[Husker] Pelini Article

[Kathy Jackson]

>Mike and Kel wrote:
>>I'm sure in Texas, California, Florida, etc. it isn't essential to 
>>having a top program. In Nebraska it is more than "nice" and I 
>>would have to agree with Dr. Osborne that it is pretty darn 
>>important.
>>
>
>     I am sure in Texas and California there a a few programs that 
>have been pretty successful without walk-ons.  I wasn't talking 
>about the need to have a top program.  I was talking about the need 
>for walk-ons to make that happen.  Does USC have a big time walk-on 
>program?
>
>>One only has to look at the outstanding walk-ons that we have had 
>>in the past who contributed to National Championships. They could 
>>have been playing somewhere else if they hadn't been encouraged to 
>>walk-on.
>>
>
>      Please tell me what the percentage of walk-ons versus 
>scholarship players made a difference.  I really believe NU would be 
>right where it is today without walk-ons.

While there have been walk-ons that turned into scholarship players 
and/or made a difference to the program I feel the main benefit is to 
public relations.  Nebraskans being the hard working folks they are 
love the idea of some kid from the farm heading off to the big city 
of Lincoln to get their education and then by hard work and 
perseverance they also get to suit up for the big red.  When I was in 
school back in the dark ages I had the same major as one of these 
kids.  He was from the panhandle and I bet he was in  less than 20 
plays during his entire time on the team.  When we would go out to 
the panhandle (we had family there) folks would always talk about 
him, ask about him and by golly the radio in every pickup was tuned 
to the Huskers every week.  Walk ons are a way to make sure you stay 
connected to the folks all over the state of Nebraska and I don't 
know about you all but I always specially look for kids I know when I 
go to the games.  Sometimes those kids were a big name, most times 
they hung out on the side lines but I know that I cared about what 
happened to them more than I cared about all these big time guys from 
Texas and New Jersey.

Don't get me wrong - we need to recruit the best players from all 
over but having that group of Nebraskans, either on scholarship or 
not helps keep the Huskers what they are and keeps folks out in the 
coffee shops of small town Nebraska more involved in the program even 
if they themselves never attended the U

Kathy Jackson