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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 1999)
; By Joshua Camenzind Staffwriter One might say the cupboard is full in the future of the Nebraska tight ends. The departure of second-team All American Sheldon Jackson left some seemingly large shoes to fill, but the NU coaching staff isn’t worried. The Husker staff had to look no further than last year’s backups to fill the void - and feel comfortable about it. Senior T.J. DeBates and sopho more Tracey Wistrom step into the role as the No. 1 tight ends. Both saw extensive action last year and comple ment each other well. DeBates is known for his blocking skills - die ability to switch into offen sive lineman mode and put a defender on his back. “Being a godd blocker, it gives me a chance to get on die field to fill a niche,” DeBates said. “It is the most enjoyable part of die game for me, and I give lift percent while doing it” Wistrom, on the other hand, is known for his pass-catching skills. As a redshirt freshman last season, Tracey served as the No. 3 tight end and played an important role on the team, Receivers Coach Ron Brown said. “Tracey is an excellent athlete with great speed and soft hands,” Brown said. “He is very lean, but deceptively strong - a guy that is heady and coura geous when he is on the field.” Behind DeBates and Wistrom lies a plethora of young talent, Brown said. Damien Bauman is a senior listed as the No. 2 tight end along with Aaron Golliday. Bauman has just one year of competition under his belt, but is a good fit into the Husker offense, Brown said. f ‘Damien is a strong guy who just needs to work on his technique a little bit,” Brown said And Bauman is ready to work, i “I prefer the blocking aspect of the game even though most of the glory goes along with receiving,” Bauman said. “My job is to pretty much make sure that those rush aids don’t make it through the holes.” I Brown also sees a bright future ahead of Aaron Golliday, a player he NEBRASKA TIGHT END T.4. DeBates paints to the line of scrkMMfo Monday afteraoea or the press practice field behiad the Cook Pavilion. DeBates and sephomoie Itraey WtotremwIO share time at the tight ead position this year, with DeBates fllllap the Mocking rale far the Maskers. says has “tremendous ability.” “Aaron just needs to work on his confidence and intensity,” Brown said. “He seems to turn it up in scrimmage situations, but we need to see that effort all the time” Golliday did step up in the scrim mage Saturday, catching a touchdown pass from third-string quarterback Jay Runty. Freshman Jon Bowling, listed third on the depth chart, is another young player showing promise for the Huskers, Brown said. He and Golliday redshirted together last season, and both had an excellent spring, Brown said. “Jon is a Sheldon-like receiver,” i Brown said. ^He just needs to work on from Lincoln Northeast, is also on the roster, but is probably headed for a red shirt s^^^^^e^skers ’ “This is a potentially great position for us this year,” Brown said. “We have i lot of skills that we can utilize, and he depth enables the competition to ^ depth chart is vety close int, and a slip-up could mean Big 12 lacks top backs By Joshua Camenzind Staff writer In its fourth year, the Big 12 Conference is faced with a situation it is not used to - a lack of proven running backs in the league. With only three returning 1,000 yard rushers, many teams are still searching for a mainstay in the ground attack. Oklahoma, Missouri, Colorado and Kansas State are all looking to replace solid performers from a sea son ago. Baylor, Oklahoma State, Kansas and Nebraska return backs who are potential all-conference run ners. Texas A&M, Iowa State and Texas Tech return All-American can didates. Then, there is Texas. The loss of Heisman Trophy win ner Ricky Williams has crippled the Longhorn running game. Last sea son, Williams was provided a frame for the UT offense. This season, Coach Mack Brown will have to rely on Hodges Mitchell and Ricky Brown to carry the load. Mitchell is the top returning runner with 111 yards on 23 carries a year ago. Texas Tech, on the other hand, carries the most promising ground attack with the return of junior Ricky Williams. The Heisman Trophy can didate, who bears the same name as last year’s winner, has gained about five pounds of muscle, according to Coach Spike Dykes, and is ready for the season to begin. “Ricky is a little stronger, a little older and has another year under his belt,” Dykes said. “His work ethic has made him look better than ever. However, we did lose three offensive lineman from a year ago, so we will see how good our blocking devel ops.” Colorado features a Doak Walker-Award candidate in senior Dwayne Cherrington - despite los Please see BACKS on 16 _' From staff reports Monday’s football practice on the grass behind the Cook Pavilion marked the addition of 40 to 50plaiy ers, who will serve primarily as Cornhusker scout team members, Nebraska Coach Frank Solich said. Though they weren’t among the first 105 to report to fall camp, Solich said, each athlete in the Husker sys tem serves as a necessary piece to the squad’s puzzle. “Everyone really plays a role in what we get done,” Solich said. “There is no player that is not impor tant.” Monday’s full-padded practice was “sluggish,” Solich said, but that’s to be expected after a weekend scrim mage. >WTthink they pushed and got something out of it,” Solich said. “Overall, it was a good practice.” Injury update: No. 1 fullback Willie Miller sat out of practice Monday with an ankle sprain. Solich said he expects Miller to return within a couple days. Linebacker Julius Jackson also missed practice Monday because of a knee injury. New coaches are target of latest DN Sports Quiz John Gaskins Greetings, oh fellow Nebraskans and sports geeks. Hope your summer was eventful and thal fou might even remember some of it. I know I lon’t remember mine, so it’s time to look ahead. For those of you young pup freshmen, or those tew to the DN sports section, I like to strain your ports brains with a quiz - a little thing I have so creatively called the “DN Sports Quiz.” And, because you are probably reading this in class — as opposed to listening to your instructor— I thought maybe you should at least educate your self. Today’s topic: football (how original). 1. Lou Holtz and John Robinson, the former head coaches at famed football shrines Notre Dame and USC, proved to the world (when they decided to take over the programs at sad-sack South Carolina and UNLV) that they both: a. Enjoy the challenge of rebuilding pro grams. b. Just love the game of football too much to retire from coaching. c. Maybe need to start considering assisted living. 2. The indelible strengths that former Colorado Coach Rick Neuheisel will bring to Washington’s football program are: a. Sweater vests. b. Penalties and blowing late fourth-quarter leads. c. Coors Light parties. 3. What disgruntled and heavily overrated quarterback Ryan Leaf really yelled to that heckler at the Chargers’ training camp was: a. “I said, ‘Do you have any Grey Poupon!' ” b. “Stressed? Stressed? Let’s see how you’d handle your surly butler!” c. “Of all people, you could be just a little more supportive, Dad! ” 4. Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder will try to (teal with the loss of Heisman Trophy runner-up quarterback Michael Bishop by relying on: a. Jonathan Beasley (Bishop’s likely replace ment). b. Ron Hudson (the new offensive coordina tor and quarterbacks coach). c. Jack Daniels. 5. What the Missouri ticket office really meant to say when it sold all those tickets to Nebraska fans before it took them back was: a. “We’ll sell you tickets if you promise not to show up at the game wearing red” b. “We’ll sell you the tickets if you promise not to show up at the game cheering for Nebraska.” c. “We’ll sell you the tickets if you promise not to show up at the game.” That’s it. And guess what? You all fail! That’s raw we do things down here. Have a nice day! John Gaskins is a junior broadcasting major and Daily Nebraskan staff writer.