Asante sold on Pelini's message
Larry Asante recently walked into Bo Pelini’s office and didn’t leave for an hour.
Just a player and coach having a conversation about whatever. Football never came up.
“You don’t have to set any kind of appointment,” Asante said. “You just go in there and knock on the door and sit there and talk to him for however long.”
This is not to suggest the Husker junior safety felt distant from the previous head coach. Asante liked Bill Callahan. He came here to play for the man, after all.
He could have never imagined something like the 2007 season: the Nebraska defense going down as the worst in school history, swirling negativity, the coach getting fired a day after the final game.
Some kind of introduction to Nebraska football, huh?
“Me and Coach Bill had a personal relationship. He was my guy,” Asante said. “It’s unfortunate what happened, happened. But you can’t sit back and regret. Coach Pelini’s a great guy. I’m happy he’s here. He’s a defensive-minded coach. I love the man to death.”
Asante was sold on Pelini’s message from the beginning.
“The first day he walked into the building, he said, ‘Everybody’s going to be accountable for everything you do, from the time you wake up to the time you’re in bed,’” Asante said. “After he said that, I knew he’s all about business and he wants to win. And I want to win.”
If you want to dissect last season, Asante’s not your guy. There is no easy answer to explain what happened to Nebraska’s defense — 112th out of 119 major college football teams in total defense, 114th in scoring defense, 116th in rushing defense.
“I let it go,” Asante said. “I’m looking forward to this next season to come along. Coach is a great coach and he has a great defensive scheme. To tell you the truth, I don’t know what the defense is going to look like. All I know is it’s going to be great.”
Pelini said last week that he has some ideas for possible position changes, but wouldn’t specify.
The idea of moving Asante from safety to linebacker — in the thought that it might add speed to that position — has been floated around by some Husker faithful.
Asante has mostly played safety, but did spend a year as a linebacker at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College. He had 76 tackles, 11 for losses, three blocked kicks and an interception.
As far as Asante knows, he’s staying at safety.
“I don’t have any control over that,” Asante says. “I’m a team player. I’ve been playing safety all my life and that’s what I want to play. But at the same time, if they feel like there’s a need for change, I’ll do it.
“But talking to the coaches, there isn’t going to be a position change, I already know that. (But) certain defenses, certain packages, if I’m playing linebacker, if that’s going to benefit the team, if that’s going to get us a W, at the end I’m all for it.”
Husker defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said there are a variety of things that must be taken into account before any position changes are made.
“A: You got to evaluate in an isolated manner, a look at depth at each position,” he said.
“B: You have to look at guys who could function well at multiple positions.
“C: You have to look at guys who, if they played a different position in our scheme, maybe they don’t fit. But maybe they might fit very well at that position in a different scheme.”
Carl Pelini said the defensive assistants — himself, Marvin Sanders, Mike Ekeler and John Papuchis — have had little trouble getting on the same page as they prepare for spring ball, which begins March 26.
“Although it’s interesting,” he said. “We’ve really had some great discussions ... just great discussions about some of the intricacies on the little things and how we teach it.
“It’s exciting when you have those discussions. That’s not always the case where you have four people who are very well versed in the scheme and are able to analyze, and make suggestions, and sometimes play devil’s advocate to one another.”
While the defensive coaches work on detailing their schemes, Asante said the workouts players are in the midst of are highly intense.
“We do more flexibility, a lot more stretching, lot more explosive lifts, lot more explosive runs, just everything we do we’re competing against each other,” Asante said.
“(Last year), we had a long time between sets. Everybody would take five minutes between sets. It’s like rapid fire (now). You do everything boom-boom-boom-boom. It’s nonstop. And once you enter the weight room, you’re not allowed to leave the weight room until you’re done.”
Apparently, the Huskers were doing more long-distance running last year. Now, most running drills are kept to 60 yards or less.
Asante said he’s at 208 pounds right now — that’s the weight he wants to play at — but feels a lot stronger than last year.
No, the offseason hasn’t been without bumps for the program. But Asante hopes some off-the-field incidents offered a “reality check” to players.
“We didn’t expect something like that to happen, but it did happen and it’s history now,” he said. “But we came together as a team. We’re cutting the partying, we’re cutting all that, because in the end, there’s a bigger picture. We’re cutting all the little things apart because we want to win, we want to be a good football team.
“And in order to be a good football team, you have to cut all the little stuff out.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at bchristopherson@journalstar.com or 473-7439.
Just a player and coach having a conversation about whatever. Football never came up.
“You don’t have to set any kind of appointment,” Asante said. “You just go in there and knock on the door and sit there and talk to him for however long.”
This is not to suggest the Husker junior safety felt distant from the previous head coach. Asante liked Bill Callahan. He came here to play for the man, after all.
He could have never imagined something like the 2007 season: the Nebraska defense going down as the worst in school history, swirling negativity, the coach getting fired a day after the final game.
Some kind of introduction to Nebraska football, huh?
“Me and Coach Bill had a personal relationship. He was my guy,” Asante said. “It’s unfortunate what happened, happened. But you can’t sit back and regret. Coach Pelini’s a great guy. I’m happy he’s here. He’s a defensive-minded coach. I love the man to death.”
Asante was sold on Pelini’s message from the beginning.
“The first day he walked into the building, he said, ‘Everybody’s going to be accountable for everything you do, from the time you wake up to the time you’re in bed,’” Asante said. “After he said that, I knew he’s all about business and he wants to win. And I want to win.”
If you want to dissect last season, Asante’s not your guy. There is no easy answer to explain what happened to Nebraska’s defense — 112th out of 119 major college football teams in total defense, 114th in scoring defense, 116th in rushing defense.
“I let it go,” Asante said. “I’m looking forward to this next season to come along. Coach is a great coach and he has a great defensive scheme. To tell you the truth, I don’t know what the defense is going to look like. All I know is it’s going to be great.”
Pelini said last week that he has some ideas for possible position changes, but wouldn’t specify.
The idea of moving Asante from safety to linebacker — in the thought that it might add speed to that position — has been floated around by some Husker faithful.
Asante has mostly played safety, but did spend a year as a linebacker at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College. He had 76 tackles, 11 for losses, three blocked kicks and an interception.
As far as Asante knows, he’s staying at safety.
“I don’t have any control over that,” Asante says. “I’m a team player. I’ve been playing safety all my life and that’s what I want to play. But at the same time, if they feel like there’s a need for change, I’ll do it.
“But talking to the coaches, there isn’t going to be a position change, I already know that. (But) certain defenses, certain packages, if I’m playing linebacker, if that’s going to benefit the team, if that’s going to get us a W, at the end I’m all for it.”
Husker defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said there are a variety of things that must be taken into account before any position changes are made.
“A: You got to evaluate in an isolated manner, a look at depth at each position,” he said.
“B: You have to look at guys who could function well at multiple positions.
“C: You have to look at guys who, if they played a different position in our scheme, maybe they don’t fit. But maybe they might fit very well at that position in a different scheme.”
Carl Pelini said the defensive assistants — himself, Marvin Sanders, Mike Ekeler and John Papuchis — have had little trouble getting on the same page as they prepare for spring ball, which begins March 26.
“Although it’s interesting,” he said. “We’ve really had some great discussions ... just great discussions about some of the intricacies on the little things and how we teach it.
“It’s exciting when you have those discussions. That’s not always the case where you have four people who are very well versed in the scheme and are able to analyze, and make suggestions, and sometimes play devil’s advocate to one another.”
While the defensive coaches work on detailing their schemes, Asante said the workouts players are in the midst of are highly intense.
“We do more flexibility, a lot more stretching, lot more explosive lifts, lot more explosive runs, just everything we do we’re competing against each other,” Asante said.
“(Last year), we had a long time between sets. Everybody would take five minutes between sets. It’s like rapid fire (now). You do everything boom-boom-boom-boom. It’s nonstop. And once you enter the weight room, you’re not allowed to leave the weight room until you’re done.”
Apparently, the Huskers were doing more long-distance running last year. Now, most running drills are kept to 60 yards or less.
Asante said he’s at 208 pounds right now — that’s the weight he wants to play at — but feels a lot stronger than last year.
No, the offseason hasn’t been without bumps for the program. But Asante hopes some off-the-field incidents offered a “reality check” to players.
“We didn’t expect something like that to happen, but it did happen and it’s history now,” he said. “But we came together as a team. We’re cutting the partying, we’re cutting all that, because in the end, there’s a bigger picture. We’re cutting all the little things apart because we want to win, we want to be a good football team.
“And in order to be a good football team, you have to cut all the little stuff out.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at bchristopherson@journalstar.com or 473-7439.
Copyright © 2002-2008 Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved.