[Husker] Walk-Ons

[Steve Stone]

Dick wrote:

>While I usually agree with Steve Stone's observations, and agree 
>with most of what he listed as the problems with NU's football 
>program, I must disagree on one point. I do so because no one should 
>ever agree with everything Steve says (you know how he gets) and 
>because I think the walk-on program is doing just fine.
>I went through the roster and identified 51 players whom I believe 
>to be  present or former walk-ons (about 40% of the roster). 
>Fourteen of those players are listed on the depth chart, and many of 
>those have made important contributions to the team. To wit: Andy 
>Poulosky, Sean Hill, TJ O'Leary, Tyler Wortman, Andy Sand, Ben 
>Eisenhart, Jake Wesch, Thomas Lawson, Dan Erickson, Hunter 
>Teafatiller, Alex Henery, Dan Titchener, and Todd Peterson.
>Now, the correct number of walk-ons is obviously a matter of 
>opinion, and some may feel that 50 or so isn't nearly enough. 
>Nonetheless, there can be no disputing that walk-ons have made - and 
>continue to make - solid contributions under Bill Callahan. There 
>are ample reasons to fire the guy, but I don't think this is one of 
>them.

Good points, all.

I was coming from a slightly different angle, one stolen directly 
from Dr. Tom's "introductory" speech as interim AD, to wit, sooner or 
later his larger walk-on program connected every small town in 
Nebraska directly to the Husker squad. This led to an intense feeling 
of connect-ness between the football program and those outlying and 
too-often-ignored little towns like, say, Danbury, Stella, and 
Harvard.

Callahan's smaller "invited walk-on" program is/was probably as 
efficient from a football point of view, but it does/did not serve 
the Nebraska community as well.

Steve Stone