A short history lesson for Husker fans. In 1924 sportswriter Grantland Rice created the legendary “Four Horseman.” His column that day included this passage,
Outlined against a blue-gray October sky the Four Horseman rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below.
Is there a sportswriter in the world that hasn’t been trying to write something better than Rice did on that day in 1924? It’s perfect. I won’t even try. The history lesson, the Huskers handed the Four-Horseman the only two losses of their careers with a 14-6 win in 1922 and 14-7 victory in 1923.
I mention all this because with Wednesday’s press conference and hearing Nebraska’s quarterbacks speak, it hit me. Just like Rice’s comparison works, there are words that hit equally well when describing Nebraska’s quarterbacks. Words that exemplify who they are. Unlike the Four Horsman, you will never see these three on the field at one time. But when they take the field as individuals this fall you will recognize them as ‘Juice’, ‘Heart’ and ‘Steel’. Their aliases, Colandrea, Kaelin and Lateef. No, it isn’t as catchy as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. But the tags I’ve given them well defines who each of them is.
Juice
Not one but several individuals, whether it is players or coaches, have used the word ‘juice’ when talking about Colandrea. He exudes confidence and firmly believes in himself and his capabilities. While some will say he is cocky or arrogant it boils down to his understanding of who he is, the position he plays and what is required of him. There is no masking with Colandrea, what you see is a guy who is real. When asked about his goals at Nebraska, he gave an answer that will resonate with Husker fans.
“My goals here? The main goal here is just to win. Win football games.”
If you’re a Husker fan, you love that answer because all you want to see is wins. You don’t care how they come. Aesthetics are out the door at this point. Colandrea plays the way the game is meant to be played and when asked about his approach he had this to say.
“The way I approach the game is really being a playmaker at the quarterback position. You just got to get players the ball, throw it to the open guys. We got so many guys that can go make plays, and my job is to just get them the ball and let them go make plays.”
I don’t mean to pick on Nebraska’s former QB, but how many times did we see him utilize his playmakers. Barney had 120 yards and 2 TDs in receptions against Michigan in the fourth game of the season. He never had more than 55 yards in a game after that, and when he did, it came with Lateef playing QB. Game after game we heard fans ask, “Where are the tight ends?” Those shortcomings can’t all be put on Holgorsen and the offensive line, and it’s why Holgorsen said watching Colandrea was refreshing.
“I feel like it’s a big deal for quarterbacks being able to run and get out of the pocket. Say your first, second read’s not there, your third read not there …to be able to get out of the pocket and go make plays down the field and give your players the ball,” Colandrea said.
Hearing Colandrea, I’m excited because of what he can make happen with the ball in his hands, creating unscripted plays due to his ability to scramble, find the open receiver and steal plays from a defense. The Husker’s wide receivers need to learn how to extend the play with Colandrea, if they do, they’ll become playmakers and game changers.
Steve Sipple of HuskerOnline asked Colandrea how different running the football would be in the Big Ten versus the Mountain West.
“Just go out get first downs and score touchdowns.” Colandrea said.
Sipple commented afterwards on his radio show that he thought the look on Colandrea’s face said more than his answer. My thought on Sipple’s question, it’s too bad defensive players Owen Chambliss and Dewayne McDougle weren’t standing at the podium with Colandrea. I’m sure they would have had something to add. Afterall, Sipple suggested in a roundabout way that Mountain West football is inferior. Which in turn implies its players are as well. You can thank Sipple for any additional motivation he may have given the former Mountain West trio.
Heart
Let’s face it, Danny Kaelin has been through a gauntlet of emotions in his Nebraska experience. And with his time in Virgina and exorcising the ghost of Raiola, he’s gone through a cleansing. He’s back home and there’s a certainty about him and knowing he is where he belongs. Players like Kaelin are the heart and soul of Husker football. They are the living spirit and the nucleus of team building. When asked about the quarterback room Kaelin had this to say.
“It’s been competitive. The QB room has been a lot of fun. I think it’s been the most…kind of…collaborative QB room I’ve been a part of, as far as guys not having an ego, just being competitive and pushing each other to get better. It’s been a lot of fun so far.”
He was asked for further explanation of what he meant by collaborative.
“Yeah, I mean todays college football there’s a lot of different aspects involved. You see a lot of different guys, not to call anybody out, but there’s egos and money involved, things like that. I think that can kind of create some tension or problems sometimes in a QB room and there hasn’t been anything like that with the room we have right now.”
Kelin may not have called anybody out, but reading between the lines is easy to do, which isn’t a newsflash to Husker fans. It’s what several of us suspected all along. Nebraska has been a fractured team the last two seasons. It easy to imagine things have changed in that room since his return. Kaelin was involved with peer recruiting several of the players on this roster and was probably a bigger part of it while at Virgina than some of the players that suited up in Lincoln. That connection was still in place when he returned and will carry over to the competition for the starting spot.
Steel
TJ Lateef stubbornly refuses to change his course of action or attitude about his ability to be Nebraska’s starting QB. Iron may sharpen iron, but when you add the right material alloys to iron you get steel. Something even harder and unyielding than iron. Lateef hasn’t given away to the pressure or expectations. He’s held firm, and his teammates admire that. When asked about what part of his game he needs to work on, Lateef gave the following answer.
“Stop being mechanical. One of the things I’m good at is making plays off schedule. So, if I need to make a play off schedule, then make it off schedule instead of being mechanical and just sitting in the pocket.”
There has been a change of thinking in Lincoln. With Raiola, it was about protection, making reads, and getting rid of the ball. That line of thinking carried over to the other quarterbacks and the receivers. When protection broke down, receivers quit, the ball was thrown away and the play was over. That will no longer be the case. Whatever it takes to extend a play and produce a positive outcome will now be the goal.
Lateef was asked if it was a hard decision to stay at Nebraska and not transfer.
“Nah. No decisions. I mean I’m here. There was nothing to think about. I wanted to compete for the starting job, so that’s what I’m doing.”
He was then asked if his thinking changed and what his reaction was when he found out not one, but two quarterbacks would be brought in to compete.
“No reaction. It just makes it more fun. I feel like people shy away from that stuff. I don’t shy away, I embrace it. I’m not going to shy away from what’s going on.”
Both players and coaches admire Lateef’s attitude, and having started four games last season, he’s built a bond with his teammates. The wide receivers are high on Lateef, and he has built trust between them. He proved himself at UCLA and the team knows that with the right preparation and support he can lead them.
Obviously, we won’t know until fall, but I don’t see Kaelin being named the starter, But Lateef? Well, he’s the wild card. If someone is going to beat out Colandrea, it’s Lateef. Although, it’ll be hard to do with Dana Holgorsen’s comments about Colandrea early on, “We brought him here for a reason.”
I’ve picked a single word as a name for each quarterback, but in truth, all three possess these traits. When speaking to the media, it was Lateef first, Kaelin second and Colandrea last. Can anything be read into that pecking order? One thing is for sure, while each sees themselves as the starter, by August they’ll know where they stand and why.
Former Husker Damon Benning recently stated that the temperament of your locker room and your team is derived from one of three places, quarterback, offensive line, or defensive line. You want your leadership to come from as close to the line of scrimmage as possible.
If it’s quarterbacks, this team has a chance to be good, operating with Juice, Heart and Steel.
GO BIG RED!! SIMPLE, FAST, VIOLENT!!
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