Post by gobigred203 on May 6, 2009 22:45:30 GMT -5
Steven M. Sipple: Solich says Crawford was big-time QB
Tuesday, May 05, 2009 - 12:12:47 am CDT
Although a decade has passed, former Nebraska football coach Frank Solich remembers this particular recruiting trip pretty well. After all, he was courting a superb athlete.
If he’s not mistaken, Solich said Monday, he first met Carl Crawford and his father at their family barbecue establishment in Houston.
I had long wanted to ask Solich about his recruitment of Crawford, who in 1999 signed a national letter of intent to play quarterback at Nebraska. A few months later, after being selected by Tampa Bay in the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft, Crawford said goodbye to football.
Crawford stole six bases Sunday, tying a modern major-league record. Watching Crawford — an eight-year major-league veteran and four-time American League stolen-base champion — it’s easy to imagine his baseball talents translating to the football field.
“He was a complete kind of quarterback — a guy who could throw the ball well but obviously had great running ability,” Solich said. “We thought he could really fit everything we wanted to do. In fact, his kind of ability would’ve allowed us to do a great number of things.”
Including things that might’ve significantly altered Nebraska’s overall makeup.
“If Carl would’ve been in the program, Jammal Lord would’ve been a strong safety, and Jammal would probably still be playing pro ball,” Solich said of NU’s leather-tough former starting quarterback (2002-03).
“Jammal was so physical and such a fierce hitter,” Solich added. “You look at what the pros look for in terms of size of bodies and hitters. ... Plus, Jammal could cover an awful lot of ground.”
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Lord — who never missed a practice in five years at Nebraska — was drafted in the sixth round by the Houston Texans but was unable to stick in the NFL.
“Pros acknowledged Jammal’s ability,” Solich said. “But trying to place him was tough. If he could’ve played safety or running back, and came out of college as one of those, he might’ve had a great shot of sticking in the NFL.”
Lord ended up as the only QB recruit in Nebraska’s class of 1999.
“He was an athlete — we knew he could be used a number of different ways,” Solich said. “With the style of offense we were running, he was a good fit at quarterback.”
Meanwhile, Crawford had intended to play both football and baseball at NU.
“He got drafted so high, and the money got so big, that it wasn’t a hard choice,” said Solich, preparing for his fifth season as head coach at Ohio University. “It was just a tremendous thing for him.”
Eric Crouch was a Husker sophomore in 1999, and Bobby Newcombe a junior, so Crawford would’ve had to wait his turn at quarterback, right?
Right?
“You would think so,” Solich said. “How it would’ve played out, who really knows? We had a Heisman Trophy quarterback in our program at that point in Eric. Could you have found a way to get both those guys (Crawford and Crouch) on the field at the same time? I’d say yes.”
* A quick follow-up on a column from last week:
Former Nebraska center Brett Byford had two goals entering Sunday’s Lincoln Marathon: To run a 10-minute-per-mile pace through 15 miles, and to finish the race.
He accomplished both, completing his first-ever marathon in 5 hours, 24 minutes, 38 seconds, despite cramping in his calf muscles during the final 11 miles.
“The last part of the race was kind of tough,” he said. “Everything was going out on me — the hamstrings, calves, shins and quads were all trying to betray me. But it was fun. It was such a well put-together event and such a positive experience. There was so much adrenaline.”
Ah, and there were rewards.
“I had my first fast food in about a year Sunday (after the race),” said Byford, who played at about 300 pounds in 2007 but now weighs in the 225-pound range. “It was like two old friends reuniting.”
huskerextra.com/articles/2009/05/06/football/doc49ff999934c62186528330.txt
Tuesday, May 05, 2009 - 12:12:47 am CDT
Although a decade has passed, former Nebraska football coach Frank Solich remembers this particular recruiting trip pretty well. After all, he was courting a superb athlete.
If he’s not mistaken, Solich said Monday, he first met Carl Crawford and his father at their family barbecue establishment in Houston.
I had long wanted to ask Solich about his recruitment of Crawford, who in 1999 signed a national letter of intent to play quarterback at Nebraska. A few months later, after being selected by Tampa Bay in the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft, Crawford said goodbye to football.
Crawford stole six bases Sunday, tying a modern major-league record. Watching Crawford — an eight-year major-league veteran and four-time American League stolen-base champion — it’s easy to imagine his baseball talents translating to the football field.
“He was a complete kind of quarterback — a guy who could throw the ball well but obviously had great running ability,” Solich said. “We thought he could really fit everything we wanted to do. In fact, his kind of ability would’ve allowed us to do a great number of things.”
Including things that might’ve significantly altered Nebraska’s overall makeup.
“If Carl would’ve been in the program, Jammal Lord would’ve been a strong safety, and Jammal would probably still be playing pro ball,” Solich said of NU’s leather-tough former starting quarterback (2002-03).
“Jammal was so physical and such a fierce hitter,” Solich added. “You look at what the pros look for in terms of size of bodies and hitters. ... Plus, Jammal could cover an awful lot of ground.”
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Lord — who never missed a practice in five years at Nebraska — was drafted in the sixth round by the Houston Texans but was unable to stick in the NFL.
“Pros acknowledged Jammal’s ability,” Solich said. “But trying to place him was tough. If he could’ve played safety or running back, and came out of college as one of those, he might’ve had a great shot of sticking in the NFL.”
Lord ended up as the only QB recruit in Nebraska’s class of 1999.
“He was an athlete — we knew he could be used a number of different ways,” Solich said. “With the style of offense we were running, he was a good fit at quarterback.”
Meanwhile, Crawford had intended to play both football and baseball at NU.
“He got drafted so high, and the money got so big, that it wasn’t a hard choice,” said Solich, preparing for his fifth season as head coach at Ohio University. “It was just a tremendous thing for him.”
Eric Crouch was a Husker sophomore in 1999, and Bobby Newcombe a junior, so Crawford would’ve had to wait his turn at quarterback, right?
Right?
“You would think so,” Solich said. “How it would’ve played out, who really knows? We had a Heisman Trophy quarterback in our program at that point in Eric. Could you have found a way to get both those guys (Crawford and Crouch) on the field at the same time? I’d say yes.”
* A quick follow-up on a column from last week:
Former Nebraska center Brett Byford had two goals entering Sunday’s Lincoln Marathon: To run a 10-minute-per-mile pace through 15 miles, and to finish the race.
He accomplished both, completing his first-ever marathon in 5 hours, 24 minutes, 38 seconds, despite cramping in his calf muscles during the final 11 miles.
“The last part of the race was kind of tough,” he said. “Everything was going out on me — the hamstrings, calves, shins and quads were all trying to betray me. But it was fun. It was such a well put-together event and such a positive experience. There was so much adrenaline.”
Ah, and there were rewards.
“I had my first fast food in about a year Sunday (after the race),” said Byford, who played at about 300 pounds in 2007 but now weighs in the 225-pound range. “It was like two old friends reuniting.”
huskerextra.com/articles/2009/05/06/football/doc49ff999934c62186528330.txt