Offensive tackle Murtha ready to finally contribute
Nebraska offensive tackle Lydon Murtha, healed from yet another injury, feels as if he’s starting his college career from scratch.
It’s not a bad place to begin, considering he’s in striking distance of the starting lineup.
“You see this big physical presence out there that is very capable of dominating,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said.
The 6-foot-7, 315-pound Murtha, a redshirt freshman from Hutchinson, Minn., made his college debut Saturday against Pitt after being slowed by a series of injuries since arriving on campus. Projected as a key contributor last season, he was waylaid by a bruised calf muscle early in preseason camp. He was slowed by a hamstring injury during much of spring practice, then hurt a shoulder in the Red-White Spring Game and underwent surgery.
You get the idea.
This season, Nebraska’s starting tackles have struggled mightily, according to offensive line coach Dennis Wagner. So, Wagner threw Murtha into the fray against the winless Panthers, hoping a little competition might spark left tackle Cornealius Fuamatu-Thomas and right tackle Seppo Evwaraye. Murtha played five series on the left side in the Huskers’ 7-6 win.
“He’s a young player, and when they first get on the field, things go so fast for them,” Callahan said. “I thought the game started to slow down for him some. But he needs a little bit more repetition to really become consistent.”
Callahan said he was unsure how significant of a role Murtha will play in coming games. The coach and Murtha talked one-on-one for several minutes right after Tuesday’s practice, with the former offensive line coach providing pointers on how to improve. Murtha appreciated the tips, not to mention the encouragement Callahan offered him in recent months.
Callahan said he’ll take his time evaluating the tackles. Murtha, meanwhile, understands the gravity of the situation, as the left tackle is charged with protecting a right-handed quarterback’s blind side.
“(Callahan) talked to me about how there’s a lot that can go through your mind when you’re coming back (from an injury) and you’re starting to play, as far as mixing technique with doing the play right and doing it hard,” Murtha said. “You have to put them all together. It’s tough to come in and start doing it. But I’ll get the hang of it.”
Murtha, rated by recruiting analyst Tom Lemming as the nation’s No. 1 tackle as a high school senior, faces a challenging next several weeks. But he much prefers his current situation to the one he faced after injuring his shoulder in April during the Spring Game. That was the low point, he said.
On the scrimmage’s first play, he stuck out his arm as 6-4, 270-pound end Jay Moore rushed the passer. Murtha felt something tear. He underwent surgery and endured five months of rehabilitation. He knew he would miss most of preseason camp and felt badly about being unable to contribute.
“You feel like you don’t belong, really,” he said. “You come here to help the team win. When you can’t do it, and you’re a bystander. ... It only motivates you more, I guess.”
Three days before the Spring
n Murtha
Game, as Murtha sped away from Memorial Stadium on his mo-ped, a pickup truck pulled a U-turn in Murtha’s path, and the oversized kid slammed into the vehicle. He suffered cartilage damage in his knee, but played in the Spring Game anyway.
Murtha said he was unable to do any upper-body weight lifting for five months following the injury. His shoulder’s stable now, he said, “but as far as strength, I pretty much have to start all over.”
Murtha appreciates encouragement he received during recovery from coaches, teammates and trainers.
“For instance, I’d come in kind of pissed off because I can’t play and I’m not really contributing to the team, and they’d notice,” he said. “I don’t even have to say anything, and they’ll sit down and talk with me.”
He probably lost count of how many of those type of talks he had.
“It’s just something to experience, I guess,” Murtha said of his injuries. “I look at everything as a positive — I’m not a negative person.
“It’s football — everyone plays hurt.”
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
It’s not a bad place to begin, considering he’s in striking distance of the starting lineup.
“You see this big physical presence out there that is very capable of dominating,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said.
The 6-foot-7, 315-pound Murtha, a redshirt freshman from Hutchinson, Minn., made his college debut Saturday against Pitt after being slowed by a series of injuries since arriving on campus. Projected as a key contributor last season, he was waylaid by a bruised calf muscle early in preseason camp. He was slowed by a hamstring injury during much of spring practice, then hurt a shoulder in the Red-White Spring Game and underwent surgery.
You get the idea.
This season, Nebraska’s starting tackles have struggled mightily, according to offensive line coach Dennis Wagner. So, Wagner threw Murtha into the fray against the winless Panthers, hoping a little competition might spark left tackle Cornealius Fuamatu-Thomas and right tackle Seppo Evwaraye. Murtha played five series on the left side in the Huskers’ 7-6 win.
“He’s a young player, and when they first get on the field, things go so fast for them,” Callahan said. “I thought the game started to slow down for him some. But he needs a little bit more repetition to really become consistent.”
Callahan said he was unsure how significant of a role Murtha will play in coming games. The coach and Murtha talked one-on-one for several minutes right after Tuesday’s practice, with the former offensive line coach providing pointers on how to improve. Murtha appreciated the tips, not to mention the encouragement Callahan offered him in recent months.
Callahan said he’ll take his time evaluating the tackles. Murtha, meanwhile, understands the gravity of the situation, as the left tackle is charged with protecting a right-handed quarterback’s blind side.
“(Callahan) talked to me about how there’s a lot that can go through your mind when you’re coming back (from an injury) and you’re starting to play, as far as mixing technique with doing the play right and doing it hard,” Murtha said. “You have to put them all together. It’s tough to come in and start doing it. But I’ll get the hang of it.”
Murtha, rated by recruiting analyst Tom Lemming as the nation’s No. 1 tackle as a high school senior, faces a challenging next several weeks. But he much prefers his current situation to the one he faced after injuring his shoulder in April during the Spring Game. That was the low point, he said.
On the scrimmage’s first play, he stuck out his arm as 6-4, 270-pound end Jay Moore rushed the passer. Murtha felt something tear. He underwent surgery and endured five months of rehabilitation. He knew he would miss most of preseason camp and felt badly about being unable to contribute.
“You feel like you don’t belong, really,” he said. “You come here to help the team win. When you can’t do it, and you’re a bystander. ... It only motivates you more, I guess.”
Three days before the Spring
n Murtha
Game, as Murtha sped away from Memorial Stadium on his mo-ped, a pickup truck pulled a U-turn in Murtha’s path, and the oversized kid slammed into the vehicle. He suffered cartilage damage in his knee, but played in the Spring Game anyway.
Murtha said he was unable to do any upper-body weight lifting for five months following the injury. His shoulder’s stable now, he said, “but as far as strength, I pretty much have to start all over.”
Murtha appreciates encouragement he received during recovery from coaches, teammates and trainers.
“For instance, I’d come in kind of pissed off because I can’t play and I’m not really contributing to the team, and they’d notice,” he said. “I don’t even have to say anything, and they’ll sit down and talk with me.”
He probably lost count of how many of those type of talks he had.
“It’s just something to experience, I guess,” Murtha said of his injuries. “I look at everything as a positive — I’m not a negative person.
“It’s football — everyone plays hurt.”
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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