Youngest Makovicka to walk on at NU
The Makovicka assembly line has produced one more.
Jordan Makovicka will keep up the tradition and become the fourth Makovicka brother to walk on to the Husker football program.
The list of walk-on commitments in Nebraska’s current recruiting class has now reached two dozen.
It wasn’t an easy decision for Makovicka. The East Butler senior had a baseball scholarship offer from Creighton on the table.
But Husker football is not an easy thing for a kid who grew up in Nebraska to just push away, whatever your last name.
The hiring of coach Bo Pelini went a long way in helping Makovicka decide.
“This past season it was always crossing my mind that maybe I didn’t want to give (football) up yet,” he said. “After Coach Pelini was hired, I was about 90 percent sure that’s what I wanted to do, and then last week after I was up there and met with the whole staff, that clinched my decision.”
Husker coaches want to start Makovicka out at I-back. He could also potentially be a safety. Makovicka said he’s not currently entertaining ideas of also trying to play baseball at NU.
His older brothers, Jeff and Joel, played fullback for Nebraska during the program’s glory years in the ’90s, competing in a hard-nosed manner that elevated them from walk-ons to scholarship players and household names across the state.
Joel was a two-year starter, finishing his career in 1998 third on the school’s career list for rushing yards (1,447) by a fullback. Jeff was a backup to Cory Schlesinger in 1994 when NU captured its first national crown of the decade, and was a starter in 1995 when the Huskers repeated.
Joel went on to play in the NFL for the Arizona Cardinals from 1999-2002.
After Jeff and Joel, there’s Justin, who walked on in 2006 and redshirted. Justin will be a sophomore next season.
As good as the older Makovickas were, Joel said: “I think both of the younger ones were better than we ever were.”
Despite the history of the Makovicka name at NU, Jordan’s older brothers never put any pressure on him to play football.
More of the pressure came from fans, hoping to see another Makovicka playing for Nebraska.
“I’ve dealt with the pressure, the hype of playing behind them all of my life,” Jordan said. “I’ve learned to deal with it, almost to ignore it and just do what I can do on the field.”
Joel expects his brother will bring the same fire the rest of them did — with a “chip on his shoulder” to try to show he’s worthy of a scholarship.
Such was the motivating power of the Husker walk-on program when Jeff and Joel played. Joel senses it might be coming back.
“Jordan kind of grew up in a time when Nebraska was Nebraska,” Joel said. “Coach Osborne was there. You had guys like Coach (Frank) Solich, Coach (Ron) Brown. He grew up watching us with that type of atmosphere. Now, it seems like that’s what they’re getting back to and he wanted to be a part of it.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.
Jordan Makovicka will keep up the tradition and become the fourth Makovicka brother to walk on to the Husker football program.
The list of walk-on commitments in Nebraska’s current recruiting class has now reached two dozen.
It wasn’t an easy decision for Makovicka. The East Butler senior had a baseball scholarship offer from Creighton on the table.
But Husker football is not an easy thing for a kid who grew up in Nebraska to just push away, whatever your last name.
The hiring of coach Bo Pelini went a long way in helping Makovicka decide.
“This past season it was always crossing my mind that maybe I didn’t want to give (football) up yet,” he said. “After Coach Pelini was hired, I was about 90 percent sure that’s what I wanted to do, and then last week after I was up there and met with the whole staff, that clinched my decision.”
Husker coaches want to start Makovicka out at I-back. He could also potentially be a safety. Makovicka said he’s not currently entertaining ideas of also trying to play baseball at NU.
His older brothers, Jeff and Joel, played fullback for Nebraska during the program’s glory years in the ’90s, competing in a hard-nosed manner that elevated them from walk-ons to scholarship players and household names across the state.
Joel was a two-year starter, finishing his career in 1998 third on the school’s career list for rushing yards (1,447) by a fullback. Jeff was a backup to Cory Schlesinger in 1994 when NU captured its first national crown of the decade, and was a starter in 1995 when the Huskers repeated.
Joel went on to play in the NFL for the Arizona Cardinals from 1999-2002.
After Jeff and Joel, there’s Justin, who walked on in 2006 and redshirted. Justin will be a sophomore next season.
As good as the older Makovickas were, Joel said: “I think both of the younger ones were better than we ever were.”
Despite the history of the Makovicka name at NU, Jordan’s older brothers never put any pressure on him to play football.
More of the pressure came from fans, hoping to see another Makovicka playing for Nebraska.
“I’ve dealt with the pressure, the hype of playing behind them all of my life,” Jordan said. “I’ve learned to deal with it, almost to ignore it and just do what I can do on the field.”
Joel expects his brother will bring the same fire the rest of them did — with a “chip on his shoulder” to try to show he’s worthy of a scholarship.
Such was the motivating power of the Husker walk-on program when Jeff and Joel played. Joel senses it might be coming back.
“Jordan kind of grew up in a time when Nebraska was Nebraska,” Joel said. “Coach Osborne was there. You had guys like Coach (Frank) Solich, Coach (Ron) Brown. He grew up watching us with that type of atmosphere. Now, it seems like that’s what they’re getting back to and he wanted to be a part of it.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.
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