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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 1987)
Welniak gets his just due: a starting slot By Kyle Schurman Staff Reporter Hard work and commitment have paid off for Nebraska senior line backer Doug Welniak. Welniak joined the Comhuskers as a walk-on in 1983 and was a reserve linebacker during his first three play ing seasons and his redshirt year. But things picked up this season for Welniak. He earned a scholarship, shared a starting position with fellow senior Steve Forch and was voted a team captain. “I was real happy with the way things turned out,” Welniak said. “Everything happened in one week. Now if we win it’ll mean a lot more.” Welniak said earning a scholarship was his first goal when he arrived at Nebraska. He said he had to work harder than most scholarship athletes because he was a walk-on. Welniak said not having a scholar ship was good for him. “If I had walked in here as a schol arship athlete, I probably wouldn’t have worked as hard as I did,” Welniak said. “(Earning a scholar ship) makes you feci like you finally accomplished something.” Nebraska linebackers coach John Melton said Welniak deserves every thing he has received this year. He stuck around through the lough times and now he’s got his just reward," Melton said. Wclniak said he has had perfect attendance at practice and meetings except w hen there have been conflicts with school. He said attending all the prac uccs and meetings didn’t seem to be worth it in the past, but does now. 11 takes a tough mental person to really suck nout,” Wclniak said. “I’m su ing a lot ol kids who aren’t sure if it’s reallv worth it. I was one of those kids.” Welmak said he put a lot of work into making himself better and “fi nally got what I deserved.” Wdmak said he was “real sur prised about being elected captain. He said he tries to keep the tempo up at prac lice because people play as they practice. Melton said Wclniak was a “very good choice for captain.” He leads by doing,” Melton said. “He’s got great toughness and he’s a good leader. We’re very glad to have him." Mellon said Wclniak worked hard on pass drops during spring football. “He’s a great individual,” Mellon said. “He’s a hard-working, sincere 7wul|fc, >iiuii. nt s veiy niitiiigtm. Wclniak said Wyoming and the University of Nebraska-Omaha of fered him scholarships. He said he didn't care for Wyoming, and UNO coat h Sandy Buda kind of “turned me off.” Buda told me my chances of play lng (at Nebraska) were zero,” Wclniak said, “And every week 1 waited to decide, the scholarship money decreased. It made me mad. ’ He said he was pretty sure he wanted to walk on at Nebraska be cause 11 he hadn’t, he would have “always wondered” whether he could hast played for the Huskers. Wclniak said his biggest asset is his hitting ability. He said he played on the kickoff team during his early years a'* a Husker, and that’s where he carnal his nickname, "Maniac.” He said he learned a lot during his mdshirt year in 1984. 1 practiced against the 1984 team, a**il I II never play against a better often sc,’’Wclniak said.“l dplay hard | against them in practice, and somc timcs they’d get mad; but they also hked it because I’d give them a real picture of what they’d sec in the game.” Wclniak said his main goal for this year is the same as his teammates’. We want to win the national championship,“ Wclniak said. “But we have to take one game at a lime. We can’t look too far ahead.” Courtesy of OSU Sports Information Oklahoma State running back Thurman Thomas leaps over a pile of North Texas State defenders. Thomas, a Heisman Trophy candidate who is the nation's leading rusher, will lead the Cowboys in their game against Nebraska Saturday in Stillwater, Okla. Oklahoma State’s Thomas primes for Saturday’s game, NU’s Thomas B> Steve Sipple Staff Reporter Oklahoma Slate running back Thurman Thomas said he will be trying to avoid a confrontation with a friend when the Cowboys face Nebraska Saturday in Stillwater, Ok la. The friend is Huskcr defensive end Broderick Thomas, whom Thurman Thomas said he worked out with in late August in Houston. He said they ran together at The Hill — a popular training area where many professional and col legiate players prepare in the off season. During that time, Thurman Thomas said, "we got to know a lot about each other.” Broderick Thomas, a Houston native, said he hopes to get to know his friend from nearby Missouri City, Texas, a little more Saturday at Lewis Field. The game, televised by CBS, begins at 1:45 p.m. “I hope to have a lot of Thomas on Thomas,” Broderick Thomas said. “It will be Thomas on the carry and Thomas on the tackle.” LJ a rAi/1 Ka ft at iIahaI A I iv .H4 ■ MV I VIV » VIV/J/WI M rapport with Thurman Thomas and Cowboy receiver Hart Lee Dykes, but said the friendships will be put aside for about three hours Satur day afternoon. “They’re two of my buddies,” Broderick Thomas said. “I ran hills this summer (with Thurman) and I’ve worked out with Hart Lee. “Thomas knows what he has to do. He’s coming to run and I’m coming to hit. He know s he’s going to get hit — and I won’t let him down.” Thurman Thomas has proved a difficult target to hit this season, as the Cowboy running back leads the nation in rushing with a 140-yard per game average. He has rushed 120 times for 700 yards and seven touchdowns, and has caught 12 passes for 155 yards. Thurman Thomas said he was amused by his namesake’s com ments. “It’s good motivation for him self and his teammates,” he said. “Basically, that’s just the way he has been. It doesn’t surprise me he says anything like that. “I’ve heard it from the Bo/. (Brian Bosworth.) It’s really like a challenge to me to go out and play a little harder. It’s good motiva tion.” Thomas said he and his team mates have plenty of motivation heading into their clash with the second-ranked Huskers. The 5-0 Cowboys haven’t defeated Ne braska since 1961, when they w on 14-6 al Stillwater. “Oh yes, we have never been in a big situation like this,” he said. “All the players are excited and ready to play Saturday.” Thomas said the game will be the biggest of his collegiate career. “No question,” he said. “We had a big game in 1984 when