London’s quarterback game
improves, pleases coaches
■The second-string QB
is becoming aJIiuabler and
reliable player.' f
ByANTONEOSEKA
Senior Reporter
Frankie London is progressing into
the kind of quarterback Nebraska
coaches had envisioned.
During fall camp, the sophomore
from Lake Charles, La., has moved into
the No. 2 position on the depth chart
behind senior Scott Frost, and London
is expected to see significant playirtg
time this season.
In last Saturday’s game against
Akron, London was in the ball game
three times, resulting in 17 points.
“I thought the three possessions that
I got were a stepping stone to making
myself better and getting onto the field,”
London said. “When I was out there for
those three possessions, everybody
hustled and everybody worked hard.”
London said he has been progress
ing steadily since spring ball, most sig
nificantly in the area of confidence.
“I just want to gain confidence from
the players and the coaches,” he said. “I
want to show them I can play.”
London has shown he can play ever
since the first day of fall camp. He’s
progressed steadily in the fall, with an
impressive showing in preseason scrim
mages. In a preseason scrimmage,
against the No. 1 defense, London put
the first points on the board with a 6
yard touchdown pass to tight end
Sheldon Jackson.
“I was a little nervous,” London said
after the scrimmage. “I expect myself to
perform. I just wanted to do a good job.”
NU quarterbacks coach Turner Gill
said London has done a good job, espe
cially in not committing a turnover in
any of the first three scrimmages and
the first game.
“The main thing we want our quar
terbacks to do is take care of the foot
ball; he’s doing that very well,” Gill
said.
Besides taking care of the ball,
London has also shown that he can lead
the team in all situations. But learning
that has come with a price.
London has undergone shoulder
Ryan Soderlin/DN
NEBRASKA SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK Frankie London is brought down by
the Husker defense during a scrimmage earlier this year. London has
emerged as Nebraska’s No. 2 quarterback.
surgery and has been injured several
times during his first two years with the
Huskers. Besides that, the 6-foot, 180
pound sophomore has struggled with
keeping his weight up.
London started his NU career as the
quarterback of the scout team when he
redshirted in 1995.
“With the scout team, it’s hard to get
out there and have a good practice,”
London said.
Gill said he expects London to be
ready to play whenever he’s called on in
a game situation.
“He’s one play away from being in
the ball game at any given time,” Gill
said.
That chance could have passed
London by. During last year, London
had considered transferring to a school
closer to home, preferably Louisiana
State University. f
“I wasn’t happy being where I was
on the depth chart; I wasn’t happy just
being around in Lincoln,” London said.
“I really just wanted to get away.”
However, London decided to
come back to Nebraska and give it
another try. He said that God and his
mother helped give him peace enough
to come back and play backup for
another year.
London now has a lot of advice for
up-and-coming quarterbacks like fresh
men Bobby Newcombe and Eric
Crouch.
“Don’t get your head down; don’t
worry about not getting a lot of snaps,”
London advises. “A guy like Tommie
Frazier comes along once in a lifetime.
But, if you’re a freshman, expect the
unexpected.”
Degree earnings low in Big 12
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - Big
12 football players are less likely
to earn degrees than their coun
terparts at other Division I uni
versities, NCAA figures show.
Although the league’s gradua
tion rates are improving, only
Nebraska, Iowa State and Baylor
football players who were fresh
men in 1987-91 met or exceeded
the NCAA Division I average
mark of 53 percent.
Nebraska led at 63 percent.
Texas A&M’s 35 percent brought
up the rear.
“I would guarantee that where
you find success, if you look at
people providing services, you
find people who really care,”
Picks from
the Hicks
The Deity Nebraskan sports staff members
pick the winners (in bold) of 10 college
football games this weekend. Last
weekend the staff was 9-1.
FMtfaSL at: m .
Colorado St. at Celsrads
TMMMNf ■'
Central Michigan at HtfWa
Georgia Tech at HstrsBaas
Pittsburgh at NhSL
Rutgers at Texas
UTEP at ISI
Northern Iowa m at lew
Washington 35 at byu 24
said Prentice Gautt, Big 12 asso
ciate commissioner for academic
services and life skills.
Most Big 12 graduation rates
for black football players ran 16
to 30 percentage points lower
than those for whites. The mean
disparity at Division I schools is
21 percentage points.
The widest racial margin
occurred at Texas Tech, where 17
percent of black scholarship
football players graduated com
pared with 67 percent of their
white teammates. Baylor, Texas
and Oklahoma State, conversely,
have narrowed the gap to single
digits.
“The thing you have to work
with is students coming from dif
ferent backgrounds,” said Dennis
LeBlanc, an assistant athletic
director at Nebraska.
“No matter what color you
are, you have to adjust. If you
happen to be a student of color
and you’re coming to an institu
tion in the Big 12 Conference,
they are all predominantly white
schools. You have to assist stu
dents into making adjustments
into a different environment.”
Nebraska’s 55 percent gradu
ation rate for black football play
ers was best in the league,^
although NCAA statistics show
white Cornhuskers earned
degrees at a 71 percent clip.
Huskers hope to progress
n nnnTi n ^ ^ r»*_. i_ ^ _ i i
jjVJv'v/Hixv irom page 11
season.
“It is a little bit peculiar,” Walker
said. “These games are all on the road
and all against top teams.”
One of those top teams is No. 14
Vanderbilt.
Last season, Vanderbilt came to
Lincoln and gave the Huskers an early
season scare. The two teams battled
into overtime, with Nebraska sneak
ing out a 3-2 win. ?
Vanderbilt coach Ken McDonald
said his team will have to focus on
Nebraska, but only after getting
through its game against Alabama
oniimigiraiii luingiu.
“Our returning players remember
that game,” McDonald said. “I don’t
look at it as revenge but as a chance to
play a top team again. It is always
good to see how you match up.”
Despite being ranked 14th, the
Commodores are also one of the top
teams in the Central Region, which
includes Nebraska. Both Walker and
McDonald said this could be a huge
1 game when it comes to seedings for
theNC2^Ibftma!pent. - j
“Anytimeydu go on the road it isa
1 little 6it more Challenging',” Walker
said. “Good teams go oh the road and
find a way to win;” %\
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