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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 2000)
Nebraska linebacker Polk backs up his words on the football field POLKfrompagelO But allies weren’t always so receptive to Polk's noisy ways. The 6-foot-2,250-pounder said his high school coach was not fond of his trash-talking style. “He was the kind of coach that wanted us to just play and don’t say a word,” said Polk, who brushed up on his verbal skills as a starter on the basketball court, as well. “That really wasn't a part of my game, so when I first started playing for him, he really didn’t appreciate me talking to the opponents all the time. “My coach always said, ‘Carlos, shut up and play foot ball.’” But he didn’t shut up, and his nonstop talk has bothered opposing players. Polk said some opponents have also taken his trash-talking a bit too personally. Southern Mississippi’s Jeff Kelly told the Rockford, 111., native to shut up at the end of Nebraska’s 20-13 win last sea son. Kelly was laughing as he said it, but it wouldn't matter to Polk either way. “They can take it the way they want to, but I am out there to have fun,” Polk said. “Some opponents appreciate it, and some don’t. It really depends on the individual. I have had some real nasty things said to me on the field, and I have learned how to brush it off. You have to in this game.” Polk said he doesn’t see him self calming down anytime soon - even with NFL rookie camp less than one year away. “It is my nature. I am a talker and will not change my game for anybody,” he said. “Sometimes I do it to psyche my opponent out, and sometimes I do it to psyche myself up. “It just helps motivate me because I know that if I am out there talking and don’t back it up, someone is going to let me know about it” Money where his mouth is Up to this point in Polk’s three-year career, he has backed up his talk. Polk entered his senior sea son with 137 total tackles and 22 quarterback hurries. He had 23 tackles for losses and 8.5 sacks. And this season, his last as a Blackshirt, has been no differ ent. The Butkus and Bronco Nagurski candidate leads the Comhuskers in tackles through the first four games with 37. He has one blocked field goal, four quarterback hurries and one sack. When Nebraska needed it the most, Polk recorded a career-high 12 tackles in a 27-24 overtime win in South Bend, Ind., over Notre Dame. But his play extends beyond statistics. The bookend line backers in Nebraska’s 4-3 defense include first-year starters Randy Stella and Scott Shanle. With Polk’s guidance, it is no surprise that Stella and Shanle are No. 2 and No. 3 on the team in total tackles. "He has showed us a lot,” Stella said. “He calls most of the fronts and makes sure that we are in the right place.” Bohl hesitated to think about what his defense would be like without its centerpiece, referring to Polk as the defense’s “rock.” Although the Blackshirts have shown vulnerability at times this season, Polk has held firm. He even returned from a severely sprained ankle against Missouri when his defense was struggling. Polk, who missed practice on Monday and Tuesday and has sported an air cast on his ankle, is still expected to play on Saturday against Iowa State. He has persevered through the Blackshirts’ growing pains, as well as the physical pain this season. “We are going to achieve pur goals,’’Polk said. "We are getting better every game, and I am really proud that most of the mistakes that we make are not happening twice.” But Polk is not going to just sit around and watch mediocre play. The defensive captain, who was a special teams star in his first two seasons at Nebraska, volunteered to return to that role to help shore up some exist ing coverage problems before the Missouri game. The seemingly brash presea son All American will likely do the dirty work of covering punts for the rest of his senior season. "That just goes to show what kind of player he really is,” Bohl said. “He is unselfish and under stands what needs to be done to have a winning football team.” Husker notes: Senior middle linebacker Carlos Polk was back practicing Wednesday after missing Monday and Tuesday with a sprained ankle. Sophomore split end Wilson Thomas took Polk's place on the sideline. After suffering an injury during Tuesday's practice, Thomas sported a pair of crutches and watched practice Wednesday. Coach Frank Solich wouldn't clarify the Husker’s injury situa tion, or if Polk and Thomas will be ready for Saturday’s game against Iowa State. “We had a couple of guys return, but we are also missing a couple,” he said. “We are not 100 percent at this point. The status of a couple of our players is still in question. Hopefully, we will know more tomorrow.” IF ONE OF MY SANDWICHES DOESN’T HIT THE SPOT, THERE’S SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH YOUR SPOT. WE DELIVER THE ORIGINAL . V Hi SUPER Vrf 1N, 11 SEAL WORLDS GREATEST GOURMET SANDWICH SHOPS WWW. JIMMY JOHNS COM NU hopes new coach draws fans BY JOSHUA CAMENZNP Nebraska officials were expecting big things when they hired new basketball coach Barry Collier last spring. While winning more games was the main objective, increased ticket sales was also a priority. For the most part, Collier has delivered. "We are doing well, and that was expected,” Athletic Director Bill Byrne said. Holly Adam, NU’s assistant director of ticket operations, said her office has sold 7,900 sea son tickets to the public - an increase from the total of 7,000 sold last season. The tickets range from $112 to $144 for two exhibition games and 14 regular season games. Athletic Department donors can buy selected seats for $176. Public season tickets range from $7 to $11 per game. Student tickets, which were on sale for $28 for the season until Sept 28, are now going for $42. The total is 100 short of the 1999 total of 1,200. Students are allotted 1,800 seats in the new seating plan at die Bob Devaney Sports Center. Adam said die official total for this year's capacity hasn't been officially determined but should be close to last year’s 13,500. While the early numbers are promising, officials are hoping to build momentum as the sea son gets closer and an advertis ing campaign kicks into gear. “I haven't seen much of it yet," said Byrne, who saw the Huskers draw one of its lowest average season crowds in the 23 year history of the building last year. "But it will come into effect when November comes around, and people start thinking about basketball.’’ Adam said brochures and applications have been mailed out to football and women’s bas ketball season ticket holders. Tickets also can be purchased on the Internet at www. huskers. com. the daily nebraskan the no. 1 sports section this side of the mississip (to be said with southern accent) GREAT PRICES • GREAT PRICES • GREAT PRICES• GREAT PRICES cc CL BEER LIQUOR WINE KEGS 22nd & “0”st 477-7516 Mon-Sat 8am-1am iqour Prices good thru 10-11-00 Sundays noon-ta™ Corona $_.n Bud $iQ co Reg. or Light ^ 49 Re9-or Light | £a Q5| Warm 6pk bottles Keystone Light Warm30pk bottles $&99 Warm case bottles Miller . Lite, MGD, a j|f) & MGD Lt. ^14,49 Warm case cans Captain Morgan Gold, Silver, Parrot Bay 1.75L $19.99 Canadian Springs 1.75L $9.99 Popov Vodka 1.75L $9.99 E&J Brandy 750 ml $&99 ft $ Sport Clubs At Homs this Weekend NU Cycling is hosting two races this Sunday. North Central Mountain Bike Regional Championship Campus Challenge Mountain Bike both races will be held at Branched Oak Lake. For more information check out unlcycling.mindvision.com On the Road Men's & Women’s Rugby will be traveling to Kansas City, MO for the Heart of America tournament. NU Crew will compete in the Quad Cities Classic on Saturday in Davenport, IA and in the Head of the Rock on Sunday in Rockford, IL. Results Women's Rugby defeated South Dakota State University Friday 8 to 5. It was a very productive weekend for the NU Waterpolo club. Veteran Josh Fry led the team in goals, while rookies Adam Sauter, Sarah Dance, Ronald Chicirino and Jeff Mavkey stepped up their game contributing a great deal to the team. Game scores for NU were NU 16 Minnesota 5 NU 18 South Dakota 7 Washington 16 NU 7 Western Illinois 13 NU 9 Office ol Campus Recreation SB CREC 4 32 ECAB Phone 472.3467 IMFO-REC 472.2692 Huskers play themselves in games GAMERS from page 10 And when people in living rooms and residence hall rooms across the country run it with you, they’d better do a good job of it Check that The designers who create you better do a good job. You don’t want to be like Robert Brooks in that commercial, which ran a few years back. In the humorous spot, Brooks is testing out a new NFL video game and is upset with his designers as his counterpart on die game can’t outrun a defender. “That don’t show my break away speed,” Brooks shouts and slams down the controller. If people are going to be play ing with you for hours on end, the last thing you want to be is a slow, uncoordinated joke. “You want the games to do you justice,” Alexander said. But keep in mind that noth ing is perfect, not even in the world of video games. “I had to check myself out,” Stella said. “I think they slipped up on a few things. “They didn’t show my break away speed.” But alas, if they do misrepre sent you, just hope it isn't any thing as bad as linebacker Rod Baker’s situation. Designers of EA Sport’s NCAA Football 2001 mis takenly made Baker, who is white, black. But either way, misrepresent ed or not, it’s cool. You're on the television, inside the PlayStation. You’re the focus of kids' dreams. Parents don’t like you because you take away from homework time. But who cares? You’re on a video game. You could be Eric Crouch, running the option to perfection and piling up rushing yards. You could make yourself the star of a PlayStation team and be every body's hero in PlayStation land - a computerized sensation sweeping across the nation. Wouldn’t that be cool, Mr. Crouch? To be the best player on the video game? To even be on a video game? Right? “I guess it's an honor,” Crouch said bluntly, without the least bit of sincerity. “I don’t think about it that much.” Oh. Isn't it time to do some comparison shopping? The funds listed below are only a representation of the investment options available through your retirement plan. For more information on other investment options available to you, please call Fidelity Investments® at 1-800-343-0860. Annualized Total Return % as of 6/30/00 1 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10 Year Life Inception Fidelity Aggressive Growth Fund1 55.48 48.39 34.62 N/A Fidelity Blue Chip Growth Fund 18.73 23.59 22.68 21.16 Fidelity Diversified International Fund2 32.19 17.96 20.09 N/A Fidelity Growth Company Fund 63.91 38.05 31.20 23.31 Fidelity Magellarf Fund 9.81 22.16 20.80 18.49 Fidelity OTC Portfolio 55.28 38.60 31.06 23.30 30.12 12/28/90 21.11 12/31/87 14.63 21.22 22.20 12/27/91 1/17/83 5/2/63 23.24 12/31/84 Mutual fund returns have sustained significant gains and losses recently due to stock market volatility in certain sectors. Current performance may be lower than the performance stated. Please visit www.fidelitv.com for current performance figures. 1 There is a short-term trading fee of 1.50% on shares held less than 90 days. 2 There is a short-term trading fee of 1.00% on shares held less than 30 days. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns are historical and include change in share value and rein vestment of any dividends and capital gains. Life of fund figures are reported as of the commencement date to the period indicated. Each investment option’s share price and return will vary and you may have a gain or a loss when you sell shares. Foreign investments, especially those in emerging markets, involve greater risks and may offer greater potential returns than U.S. investments. These risks include political and economic uncertainties of foreign countries, as well as the risk of currency fluctuations. For more complete information about Fidelity mutual funds, including fees and expenses, call or write Fidelity for free prospectuses. Read them carefully before you make your investment choices. Schedule a one-on-one consultation to learn more about the Fidelity investment options available in your University of Nebraska Basic and Supplemental Retirement Plans. A Fidelity representative will be available on-site October 17 & 18, November 7, and November 9. Please call 1-800-642-7131 to schedule an appointment. 799 Fidelity Investments Tax-Exempt Services Company A division of Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Company, Inc. 82 Devonshire Street, Boston, MA 02109 7865 UNEB-PERF-0900