STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Wednesday, December 7, 2005 6:00 pm
For now, Tierre Green practices at cornerback, as he has all season.
That’s about to change.
By next week, Green likely will be headed full-steam into his third position change since arriving on the Nebraska campus in 2003 as an I-back, Husker coach Bill Callahan said Wednesday.
Green moved to cornerback this past spring and completed the regular season with 29 tackles and four pass breakups as part of a three-man corner rotation. With Nebraska girding for heavy losses to graduation at the safety positions, Green is a natural choice to move there, especially considering he starred as a safety at Omaha Benson High School.
“No. 1, he has the speed and range,” Callahan said. “I think, most importantly, he has the physicalness to play safety. He is strong. He is a collision player. And he does have intelligence, so he can read and react pretty quickly.”
Nebraska (7-4) began practice in earnest Wednesday for the Dec. 28 Alamo Bowl against Michigan (7-4). Of the Huskers’ nine full-time assistant coaches, only two — defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove and tight ends coach Scott Downing — were on hand at Cook Pavilion, while the rest were on the road recruiting.
When Nebraska assistants return from the road, Callahan said, the staff will be prepared to oversee Green’s switch to safety and perhaps true freshman Leon Jackson’s move from safety to wideout, although Jackson said his switch isn’t official.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Green is diplomatic about yet another position change. In fact, he said, he regards it as an opportunity.
“I think I can do a lot of things,” he said. “I think my versatility allows me to work at a lot of positions, whether it be offense or defense.”
Green, who also has returned kickoffs for NU, primarily played safety throughout his career at Benson and had 63 tackles as a senior. In high school, he said, he could rely on athleticism to make plays. In college, however, discipline and intelligence are required. What’s more, safeties have more run-stopping responsibility than corners.
“Because I played it before, it kind of comes natural to me,” Green said. “I’ll do whatever helps the team. I’ll just continue to do what I need to do to get better, and if there comes a time when they ask me to (switch), that’s what I’ll do.”
Green, sophomore Cortney Grixby and junior Zackary Bowman received the bulk of the action at the corner positions this season for a Nebraska defense that ranked 11th nationally in pass efficiency.
“I think I played OK,” Green said. “There are a lot of things I could’ve done better.”
Nebraska loses to graduation three of the top four safeties on the final regular-season depth chart — free safeties Blake Tiedtke and Tyler Fisher and strong safety Daniel Bullocks.
Meanwhile, rumblings started last week that Jackson is set for his third position change in less than a year. He began preseason drills in August as a running back before switching to safety nine days into camp. After being limited to special teams this season, he now may move to wideout, he said.
The 6-2, 210-pound Jackson, of Pasco, Wash., played wideout on the scout team Wednesday after seeing time at the position Tuesday in 7-on-7 drills. He was one of the most touted members of Nebraska’s 2005 recruiting class.
Asked if his latest switch might become permanent, Jackson said, “It’s up to the coaches. Nothing’s official yet. I’m just waiting.”
Jackson said he played wideout “a little bit” in high school.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.