For Pelini, it's all about the team
When asked to discuss certain individuals in his first football recruiting class as Nebraska’s head coach, Bo Pelini said no thanks.
“I don’t really want to get into anyone today specifically,” he said. “Like I said, we’re recruiting talent and potential. I’m proud of every recruit we have. What they become in the future, that remains to be seen.”
College football recruiting is full of hype. The glorification of 18-year-olds has become big business. But in his Wednesday press conference introducing the recruiting class, Pelini wanted to keep the conversation team-based.
“There’s no sense in singling kids out,” he said.
And so he talked for about 25 minutes without saying one recruit’s name.
* He talked about the hype surrounding recruiting:
“I think you have to temper what the expectations are. Everybody wants to talk about what the No. 1 recruiting class is. They want to put numbers on it and talk about who had a good class and who didn’t have a good class. It’s hard to say. Talk to me two, three years down the road and I’ll tell you how good a class it was.”
* About his assistant coaches’ recruiting resumes:
“I don’t put much stock into recruiting resumes. What does that really mean? I know that we have good, high-character gentlemen who are out there recruiting and beating the bushes and have experience. They know talent. They know we’re all on the same page of what we want to accomplish and we have a tremendous product to sell. That’s a great resume.”
* About Nebraska’s heavy recruiting in Texas, where the Huskers picked up nine recruits:
“We have to be able to recruit Texas to have success in recruiting. ... Obviously our primary area is now and always will be the state of Nebraska. That’s where it has to start, begin and end, but then Texas is going to be a primary area outside of the state of Nebraska.”
* About southern speed:
“You know, obviously you want guys that can run. But I know that there are a lot of guys in the state of Nebraska that can run. I think that’s a little bit overblown. People think you go down and all of a sudden you cross into Louisiana and Florida and you can run.”
* About rallying from the rash of decommitments NU suffered in December:
“I didn’t really pay attention to losing recruits. That’s for the recruiting services. ... Until they sign on signing day, you haven’t gained or lost anybody until that fax comes across on signing day. That’s just the nature of recruiting these days. We had a plan. We stuck with our plan, and just kept working our butts off and things turned out well for us. How well, we’ll find out in the future.”
* About everyone having an equal shot:
“One thing I’ll say is, walk-ons, scholarship guys, it doesn’t make a difference to us. We’re bringing in good football players. Nobody’s been promised a thing here.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at bchristopherson@journalstar.com or 473-7439.
“I don’t really want to get into anyone today specifically,” he said. “Like I said, we’re recruiting talent and potential. I’m proud of every recruit we have. What they become in the future, that remains to be seen.”
College football recruiting is full of hype. The glorification of 18-year-olds has become big business. But in his Wednesday press conference introducing the recruiting class, Pelini wanted to keep the conversation team-based.
“There’s no sense in singling kids out,” he said.
And so he talked for about 25 minutes without saying one recruit’s name.
* He talked about the hype surrounding recruiting:
“I think you have to temper what the expectations are. Everybody wants to talk about what the No. 1 recruiting class is. They want to put numbers on it and talk about who had a good class and who didn’t have a good class. It’s hard to say. Talk to me two, three years down the road and I’ll tell you how good a class it was.”
* About his assistant coaches’ recruiting resumes:
“I don’t put much stock into recruiting resumes. What does that really mean? I know that we have good, high-character gentlemen who are out there recruiting and beating the bushes and have experience. They know talent. They know we’re all on the same page of what we want to accomplish and we have a tremendous product to sell. That’s a great resume.”
* About Nebraska’s heavy recruiting in Texas, where the Huskers picked up nine recruits:
“We have to be able to recruit Texas to have success in recruiting. ... Obviously our primary area is now and always will be the state of Nebraska. That’s where it has to start, begin and end, but then Texas is going to be a primary area outside of the state of Nebraska.”
* About southern speed:
“You know, obviously you want guys that can run. But I know that there are a lot of guys in the state of Nebraska that can run. I think that’s a little bit overblown. People think you go down and all of a sudden you cross into Louisiana and Florida and you can run.”
* About rallying from the rash of decommitments NU suffered in December:
“I didn’t really pay attention to losing recruits. That’s for the recruiting services. ... Until they sign on signing day, you haven’t gained or lost anybody until that fax comes across on signing day. That’s just the nature of recruiting these days. We had a plan. We stuck with our plan, and just kept working our butts off and things turned out well for us. How well, we’ll find out in the future.”
* About everyone having an equal shot:
“One thing I’ll say is, walk-ons, scholarship guys, it doesn’t make a difference to us. We’re bringing in good football players. Nobody’s been promised a thing here.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at bchristopherson@journalstar.com or 473-7439.
Copyright © 2002-2008 Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved.