Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 1975)
ransfer students he By Pete Wegman Not all the players on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's football team this season are Big Red "originals"-eight fered to UNL from other schools. The eight are defensive backs Jim Burrow, Jake Cabell and Wonder Monds; defensive linemen Dean Gissler and Ray Phillips, center Tom Thomas, split end Ron, Nitzel and quarterback Vince Ferragamo. All. played at least one year of collegiate football at schools other than Nebraska. Senior Jim Burrow, starting defensive back, played freshman ball at the Uni versity of Mississippi before transferring to UNL in 1972. Too small "They said I was too small at Ole Miss," Burrow said. "Also, I wasn't on scholarship there and Nebraska offered me one." Burrow said the Nebraska coaches made no promises about him playing. "They just said I'd spend my first year here on the scout team as a quarterback, and then , they'd - move me "to defense," Burrow said. Junior defensive back Jake Cabell played at; two schools before arriving at Nebraska: North Carolina Central and . Ferrum Junior College (Va.). Cabell aid he had originally signed to attend North Carolina State after high school, but encountered admission problems because of a test grade. Nebraska's prestige "I guess the main reason I came here was Nebraska's prestige," Cabell said. "I was really impressed with their record." "My only regret is that I haven't been able to show what I can do since I've been here," Cabell said. He has been slowed by pulled leg muscles since arriving at UNL. Junior quarterback Vince Ferragamo once played ahead of all-American Steve Bartkowski at California before coming to Nebraska. Ferragamo played varsity ball the last three games his freshman year and his entire sophomore year. "I wanted a different atmosphere," he said. "I wanted to get to a school that was a football power and had a first-class program, like Nebraska." Senior Dean Gissler, a defensive tackle, went to the Air Force Academy for six months before transferring to Nebraska where he was a walk-on. 'There were a lot of reasons why I transferred. The biggest was that there was no chance of playing pro football after graduating from the Academy," he said. "After graduation, you're committed to the Air Force for five years." Almost played basketball Gissler said he wasn't recruited heavily for football and almost went to Creighton University to play basketball. "If lhad a chance to do it all over, I'd do it the same way," .he said. "I gave the Air Force a fair chance and learned a lot. This way I get' the best of both sides." Senior Wonder Monds, an all-American defensive back candidate, said he almost transferred to Missouri instead of Nebraska after a year of junior college football at Indian Hills in Iowa. "I didn't really like it there (Indian. Hills)," he said. "I wanted to come to the Big 8 because it was the best conference in the nation." Nebraska Southern Junior split end Ron Nitzel, was the nation's third leading junior college re ceiver while playing at Nebraska Southern in Fairbury. ' Nitzel, who played two full seasons at the school came to UNL midway through his second year to be eligible for spring baii. . " ' ': ' - ; ' "I gues3 the prestige of Nebraska drew me here," he said. 'The coaches told me who my competition would be and said I'd have to work for it (a starting role)." Nitzel said he was contacted by Kansas, Kansas State, Arizona State, Virginia arid New Mexico State before he decided on S e 3 'i L lS f- Jj : yC'yO '- " Photo by TwJKlrtt Wonder Monds (26) stops Indiana's Courtney Snyder (43) during last Saturday's 45-0 Husker win. Monds, safety Jim Burrow and defensive end Ray Phillips are the transfer athletes on the starting defense. UNL. Junior Ray Phillips, starting defensive end, played two seasons at Marshalltown Junior College in Iowa. Phillips said one of the reasons he came to Nebraska was because his coach at Marshalltown had been coached by former Husker coach Bob Devaney at Wyoming. "I had to transfer at break so I could play spring ball and learn the system, Phillips said. 'The coaches here didn't make any promises about me playing. They just said that if I worked hard enough, I'd have a good shot at playing." Senior center Tom Thomas is a transfer from West Los Angeles Junior College, where he was all-Conference and honorable mention Junior College all-American. I 4 1 t . i n9 fx., X5 i V- " ill t. v . mm k ? .j . t -a B. n m tr a. m . m. 1 I Tnil'i)n1nfiniii(niiiiii.HiMHMliM iWiiilnliiriiiiW niiiiiiiniiirmin-11i,ff . fajp&t1 v. - Ted Harvey (31) stares down at LSU's Robert Dow (13) after tackling the receiver after a fourth quarter gain last Saturday. ?,,bvb,y Thomas (8) comes to the end of a punt return as Chuck Jones (35) looks on in the LSU game.