Just read a tweet that their is a 24 year old former Navy Seal on the football team. Way cool. Much respect. GBR
Seal on Huskers....
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#Huskers have a player on the roster who never played football before. More coming Sunday on Damian Jackson, a former member of the SEALs... Brian Christopherson
@HuskerExtraBC
Lincoln Journal Star
That is correct. I heard them talking about him on the radio awhile back . Commentators weren't sure he would ever see the field but their point was his presence and attitude would be yuge and pay dividends. Somebody starts whining and complaining about working hard or struggling.....just put yourself in HIS shoes. Suck it up buttercup.
I honestly think he might play on the kickoff team at some point. One thing is for sure, 7 am practices in August aren't going to faze him.
If he ever does make a meaningful contribution the TV announcers will have a field day with this story.
Gonna be incredibly tough for a guy that never played football to contribute on the field. If I read that article right, he doesn't even know the game of football yet. If he really goes all out, maybe in 2-3 years he could see special teams. Being a computer science major won't do him any favors. The upside is he's 6'1" 245 pounds. That's a big boy.
kick coverage and tackling could be learned in a day by a Seal...no make that about 10 minutes. I think you underestimate what it means to be a Seal. Good luck to him. I just hope he doesn't hurt our own guys in practice Winking
Put him at scout DE and hopefully he can get good enough to go against Knevel everyday. Might be some lessons learned about toughness...
Has never played a down of organized football. However, look at how many traits and intangibles he most certainly has that cant be taught. Toughness, leadership, selflessness, determination, decisiveness, alpha male personality, and maybe most importantly, there is nothing he will face that will be tougher than what he has already done. The chance of him contributing isn't real high, but I will always root for guys like this.
I mean this with the utmost level of respect, but his bio photo has a "thousand yard stare" a football player can't even dream of. If he could bring even a fraction of that toughness, and mental strength to this team it could have a dramatic positive effect.
Ziggy Ansah didn't play football until he was a sophomore in college. He appeared in his first game halfway through the season. Being from Ghana, he had no idea what football was.
I'm not saying that this kid is Ansah. Ziggy is an athletic freak. But he did figure the basics of the DE position with no prior knowledge in half a season.
I'm not saying that this kid is Ansah. Ziggy is an athletic freak. But he did figure the basics of the DE position with no prior knowledge in half a season.
No doubt he has the mental and physical toughness as well as strength. He also will learn the position very quickly, the tackling techniques and Xs and Os ect.. It will take some time to get an "Intuition" anticipating plays. It will come down to does he have the speed, movement, quickness if he is to see the field.
He didn't swim until a couple of months before he left for the Navy. Kind of an important skill for a Seal. Definitely athletic, and I would not count him out. Much respect!
Yeah dude, this guy is awesome. I realize football is an incredibly technical game with a lot to memorize, but I wouldn't count this guy out in seeing the field someday; being a Navy SEAL is one of the hardest things a person can accomplish in life. Playing college ball is tough and amazing in and of itself, but this guy will eat the playbook and workouts for breakfast and crap out sacks if given the opportunity. Look at the SIZE of the guy! If he works hard, I wouldn't be shocked to see him on special teams and maybe as an OLB in some packages by 2018. And I agree with all of the prior posts about bringing a nasty toughness to the team as well. Hey, your team mate was a Navy SEAL, and he's showing all of you four-stars up in the weight room. GET AT IT!
Anyone who can become a SEAL I'm never betting against in anything unless it's a quitting contest. Special Forces dudes are a different breed, you step into the same room with them and you just feel it. He's an elite killer and you ain't.
If you haven't seen this, do yourself a favor and watch it. Most of us would quit inside a day. That blew my mind when the article said he could barely swim before he joined up. The swim work alone would week out 98% of the population.
If you haven't seen this, do yourself a favor and watch it. Most of us would quit inside a day. That blew my mind when the article said he could barely swim before he joined up. The swim work alone would week out 98% of the population.
Article said the guy never shot a gun till seal training. Apparently this guy can do anything he sets his mind to.
It's not that he's dumb, it's that it's a major requiring a large time investment to succeed. Time in the computer lab is time not in the film room, weight room, etc. Not to mention all the mathematics involved that he has most likely not been exposed to.