wc went to the Gator Bowl (a 21-14 Cowboy victory),” he said. “But will all the media hype and both teams coming in 5-0, it takes the place as the biggest game of all.” Thomas said he has never had very good games against the Husk ers. Thomas was held to 38 yards in the Cowboys’ 30-10 loss to Ne braska last season, and rushed for 71 yards against Nebraska as a sophomore and 12 as a freshman. This season, Thomas said, he hopes to change all that. “Nebraska has never been one of my favorite teams to play against,” he said. “This Saturday, though. I’m looking forward to having a big game.” Thomas has had plenty of big games during his career, He has piled up 3,934 yards to make him Oklahoma State’s second all-ume leading rusher behind Terry Miller. This season, Thomas has gone over the 100-yard mark a career best five straight times and has again thrust himself into the Heis man Trophy chase. The Oklahoma State Sports Information Department handed out a Heisman Trophy promotional packet this week proclaiming “Thurman Thomas: Back in tl.e Heisman Hunt.” Thomas said although he doesn’t think much about the award, he hasn't ruled anything out. “I really don t think much about it until writers ask me,” he said. “My teammates hope I can win it. But you re speaking of the Heis man, I'm not.” Thomas said he thinks he can continue his success through the Big Eight season. “The way things have been going, I expect to,” he said. “Our passing game has been working, and that opens it up for me. I expect to continue the success I've had in the last five games.” Thomas sul fercd through a sub par year in 1986 after he injured a knee while playing in a summer basketball game. He rushed lor 741 yards and four touchdowns last season. Thomas was named the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year by both the Associated Press and United Press International after he rushed for 1,650 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore. Thomas was also named the Big Eight Newcomer of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the 1984 Gator Bowl as a freshman, Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said Thomas’s consistency is im pressive. “He’s durable, courageous and has enough speed to break a long run,” Osborne said. “We’ve got respect for him. He’s done it for four years, and not many have been able to do what he’s done for that long.” Thomas said he’s ready to show his knee problems are behind him. ‘Oh yes, it’s 1(X) percent,” he sa I. “I worked it out the whole summer. I feel as good as I have for a long lime. “I know it’s going to be tough. It w ill be a big challenge for me and the offensive line.” Thomas’s 1985 statistics Opp. Att. Gain Avg. TDs l Tulsa 25 164 6.6 3 £ f%\ i } Houston 21 111 5.3 1 n’l Lj 1 Wyoming 29 193 6.7 1 SW Louisiana 22 122 5.5 1 Colorado 23 * 110 4.8 1 Totals: 120 700 5.8 7 ‘New triplets’ lead Cowboys to 5-0 mark By Tim Hartmann Senior Reporter Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer dubbed Nebraska’s offensive trio of wingback Irving Fryar, quarterback Turner Gill and I-back Mike Rozier as the “triplets” in 1983. This season, Oklahoma State coach Pat Jones says he has the “new triplets.” Jones said Oklahoma State split end Hart Lee Dykes, quarterback Mike Gundy and running back Thur man Thomas are among the best play ers in the country at their positions. “They’re not the only good players we’ve got, but as far as three offensive players go, they’re leaders, not only in the league but nationally, too,” he said. Jones said the new triplets are similar to thd original triplets. “They are three guys who are above-average athletes, very quality athletes, very productive people,” Jones said. “They can make a lot of things happen. I think they’re very comparable (to Nebraska s triplets).” A comparison of the players through five games shows that both sets of triplets have similar statistics Thomas leads the nation in rushing with 700 yards on 120 cames and has scored seven touchdowns. After five games in 1983, Rozier had 759 yards on 95 carries and 11 touchdowns. Dykes has caught 32 passes for 490 yards and two touchdowns. Fryar, the first pick in the National Football League draft in 1984, had 16 , receptions for 415 yards and four touchdow ns after five games. Gundy has completed 91 of 143 passes for 1,150 yards while throwing six touchdowns and three intercep tions. Gill had completed 35 of 59 passes for 652 yards while throwing five touchdowns and one interception ' after five games. Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said although the Oklahoma State triplets are good players, they differ from Fryar, Gill and Rozier. “They’re different kinds of play ers," Osborne said. “Rozier was 210 pounds and Thurman Thomas is not that big. He’s a very fine player. Hart Lee Dykes is a very tall receiver, he’s nrnKqKlif A (<u\t A r\r ^ nnrl Iruinn Fryar was more of a runner. Irving was 5-11 or 6-0, greal speed and a great reverse guy-puni returner. “Turner Gill was a little different type of quarterback than Gundy, but I think maybe what Pal is trying to say is that to his football team these play ers arc what those players were to our football team. “They’re great players, they’re playing very, very well, and they certainly arc the players that make them go.” Oklahoma Stale defeated Colo rado 42-17 last weekend to raise its record to 5-0. Gundy was named the Big Eight player of the week after completing 21 of 28 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns against the Buffaloes. Gundy, a sophomore, said playing with Dykes and Thomas has bene fited him this season. He said Dykes has “all the ability in the world.” “He’s a very physical player,” Gundy said. Thomas, the only senior of the trio, rushed for 1,650 yards as a sopho more. He rushed for 741 yards last season after being slowed by a knee injury sustained in a summer basket ball game. Gundy said Thomas’s experience shows on the field. “1 always look downfield, but if they’re covered, I look to him (Tho mas),” Gundy said. “He knows what’s going on in the game. “With Thurman Thomas being such a running threat, it helps me a lot. We try to balance our offensive at tack.” Gundy, who said his idol is Miami See TRIPLETS on 14