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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 1991)
Sports Home state motivates Husker for big day By Todd Cooper Senior Reporter Outside linebacker Trev Alberts barely knew what hit him Saturday in Nebraska’s 38-13 victory over Iowa State. But he did know that he hit Iowa State quarterback Kevin Caldwell, as Alberts dropped Caldwell four times behind the line of scrimmage. “A lot of times the quarterback was scrambling and (the defensive line) would flush him out,” Alberts Alberts said. “And, basically, I just ran into him.” sive coordinator Charlie McBride said. “Well, he’s from Iowa — 1 think that’s a little motivation,” McBride said. “But he really did play well.” Alberts said he wanted to impress the approximately 20 family mem bers and friends attending the game from Iowa. “They told me, ‘Don’t get all tight because we’re here. Just go out there and have fun,”’ Alberts said. “So I got out there and I was feeling pretty loose. I wanted to make some big plays because they were there.” Alberts said he had the same mind set last year against Iowa State. He recorded three tackles behind the line for 27 yards in losses in Nebraska’s 45-13 victory in 1990. “That was about the whole year, right there in that game,” Alberts said of his first year. “I got half of my tackles in that game.” Alberts, who grew up watching Iowa and Iowa State, said he just naturally gels motivated against Iowa State. Basically, Alberts ran into Caldwell four times for 28 yards in losses Sat urday. Alberts had six tackles on the day, almost matching his previous best — seven tackles against Iowa State last year. Alberts gave the credit to Nebraska’s defensive line for Saturday’s output — especially tackles John Parrella and Kevin Ramaekers and middle guard Pal Engelbert. “There were a couple of times where they did all the work for me,” Alberts said. “I got the credit for it.” But, he said, Nebraska’s defensive line is playing “about the best as a group” against the run that Alberts, a sophomore, has seen. “As far as those big strong guys,” Alberts said, “you haven’t seen a lot of just straight-do wn-our-throats types of deals. When they can do that, it forces (quarterbacks) outside to us and hopefully we can hold up our end of the bargain.” With a little motivation from home, Alberts, a native of Cedar Falls, Iowa, held up his end well Saturday, defen “Come Monday, when ii comes to the Iowa State week, I just really get focused,” Alberts said. “I wish I could do this every week — be this focused — but things just seemed to fall in place (Saturday).” Alberts said his knowledge of the defense has settled as well, since being named the Big Eight freshman-of the-year last year. “Last year, I was clueless,” Al berts said. “I knew the dime (defen sive) package and that was it. This year, I’m getting comfortable with all our different schemes.” Alberts said his technique has improved. And, ultimately, that re sults in games like Saturday’s. “My technique is getting a little better every week and technique is so important,” Alberts said. “I’ve still got a long ways to go but I’m happy with how things arc going.” Student athletes hoping to disprove stereotypes By David Moyer Staff Reporter Discrimination and biases in American society have caused many people to feel like they arc always climbing a steep mountain. Overcom ing extreme adversity and the pres sures of dispelling myths in other peoples’ minds can seem a tireless and never-ending battle. In college athletics, coaches, ath letes and counselors arc trying to dispel many of the biases that have been labeled on the sludcnt-athlclc in the past and that have stayed with them through the years. Problems with the Oklahoma foot ball team and the UNLV and Ken tucky basketball programs have added to the tarnished image of college athletics, and recent books that tell of alcohol, drug and sexual abuse as well as athletes graduating illiterate have made breaking stereotypes harder. Bui this is an age ol NCAA re form, and Nebraska alhlelic coun selor Keith Zimmer said he believes the student-athlete has evolved into one who stresses academics first. And he wishes people would begin to real ize the changes. "It is unfortunate people arc still buying into some of the stereotypes that existed 10 and 15 years ago,” he said. “I think it is definitely student first and then athlete. Coaches, coun selors, conferences and the NCAA have worked very diligently to over come these things.” Cornhusker I back George Achola also agreed with Zimmer. “You look at our football team alone, you have guys like (Mike) Sligge, Pat Engelbert and Pat Tyr ance last year,” he said. “These arc people who can make it anywhere. It is very important to dis pel the myth that we arc all here to just play football and not to gel a degree because a lot of us arc very successful at doing both.” Nebraska recently placed eight players on the Academic All-Big Eight football team, and Nebraska