Daily Nebraskan file photo
Uf*hrwlkr^rin£baCu. ^on Sheppard eludes Missouri’s Darin Grossich. Sheppard will compete
with Hendley Hawkins, Dana Brinson and Jamie Worden for the starting wingback job.
Sheppard’s uncertain status
leaves a gap at wingback
By Mark Dorowitsch
Senior Reporter
If quarterback Steve Taylor can pass
with consistency, Nebraska will have
one of its best passing attacks ever.
At least Cornhusker wingback Dana
Brinson said he thinks so.
“Overall, this is one of the best
groups of receivers that Nebraska has
had in awhile,” Brinson said. "Since
we have been a running team in the
past, it would be beneficial to put the
ball in the air more since we have a lot
of good receivers. It would balance our
team if we used our passing attack.”
Nebraska football coach Tom Os
borne said the only question surround
ing Nebraska’s receivers is the avail
ability of wingback Von Sheppard.
Sheppard ii\jured his knee during the
Huskers’ 30-10 victory over Oklahoma
State last season.
“We’re hoping Von will be able to
play,” Osborne said. "He could be
ready at the start of the year or three or
four games into the year.”
Hendley Hawkins replaced Brinson
as the No. 1 wingback after spring
practice, but Brinson said he wants to
earn his starting job back. Brinson was
Nebraska’s leading receiver last season
with 14 catches for 208 yards.
“It won’t be easy to do,” Brinson
said. “But I have made up my mind to
do it. I have to come into fall with my
confidence up and just apply myself to
take over and start. It will be good
competition and the best man will
win.”
“Hendley has a good spring and
Dana has a lot of ability,” Osborne said.
“But Dana didn't have quite as good
spring that we would have liked to.”
At split end, sophomore Morgan
Gregory will compete with senior Rod
Smith for a startingjob. Smith averaged
a school-record 18.9 yards per punt
return last year, while Gregory started
for last season’s 4-1 freshman team.
The Huskers also return tight ends
Tom Banderas and Todd Millikan.
Millikan led Nebraska in touchdown
catches with four, while Banderas was
hampered with leg iryuries last season.
“Banderas was ii\jured most of the
time last year and Millikan had a good
year all the way through. (Keith) Neu
bert has a lot of raw ability,” Osborne
said.
Neubert, who spent four years as a
center with the Nebraska basketball
team, ended spring practice as the No.
3 tight end.
McDermott has dual role I
By Michelle Willnerd
Staff Reporter
A new challenge will be awaiting
Nebraska tennis coach Kerry Mc
Dermott when the Comhuskers open
their season this spring.
McDermott, who is now in his
seventh season as Nebraska men’s
coach, will also coach the Nebraska
women’s tennis team. He succeeds
Kathy Hawkins, who resigned follow
ing the Comhuskers’ fifth-place
finish in the Big Eight last year.
“It will be fun and a challenge,’’
McDermott said. “I’m very anxious
to get the programs to the top.’’
McDermott said he will build the
Nebraska men's team around vet
erans Steve and Stuart Jung and
Robert Sjoholm. He said Steve Jung,
who qualified for the NCAA champ
ionships as the Huskers’ No. 1
singles player last year, won the
singles title in the National Amatuer
Circuit Tennis Tournament in Erie,
Pa., this summer.
Steve Jung also teamed with his
brother, Stuart, to win the tourna
ment doubles title.
‘‘This tournament featured some
of the top college players in the
nation,” McDermott said.
McDermott said Sjoholm, ajunior
from Aland, Finland, is capable of
capturing a conference title.
He said the rest of the Nebraska
men’s team is even in terms of
ability.
“This is the best tennis team
there has been at UNL," McDermott
said. ‘‘This is going to be our year;
no more wishing.”
McDermott said the Nebraska
women's tennis team also will be
solid. He said it is difficult to
predict where the Cornhuskers will |
finish in the conference race.
“It should be better,” McDermott
said. “We could always surprise a
few people.”
McDermott said the women’s re
cruiting class is still incomplete
because he is waiting for test scores
to see if two potential recruits will
be eligible. He said the two recruits
who have not yet signed are from
Hungary and Columbia, South Amer
ica
McDermott said the Cornhuskers
have signed Nancy Tygum and \
Maghan Quinn, both of Wisconsin.
He said Tygum won the father
daughter division of the U.S. Open
Tennis Tournament, while Quinn is
ranked ninth in the l&and under
Northwest section category. I
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