Jo Jo Domann. I think there are a few other guys that have that switch but just maybe not the physical talent to match the mental toughness. I don't have any data to back this one up but because Frost moved him to Center it's pretty obvious that he sees it in him, Cam Jurgens.
To sum this up, it's interesting how the guys making the mostly positive story lines this year are Frost guys, and some Riley guys who have developed A LOT in the last almost 2 years now. Lamar Jackson being one of them. Zoning in again on Lineman, I think there are a boat load of the younger guys who have that switch, more than the older veterans. They just aren't ready either physically or mentally yet to put in the game and be trusted to know exactly what they're doing at all times. To me, Ty Robinson and Keem Green are guys like that. It's in their demeanor. You can see it in their faces in photos.
I think mental toughness and controlled aggression, especially in football, is severely undervalued and very much overlooked. I'm going to connect some things past and present in this post that will tie this all together. I know this is a beating a dead horse argument, but it remains true right now. Whether some people want to admit this, or argue about it, or accept this, whatever, the majority of our starting offense and defense, atleast the seasoned veterans are Mike Riley guys. The upper class men, are either Mike Riley guys or Bo's last recruiting class. Soft coach, soft development, soft players, mentally atleast. And that is probably the worst part. In sports, in life, in football especially, when push comes to shove and stuff gets real, there are two kinds of players: 1. They want the ball, they're winners, they want to absolutely flatten the man in front of them, they won't accept failure. 2. When it gets real, they hide in the back of the crowd while the fight goes down, they slowly walk back in the group while the Oklahoma drill is happening. Right now, that single play, is the product of the last 15 years of Husker Football become the guy that slowly moves away from the fight instead of wanting to flatten the man in front of him and take it to the house.
Lastly, I'm sure there are a lot of former athletes on here and what not, me being one myself. I think in weightlifting and football it's probably the most obvious, I'm going to zone in on lineman for example because that seems to be quite a big issue right now. In football, the really good lineman have that certain internal, mental "switch" that they flip when the lights turn on and they walk between the sidelines to get to their position. That switch triggers controlled internal aggression and taps into some real dark mental sh*t that unless you've experienced before I'm not sure is possible to explain in real good words. I'd say football and probably powerlifting are the most common places where you'll really see aggression manifest. You turn it on on the football field, or in the weight room and turn it off the best you can when you're supposed to. Guys that obviously had it in the past, both Peter brothers, Grant Wistrom, Terry Conneally, Lawrence Phillips, hell Scott Frost, 94 and 95 pipeline, 97 too, guys like that. Bringing this full circle, naming guys that have that switch, and are Frost guys, Mo Washington, 2018 Adrian Martinez, spotty 2019 Adrian Martinez, Cam Taylor, Darrion Daniels, Ben Stille, Mo Barry, Jo Jo Domann. I think there are a few other guys that have that switch but just maybe not the physical talent to match the mental toughness. I don't have any data to back this one up but because Frost moved him to Center it's pretty obvious that he sees it in him, Cam Jurgens.
To sum this up, it's interesting how the guys making the mostly positive story lines this year are Frost guys, and some Riley guys who have developed A LOT in the last almost 2 years now. Lamar Jackson being one of them. Zoning in again on Lineman, I think there are a boat load of the younger guys who have that switch, more than the older veterans. They just aren't ready either physically or mentally yet to put in the game and be trusted to know exactly what they're doing at all times. To me, Ty Robinson and Keem Green are guys like that. It's in their demeanor. You can see it in their faces in photos.