leads the nation in GTE football academic All Americans as well as all sports com bined. But the award that has been most impressive, Zimmer said, is the NCAA top-six award given to the best stu dent-athletes in the nation. In the past two years Nebraska has won two out of the six awards each year. He believes this year’s nominees, Janet Kruse and Mike Petko, also have a good chance to receive the award. But student-athletes arc involved in other activities besides studying and sports. Monday marked the be ginning of a week of activities in which Nebraska athletes work with Golden Key members to promote the importance of education to junior and senior high school students. It is all part of the 70th observance of Ameri can Education Week, Nov. 17-23. Once again student-athletes will be put on a pedestal, but this time as real people. Zimmer hopes the week will be the start of a changing opinion of the present-day student-athlete. “Everyone is aware of the Husker football team and how many con secutive bowl games they’ve been to and how many 100-yard games Derek Brown has,’’ Zimmer said. “Very few people know our program impacts 60,000 people on a yearly basis.” See OUTREACH on 8 j Shaun Sartin/DN Nebraska’s Cris Hall spikes against Oklahoma in Saturday’s match. Barring an upset, Nebraska will be hosting the NCAA Mideast Regional tournament for the third straight year. Hall and teammates Stephanie Thater, Janet Kruse, Eileen Shannon and Debbie Brand have played in each of them. Lincoln likely site for tournament By, John Adkisson Staff Reporter It’s looking like Lincoln, again. The Nebraska volleyball learn, ranked first in the NCAA Midcasl Region, will likely play host to the four-team regional tournament which decides the region’s Final Four par ticipant, according to coaches of top ranked teams which may have to face Nebraska on its home court. Nebraska has played host for re gional finals four limes since 1985, and three of those limes the Corn huskers have advanced to the Final Four. Last year, Nebraska played host to the regional and advanced to the national semifinals with a win over Penn Slate. The 22-3 Huskers arc ranked first in the Midcast Region followed by Ohio State, Colorado, Penn State and Pittsburgh. The NCAA first round will be the weekend of Dee. 7-8, and the Midcast Regional will be the following week end. The Bob Dcvancy Sports Cen ter, home of the volleyball team this season, is free on both weekends except fora 2 p.m. women’s basketball game on Dee. 8. Nebraska leads the nation in atten dance, averaging 3,373 fans per match. That mark includes an NCAA record crowd of 11,032 for a match with UCLA earlier this year. According to Donna Noonan, di rector of championships for the NCAA, regional sites are selected according to various criteria including rank of team, projected attendance and past experience in playing host for region al. Nebraska women’s athletic direc tor Barbara Hibner said she forwarded a bid for both a first-round match and the regional to the NCAA early last week. Ohio Slate Coach Jim Slone, whose Buckeyes arc 23-3 and averaging 1,293 fans per match, said his school didn’t make a bid for the regional because of arena commitments with the Buck eye basketball teams. - I think Nebraska de serves to host. It’s a place we’re familiar with and I think our kids would love to play there again. Saindon Colorado volleyball coach -ff - Stone said he wouldn’t mind coming to Nebraska to play the Huskers. “I know that the fans there arc knowledgeable and that a lot of people have worked hard to build that pro gram to where it is now,” Stone said. Colorado Coach Brad Saindon has the third-seeded team in the region with the No. 16 Buffaloes. Saindon said Colorado also had basketball commitments, and didn’t bid for ei ther the first round or the Mideast Regional. “I think Nebraska deserves to host,” Saindon said. “It’s a place we’re familiar with and I think our kids would love to play there again.” Penn State Coach Russ Rose, whose undefeated Lady Lions lost to Ne braska last year in the regional finals, said he and his team wouldn’t mind a return trip to Lincoln. “I’ve always believed that the regional should go to one of the two top-ranked teams,” Rose said. “Last year, I think we could’ve beaten Nebraska if we would have played in Wisconsin. “This year, 1 don’t think we could beat them at Nebraska, at Ohio Stale or even at Penn State.” Penn State has made four NCAA tournament appearances in Lincoln, more than any other team. Rose said that in the past, Ne braska has done a good job in playing host. “The fans, the community and the team arc leaders in doing new things with the sport,” Rose said. “I think Lincoln’s as good a place as any.” • Nebraska will face either Okla homa or Iowa State in the first round of the Big Eight Tournament at Civic Auditorium in Omaha Nov. 29. Colo rado and Kansas have already se cured spots in the tourney, and will play in the other semifinal match. The final will be Nov. 30. l
