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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 1996)
Wistrom chooses to hold decision NU junior concentrates on the Orange Bowl, not the NFL. By Gregg Madsen Staff Reporter For Grant Wistrom the words “there is no place like Nebraska” are more than just lyrics to the Comhusker fight song. Those words describe his life. Amid specula tion about , whether or not junior rush from Webb Mo., will his senior and enter nexi April’s National Wistrom Football League draft, Wistrom said he said he hasn’t thought much about leav ing. He’s been too busy. “I’ve got so many other things,” he said. “I’ve got school, and I’ve got to try to do well on my finals. And I’m preparing for this next football game. Honestly I’m not real concerned with the NFL right now. As far as the NFL goes, it will be there after the season’s over, so that’s when I’ll worry about it ” For the entire 1996 season, Wistrom has been concerned with dis rupting opposing offenses. His concern has produced results. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder leads the Husker defense with 914 quarter back sacks and is third in total tackles with 75. Wednesday, he was named a first team Associated Press All-American, and earlier this month, he was chosen as the Big 12 defensive player of the year. His performance this season has also caused many NFL scouts to list Wistrom as one of the top defensive end prospects in the nation. But Wistrom said he was much more con cerned with preparing for the No. 6 ranked Huskers’ Dec. 31 Orange Bowl matchup with Virginia Tech. “If they told me I was going to be the No. 1 pick,” Wistrom said, “then I 66 If they told me I ■ i - was going to be the No. 1 pick, then I probably would^s have to leave. But that’s not going to happen.” Grant Wistrom NU rush end probably would have to leave. But that’s not going to happen.” Underclassmen must declare them selves eligible by Jan. 10 if they wish to enter the NFL draft. Wistrom said he would discuss the possibility further with his family after the Orange Bowl. The departure of Outside Lineback ers Coach Tony Samuel, who accepted the head-coaching position at New Mexico State on Thursday, will not affect his decision to leave Nebraska early, Wistrom said. “I’ve go to do what’s right for me,” he said, “like I’ve been saying. But right now, that’s not what’s on my minrl ” What has been on his mind recently is the Orange Bowl. When the Nebraska defense takes the field against the No. 10 TIokies, Wistrom said, it will have something to prove. The 37 points surrendered by the Huskers in their 10-point loss to Texas in last Saturday’s Big 12 championship game were the most scored by a Ne braska opponent since Georgia Tech ran up 45 points in the 1991 Citrus Bowl. Wistrom said the Blackshirts will be ready to redeem themselves tor the Texas loss. “We haven’t talked about it, but we know what we have to do,” he said. “The performance we put on against Texas didn’t reflect our defense. We’re a much better defense than that.” , _•%., ; NU hopes to avoid Chippewa upset e By Jay Saunders Staff Reporter One would think that the 7-0 Nebraska women’s basketball team could take it easy against 0-3 Cen tral Michigan Saturday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. That is exactly what Head Coach Angela Beck does not want to hap pen. “You always worry about taking people for granted,” Beck said. “We have responded well and practiced hard.” The Huskers enter Saturday’s 2 p.m. game against the Chippewas caning off of a victory over Iowa in the Big Kona Classic last Sun day in Hawaii. “Everything that we wanted to have happen did,” Beck said. “We feel it gives us respect and credibil ity.” The win also got the Huskers one step closer to breaking into the top 25. In this week’s Associated Press Top 25, NU earned the 26th highest number of votes. “We have never gate 9-0,” Beck said. “We can’t go 9-0 without go ina 8-0.” The Huskers will tie their best start ever with a win Saturday and can break the mark by downing Southwest Texas in Lincoln on Dec. 21. “We have a lot of respect for Central Michigan,” Beck said. “They are a scrappy team and they play hard.” Central Michigan is led by for ward Ebony Rainge, who is aver aging 12.3 points per game. Guard combine to average 21.3 points per game. The Chippewas finished 5 21 overall last season and 2-16 in the Mid-American Conference. Heading into the game, Beck said, the win over Iowa should help Nebraska’s confidence. “But the win is all for not if we don’t take care of business now,” Beck said. “What we have done is put ourselves on the map. We have to keep our guard up.” True freshman Nicole Kubik is not sure what kind of an affect the Basketball Starters^ F 22 Tina McClain 5-10 Sr. G 20 LaToyaDoage 5-6 Sr. ., Iowa win will have. Kubik was one of two freshmen to make a big-time contribution last weekend. In the first game of the Big Kona Classic against Pacific, freshman Brooke Schwartz led the team in scoring and rebounding with 14 points and nine rebounds. Schwartz and Kubik were Nebraska’s only selections to the all-tournament team. The freshmen are contributing on offense, Kubik said, but scoring points is not the first thing on their mind. “We are thinking about defense the most,” Kubik said. “The fresh man know their roles. We can all J come in arid help the team.” Beck said the freshmen give NU a great deal of depth. Four first-year players are averaging more than seven minutes per game and have combined for 34.8 points per game. “I am totally pleased with our bench,” Beck said. “Way down our roster, our bench comes in at key times and plays well.” “We have to play Nebraska bas ketball,” Beck said. “We have to try to make people beat us at our game.” Gophers eye By Mike Kluck Senior Reporter Nebraska Running Backs Coach Frank Solich interviewed for the head coaching job at Minnesota on Thurs day. Solich’s wife, Pamela, said her husband’s interview went well. San Francisco 49ers Offensive Co ordinator Marc Trestman withdrew from consideration Thursday, leaving Solich and Northern Iowa Coach Terry Allen as the two leading candidates. “We are looking for somebody wTro is very knowledgable and has very solid values,” said Minnesota Athletic Director Mark Dienhart, who hopes to name a coach within a week. Jim Wacker resigned as Minnesota’s coach in November after compiling a 16-39 record in five years at Minnesota. The Gophers were 4-7 this season and 1-7 in the Big Ten. Solich, 52, has been an assistant at Nebraska since 1979 and was pro moted to assistant head coach in 1991. The Associated Press contributed to this report. I'orange BOWL I J/o~ (oorfiAu&Aer&/ TOUCHDOWN AT THE SHELBORNE! MERGE When we all work together, great things can happen. IMUMAT Muscular Dystrophy Association 1-800-572-1717 American Heart Association*!^^ Fighting Heart Disease and Stroke _ =-SI WARNING: Shortage of Jobs for College Graduates The U.S. Department of Labor predicts: • A shortfall of 300,000 college level jobs each year • An amazing 1,220,000 new college graduates each year • 5,400,000.college graduates currently employed in noncollege level jobs | I I Be Prepared and improve Your Odds! 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