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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 30, 1998)
Taylor adjusts with Colts INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - All America selections at two different offensive positions did not rescue Nebraska’s Aaron Taylor from obscu rity when the NFL Draft rolled around. The winner of the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top lineman, Tayloi waited until the seventh round before hearing his name called by the Indianapolis Colts. “I don’t know why I dropped, and 1 can’t worry about it. It doesn’t moti vate me at all,” Taylor said after partic ipating in the three-day minicamp of die Colts. “I wanted to get the chance to go to an organization like this, so I’m determined to make the most of the opportunity.” Coach Jim Mora said he also was uncertain why Taylor had fallen so far. “The draft is always strange in how it develops. Sometimes, a playei falls because of something uncovered in his past. Sometimes it is lack of potential in the NFL, sometimes it is attitude, and other times it is due to the needs of teams,” Mora said. “Aaron was someone who was high on our draft board. We are glad he was there when we picked him.” The 6-foot-1, 320-pound Taylor moves from a program that went 60-3 during his five years he was a Comhusker to one that compiled an NFL-worst 3-13 mark last season. “He comes from a program that has had great success running the football, and that’s something we want to do,” More said. “He can give us depth at a position where we need it.” There were 189 players selected in the two-day draft before Taylor was picked in the 13th hour of the draft. “I wanted to go to an organization that likes to run a lot and mix in a few passes. That’s what I feel I have now,” Taylor said. “I just want the chance to show the skills that I have.” He said he knows the drop in the draft translates into dollars lost in his first contract. “Money is money, but I just want to continue playing the game that I love. I’ve been playing it for free all my life, so money is not a big con cern,” Taylor said. “It never has been and never will be.” Taylor said he is glad to find him self in a situation where he isn’t being pressed into front-line duty immedi ately. “It makes it real nice when you come to this league and have veterans like Tony Mandarich, Tom Myslinski and Jay Leeuwenburg ahead of you,” he said. “You take them, Adam Meadows and Tarik Glenn - it is going to be good for me to learn from them.” I I Refill your prescription before you go home! I O--" Aar\y pharmacy was accepted! Have your prescription m tilled Here all summer * even if you aren’t ^ taking dosses! . 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I Qualified Instructors • Over 30,000 Lbs. of Freeweights • Over 50 Cardiovascular Machines • Over 150 Workout Stations For The Entire Summer! 1 ■ Aprnhir^ sort Dsv Csrp * $10 CsrdFK Not Included l§ hci uuivo ai iu uay uai c mmmmmmmmmmmM * Ask About Our Special Student Summer Rate For The Apex Nutrition System "Making Butts Better For Onr sytan" ^ 4t 17 S. 120 Sfreet ■ North End of Sports Plaza — 333-5001 5 K~ HiS Solich sees progress, change in 1st spring oULlUii trom page 9 own station with the running backs. On the first day, Solich admitted he forgot to blow a whistle to switch players from station to station. The media attention has been a change, too. Solich has had to get used to staring up into cameras, an effect that took its toll the first day. When a reporter asked him how his first day went, Solich replied, “It was OK. But my neck hurts a lot.” Things have changed for Solich’s assistants, as well. With Solich moving from the press box to the field for game days, Quarterbacks Coach Turner Gill has been selected to take his place in the booth. Though Gill said he wasn’t too excited about the move at first, he has since warmed to the idea of being up in the press box. “It was understood that Coach Solich will be on the field calling the plays,” Gill said. “The bottom line is I . want to do what’s best for us offen sively.” Another change under Solich is the assistants’ increased role in deci sion-making. In determining the starting quarterback, Gill said he had more of a stake in the outcome than he did with Osborne. “He leaned more on me,” Gill said of Solich. “I had a little bit more of the majority in the decision. “In the past, Coach Osborne would grade each individual play, and I would grade each play. Coach Solich only did it a couple of times and then we talked about it a little. It is slightly different now, and more my decision.” Gill said he could work in either system well, but said he welcomed the added responsibility. “I didn’t like or dislike it,” Gill said. “That’s my job, and if that’s the way Coach Solich wants to handle it, that’s fine.” The changes have extended to the players, as well. Bobby Newcombe, the Cornhuskers’ starting quarter back, said he came to Nebraska expecting to play for four years under Osborne. One year into his career at NU, Newcombe is playing for a new coach. While he was a little disap pointed, Newcombe said, Solich rep resents many of the same qualities’ Osborne had. “Everybody wants to play for Coach Osborne for all fours year in college,” Newcombe said, “but they’re both great coaches. “I had the opportunity to play under a great coach in Coach Osborne, and now I get to play under another great coach in Coach Solich.” For Solich, the quarterback race was part of a productive spring that helped the Huskers’ overall develop ment. Solich said he is happy with the development of the younger players, the defense and the running backs. Overall, Nebraska stayed mostly injury-free. The two injuries that did occur to offensive lineman Jeff Clausen and Adam Julch, Solich said, will hurt the Huskers somewhat, although he expects Clausen to be back soon. During the spring, Solich said, he learned mucn about now to run tne team, although it seemed there wasn’t enough time. “I thought»we made a lot of progress,” Solich said. “I would have liked to have a little more time with our offensive line and our inexperi enced quarterbacks. “There’s a lot of decisions to be made as to what we’re going to keep for offense and defense. I’ll be going through a lot of cut-ups of spring practice. Once June rolls around, you get into football camps.” This summer, Solich said, he expects to do some recruiting work and break down opponents’ tenden cies in preparation for next season. When August practices arrive, Solich said, he expects practices to go similar to Osborne’s practices. Gill said he expects the same. “We’ve always had communica tion as a unit,” Gill said. “Coach Osborne’s just had a lot more experi ence at it than we have. “But as far as us talking with each other, we’ve always done it, and we always will.” Weather a worry for Huskers WEATHER from page 9 “Our biggest task in becoming a force in this conference is finding good pitchers,” Van Horn said. “Recruiting in this conference is extremely competitive, with teams like Texas and Baylor going after the same guys we are.” Nebraska went outside the coun try to land its other recruits, as the Huskers signed two players from Canada. Outfielders Jason Manson and Adam Stern became the first Canadian signees out of high school in Nebraska baseball history. Van Horn said he sees Stem as a future stolen-base threat as the London, Ontario, native swiped 52 bases in 63 games. Mason will add slugging to the Husker roster, bringing his .381 average and .711 slugging mark to Nebraska from Hamilton, Ontario. Both Mason and Stem currently play in the Junior Intercountry League. , ...> ■ vippl ■Zlkf At H ^B *z. nil j^B ^B B Ml ^B ■PIMiMAIMI ^BK^M{v^iiin3wV ■fiA^flfaHuyy9u3C^ I. II lit, ill, nil mirik,• .(■II-.ml, | ill , ■I n in PrriM inlMBMBlpHiifcl^B ',', ,-"|,l „ , .', I, , ' ,. ■ .... ' ,, .' IIV ' , , ' ., '„. I, ( ' ,1 '.ji, L i .; ,« B^tej|yflUwjBB|iflBB^HHfl When lou Can't Breathe, 4* mjng^ Nothing Else Matters® | ASSOCIATION* www.lungusa.org K'-i ■ . • -.r >■>. • ,,v • •- i-'’■.*•'• -i' /• • .>
