I! nmegrown Cornhuskers
shore up defensive line
By John Adkisson
Senior Editor
Strangely enough, the Nebraska
defensive line is made up almost
entirely of guys from ... Nebraska.
From Norfolk to Grand Island to
York, from Hyannis to Atkinson, rarely
have so many top-notch players from
outstatc Nebraska been assembled on
one unit.
Until now.
“It’s not like we just went out and
recruited a bunch of kids from Ne
braska,” said Comhuskcr defensive
coordinator Charlie McBride. ‘‘This
just happened to fall into place.”
Any talk about this year’s all
Nebraska defensive line begins and
ends with 6-foot-5-inch, 290-pound
left tackle John Parrella.
“I think we’ve got one guy who’s
an outstanding player in John Par
rella,” said Nebraska coach Tom
Osborne.
The numbers support the claim: In
ten games last year, Parrella made 19
unassisted tackles and recorded 4.5
sacks. Against Oklahoma, he recorded
a career-high nine tackles and had
three quarterback hurries in the Soon
ers’ last possession.
Parrella was moved to left tackle
this spring, which enabled junior Kevin
Ramaekcrs to move into the right
t^SefenSIvS
LINE
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tackle spot.
Ramaekers, from Norfolk Catho
lic, played in 10 games last year and
recorded seven solo tackles and 28
tackle, assists. He lore a knee liga
ment in winter conditioning and missed
all of spring practice, but recovered
and returned this fall.
“He’s made a remarkable recov
ery,” Osborne said. “I’ve never seen a
guy recover from reconstructive knee
surgery as fast as he did.”
Two other part-time tackles from
last year, Jamie Licwcr and Bruce
Moore, also relumed.
Licwcr, a senior from Atkinson,
started six games last year. He fin
ished with 25 total tackles, including
five tackles for losses and two sacks.
Moore, a junior from York, was
used in pass-rushing situations last
year and will likely sec the same role
in 1992.
Other players who will contend
for playing lime at tackle include
Hyannis native Terry Connealy and
junior Billy Wade from The Wood
lands, Texas. Larry Townsend, a 6-5
265-pound freshman from San Jose,
Calif., may also see action.
At nose guard, McBride is search
ing for a replacement for AU-Big Eight
performer Pat Engelbert.
The leading candidate for the job
may be David Noonan, who played in
every game behind Engelbert last
season. Noonan, a 275-pound junior,
had 11 tackles and one sack last sea
son.
“Noonan seems to be No. 1 right
now,” McBride said. “After that, we’re
still trying to sort some people out.”
Those people include Bill
Humphrey, a sophomore from Libcr
tyville, 111., and Jerry Irons, a junior
from The Woodlands, Texas. Chris
tian Peter, a 310-pound sophomore
who sat out last year due to Proposi
tion 48, is also contending for playing
time.
McBride said he was pleased with
both the size and the quickness of the
defensive line.
“They’re the fastest big men that
we’ve had here,” McBride said. “For
the size of these guys, their quickness
is really pretty incredible.”
Osborne said he was anxious to
sec what the young defensive line
men can do.
“A lot of these guys, they look
great testing, but we don’t know if
they can play,” he said. “That’s what
we’re going to have to find out.”
Peter
Continued from Page 9
starter and team leader Pat
Engelbert.
As of now, Peter is battling for a
spot behind No. 1 middle guard
David Noonan.
“If I work as hard as I possibly
can, maybe I can get some playing
time,” he said.
McBride said Peter’s biggest
challenge in battling for playing
lime would lie in his ability to
succeed in the mental aspect of
football.
“Physically, you’d think right
away that that’s what you’re
looking for,” McBride said. “But on
the field, you’ve got to make
decisions in fractions of seconds.
That’s what he needs to work on.”
Even on Photo Day, Peter couldn’t
talk for long - every time he tried to
answer a question, another group of
young fans lined up, wailing for his
autograph.
Just what is it that attracts people
to Christian Peter, a player who
hasn’t even played a down at
Nebraska?
“It’s got to be my good looks,”
he said with a laugh.
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Receivers ready
to fill big shoes,
‘get the job done'
By Scott McNeal
Staff Reporter
Flashincss and big plays.
That’s what the Nebraska receiv
ing corps want to replace this year
with the loss of big-play men Johnny
Mitchell and Jon Bostick.
i The duo, who arc playing in the
NFL this season, accounted for 55
receptions and 953 yards last year and
most of Nebraska’s big plays in the
air.
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Now the job for Nebraska coach
Tom Osborne is to find suitable re
placements at split end and light end
— and to find a wingback to step in
for two-year starter Nate Turner.
William Washington, a senior who
split time with Mitchell last season,
will start at light end and be backed
by Gerald Armstrong and Mike Vedral.
“I’m not as good, or have as much
Hair, that Johnny had,’’ Washington
said. “But I will get the job done and
do it right.”
Atsplitcnd.seniorTyrone Hughes
returns to head the depth chart after a
brief stint at comerback in the 1992
Orange Bowl.
Hughes is followed by junior Corey
Dixon, who caught three passes last
year for 25 yards. Behind the top two
will be junior Trumanc Bell, who
redshirted last year after transferring
to Nebraska from Highland (Kan.)
Community College.
At wingback, senior Vincent
Hawkins emerged as the front-runner
in spring practice following the de
parture last year of four-year starter
Nate Turner. Last season, Hawkins
caught three passes for 55 yards, in
cluding a 22-yard touchdown in the
opener against Utah Slate.
Behind him is 5-foot-9-inch sopho
more Abdul Muhammad, whocaught
six passes for 84 yards last season. He
also started the Colorado game last
season.
Tom Werner, a senior from Tildcn,
is third behind Hawkins and Muham
mad at wingback.
Osborne said I-back Derek Brown
will also be used at wingback in some
formations, allowing both Brown and
fellow I-back Calvin Jones to play at
the same time.
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