The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, August 26, 1991, Page 18, Image 18

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    Linebackers substitute strength for experience
By Todd Cooper
Senior Reporter
Two of Nebraska’s youngest line
backers are using strength to over
come the defense’s No. 1 weakness
— inexperience.
Sophomore
Mike Anderson,
last year’s lifter
of the year, and
redshirt fresh
man Darren
Williams, who
benches 400
pounds, have
emerged to help
senior Mike Anderson
Petko lead a Anaers°n
young defense, inside linebacker coach
Kevin Steele said.
“We’ll look at the films (Sunday),”
Steele said. “But it looks like Darren
played pretty solid (during Saturday’s
scrimmage). -
“And with Mike, I think we some
times forget that he still has three
years left, but he played solid.”
Steele said Husker fans can expect
great things out of Anderson, the No.
1 weakside linebacker.
“We feel good about that spot right
now,” Steele said. “Mike continues to
work hard and he’s a very good line
backer right now.”
And although he recorded just 18
total tackles in limited playing lime
last year, Anderson said he’s ready to
start this year.
“I was second the whole year last
year behind Pat (Tyrance), so I ex
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pected to have the shot to start this
year,” he said.
Anderson said he learned a lot
from Tyrance.
“He was a great linebacker,”
Anderson said. “He just always worked
hard.”
Anderson hopes he can lead the
same way Tyrance did — with his
work habits.
“I don’t know if I’m going to be a
leader,” he said. “I’m just going to
work hard and let that show for it
self.”
Steele said Williams is making
strides because of his work habits.
The redshirt freshman from Chicago
has climbed to third on the depth
chart behind Petko and junior Matt
Penland, who has been hampered with
knee problems this fall. A true junior,
Penland might redshirt, pending his
health.
“We still have time on our side to
see what happens with Matt,” Steele
said. “But based on right now, Darren
will see some playing time.”
Williams saw plenty of action
Saturday, terrorizing the first- and
second-team offense most of the day.
At 6-fo6t-1 -inch and 245 pounds, the
offense saw plenty of him.
“Darren just has great natural in
stincts,” Steele said. “He’s a big guy
and is very, very strong. And, most
importantly, he’s developing an under
standing of what it takes to play line
backer at Nebraska.”
Williams said he learned from
watching Tyrance.
“I’m a great admirer of his,” Wil
liams said. “He was just a great line
backer and a great leader.”
Williams was a co-player of the
year in the Catholic League of Chi
cago in his senior year. He was re
cruited by Michigan, Illinois, Wis
consin and Notre Dame.
“But ever since I was in seventh
grade, I always watched Nebraska,”
he said. “It was an easy choice.”
Williams said his only goal this
year is to help the defense out wher
ever he can.
“(Petko) has been here a long time
and he’s started two years,” Williams
said. “I’m just going to learn from
him and fit in wherever I can.”
^ ^ •
treshman quarterback will have to wait
By Todd Cooper
Senior Reporter
Rarely does a Nebraska quarter
back have the opportunity to see play
ing time as a true freshman.
Tony Veland had that opportunity,
and he has seen enough, for this year.
“I didn’t do too well today,” Ve
land said after missing on all three of
his passing attempts during Satur
day’s scrimmage. “I had a few bad
audibles and I didn’t throw the ball
too well.
“But I didn’t expect to be there
either.”
Veland, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound
recruit out of Omaha Benson, worked
with the second offense against the
No. 1 defense during the 3 1/2 hour
scrimmage.
Coach Tom Osborne decided to
play Veland with the second team
because of his “initial test scores.”
“He tested better than any fresh
man we’ve had here,” Osborne said.
Veland ran the 40-yard dash in 4.6
seconds (electronically limed),
Osborne said. He also had a 32-inch
vertical jump, according to Osborne.
“He’s just a good athlete,” Osborne
said. “I just wanted to give him a
chance to make it into the top two
(quarterbacks).”
But after two penalties, three in
complete passes and a couple of missed
audibles, Veland said his playing days
with the varsity may soon be over.
“After today, I’d imagine I’ll be
redshirted.”
Osborne echoed that statement, but
Veland wasn’t too disappointed.
“It was fun,” Veland said. “It was
kind of honoring just to be in that
position.”
The last quarterback to have a
chance to play as a freshman was
Steve Taylor, who quarterbacked in
Nebraska’s loss to Michigan in the
1987 Fiesta Bowl. Taylor went on to
BEFORE HE CAN FOLLOW : I
followtS^rules^TO
Michelle Paulman/Daily Nebraskan
Quarterback Tom Haase evades linebacker Troy Branch
during Saturday’s scrimmage.
earn All-Big Eight honors during his
junior and senior years.
“We recruited him as an athlete,”
Osborne said. “We had intended to
develop him as a defensive back, but
he said he wanted to play quarter
back. We’ll keep him there.”
Veland said he could tell after
Saturday that, unlike Taylor, he needs
a redshirt year.
“I had a real hard lime reading the
defenses,” he said. “We didn’t do
much with audibles in high school, so
it was tough.
“I kind of had everything thrown
at me.”
Veland was also recruited as a
defensive back.
Veland said a year to absorb the
system hopefully will alleviate the
confusion he felt Saturday.
“I hope after this year I’m in a
position to compete for the No. 1
spot,” he said. “My arm has to get a
lot better and I have to learn how to
read the coverages.”
Osborne said any one of the three
freshman quarterback recruits —
Veland, Clester Johnson and Brook
Berringer — could compete for the
starting spot next year.
“All three of them are great ath
letes,” he said. ‘They all placed in the
top five in the freshman testing.”
But for this year, Osborne will
plav it safe.
“I supposed if they worked hard,
they’d have a reasonably good shot of
playing well later on in the season.”
Osborne said. “But that’s a hard thing
to ask them to give up a redshirt
year.”
I NOTICE TO STUDENTS I
All students are eligible tb apply for a refund of their “A** portion of students fees during a period
beginning August 26,1991 and ending September 27,1991. Students claiming a refund will lose benefits *
provided by Fund “A” users during the Fall semester 1991- 92.
Application forms are available at the Student Activities Financial Service Office, Room 222, City
Union; ASUNOffice, 115 Vebraska Union or300East Union. Students must bring their student I.D. cards
at the time of application. Students who are unable to personally return their application to the Student
Activities Financial Services Office should contact Kim Undcrdahl, Room 222 (phone 472-5667) before
September 20, 1991 to make arrangements.
Students who have completed a refund application and returned it on or before September 27,1991
will be mailed a check for the amount of the refund claimed. Refund checks will be mailed between the
dates of September 30 and October 11, 1^91.
Students claiming a refund will lose certain fenefits provided by the above listed Fund “A” users.
For details on which benefits may be lost, please refer to the cover sheet on the refund application.
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