I don't underestimate what it takes to be a Seal at all. I just realize what's going on with this team right now and a guy with zero knowledge of the sport is going to have his work cut out for him to contribute against other guys that have been playing the game their entire lives. Special teams makes the most sense, but you still have to learn the nuances and timing of the game. I can't remember if they banned the wedge buster, but at 6'1" 245 that would be a great, easy role for a guy that size.
Not poo pooing the guy, glad he's here. But before we grant him the status of Jason Peter as a no-nonsense high caliber football player...
may I remind you that there are plenty of former Navy football players who ended up SEALs. Navy doesn't quite play the caliber of football we are expecting 'round here. And that's with guys who have played before.
This guy might be an All-American, or he might be another walk-on we don't hear about for four years. Hard to tell at this point.
If anything I'm hoping he brings some nice attitude and leadership to the team.
may I remind you that there are plenty of former Navy football players who ended up SEALs. Navy doesn't quite play the caliber of football we are expecting 'round here. And that's with guys who have played before.
This guy might be an All-American, or he might be another walk-on we don't hear about for four years. Hard to tell at this point.
If anything I'm hoping he brings some nice attitude and leadership to the team.
One other perspective....he's a tough dude. Maybe even an athletic freak.
The NFL Draft has quite a reputation of over valuing workout warriors and freakish potential, and over looking guys who are just plain good football players.
We need this guy to be a good football player. Not another workout warrior.
The NFL Draft has quite a reputation of over valuing workout warriors and freakish potential, and over looking guys who are just plain good football players.
We need this guy to be a good football player. Not another workout warrior.
Great young man no doubt, the best America has to offer. But he didn't make the first cut,this is from the Journal:
He didn't hear anything for a week or so. He even received an initial email that said, sorry, the roster is full.
His mother suggested he reach out. "Be that gnat that won't go away. Ask them for that one chance to show them," Saenz told him.
Jackson sent an email to Husker staffers. He explained why he chose to come to Nebraska and how he'd do anything to show them how much he wants to be part of the team.
He received a call asking him to come to the football offices. Good? Bad?
Good.
So I'm guessing they think no way he helps football wise but he would be good in the locker room.
Guy on another board pointed out that an All-State caliber player was turned away from walking on, but this guy was let on.
Which is fine, but strange simply from a "football merit" standpoint. You would think they could take both without hurting the roster gravely.
In addition to the preferred walk-ons, NU has walk-on tryouts each year, the SEAL went through those to make the roster. I would think that the all-state player probably could have (or did) go through the tryouts as well.
Anyone who thinks he wont have the time to study to both computers and football doesn't understand people in the military live off of 4 hours sleep. Not the four hours you think you get once in awhile but a true 4 hours built around 20 hours of pure hell. I would tell you give this guy till fall and by then he will have the playbook memorized. Did my time in the army and I am nothing compared to special force guys.
They said Matt O'Hannon?? Spelling went through this same process (minus being a SEAL) and saw the field. I give this guy til his JR year and he will be a major contributor. Thry also said he played about 8 snaps in the spring game and assisted on 1 tackle. Anybody have that game on film still? Everything he has accomplished without having experience, football wont be much of an issue for him.
Yah, it'd be cool to see him run down and blow someone up. It wouldn't take too much to learn that.
I'll be interested to see what his football talent is.
Knowing the SEALs, he's probably not going to come in here and overtly change the culture. If its Tanner's team come fall, he's not going to try and take away from that. He'll understand that he's in a culture different from the one he came from, and he may not be at the top of that particular hierarchy (it may well be a Tanner Lee or a Stolt, or someone who has real football credibility with the team right now).
One of the big lessons of specials forces is you lead by example. If he's a piss poor football player who doesn't see the field, he won't be pre-disposed to challenge a bunch of 18,19,20 year old kids to man up on something he can't really do well. If he goes out there and is an impact player, he may well be Jason Peter Part II.
Generally they save the self aggrandizement for books and tv shows. I would highly doubt he waves it in front of a bunch of player's faces how tough he is. In fact, I fully expect him to downplay it and have a very positive impact through *encouragement* based on his past career field, than I really expect to him to reign through some sort of "suck it up buttercup" attitude. I can see very much behind closed doors, why this type of guy would appeal to Riley.
But I can tell you this much. Father's lock up your daughters. If there's an attractive female around, the SEALs *will* find her, no matter how desolate a location you think you are in.
I don't think 4 hrs/night everyday, but could easily see 5:30am to 10pm every day. For a smart guy, he can do both.