The Huskers seem to be making moves to build a real relationship with Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa. On Tuesday, the Huskers offered 2020 offensive tackle Jacob Gamble a scholarship.
❗️Blessed to Receive my first BIG10 Scholarship from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln ❗️#GBR #Huskers @CoachWoods @CoachStrohmeier @CoachChinander pic.twitter.com/vBfZ5z7UkY
— Jacob Gamble (@JacobGamble_) May 21, 2019
There are a couple of players at the school now who hold offers for the class of 2020. Gamble will be on campus this weekend with a few of his teammates to check out what Lincoln has to offer. Before that happens, I caught up with him to get his thoughts on his journey to IWCC, picking up the offer from the Huskers and more.
Here is the full Q&A:
Where are you originally from and what was your path to getting to Iowa Western?
“I’m actually from Doylestown, Ohio. It’s a little town outside of Akron, Ohio. I actually graduated high school in 2015. I took two years off. I went over to Ventura College in the start of 2017. In August of 2018 I ran into some financial issues where I lost my apartment. I was forced to move back home. I was actually going to hang up the cleats but Coach Woods, the offensive line coach over here at Iowa Western, got a hold of me and said they still had a scholarship for me. I thought let’s give it one more year, why not? I’m here and now I have offers from Nebraska and a few other schools.”
What has it felt like going through all that and now have offers?
“It’s great. I was actually just talking to my buddies saying that I never really expected to have offers to Nebraska and schools like that. I figured if I played D1, it’d be local like Akron or schools where I’m from.”
When you got the Nebraska offer, how did that happen and what did you think?
“I was pumped. I’m actually heading to Kansas State and Nebraska this weekend if I find enough time. I’ll be in Nebraska on Saturday though. It was great. I was pumped. It’s a big offer for sure.”
Had you been in contact much with them before the offer?
“Honestly, no. They came out to one of our spring practices. One of our coaches posted a tweet saying thank you for coming out so I gave them a follow. I hadn’t talked to Coach Chinander at all. Then I got a call from my coach saying that Chinander would be in contact with me. He gave me the call and said their offensive line coach watched my spring tape and Ventura tape and liked what he saw.”
What did you think about Coach Erik Chinander?
“He seemed like a good dude. It seems like everyone over there is good, it’s a good staff. I just want to get over there and meet them face to face because I don’t know any of the coaches over there. I just want to talked to them. Obviously, I’ll see everything but I want to get to know the staff better on a personal level beyond just knowing their names.”
What are some things you are most looking for in a school?
“Just a program with a family atmosphere. Not just a we are the coaches and you are the players and that’s it. I want to be able to go to my coaches and talk to them because everyone has things they go through in their life. I’m also looking for a good bond between the players.”
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9438846/5cd0f6425b3cb90e385ec260
Greg is the Recruiting Analyst for Hail Varsity and has covered Husker athletics since 2013. He has always had a passion for sports while growing up in the Chicago area. As he got older and had to hang up his cleats and sneakers, he realized his passion for sports went beyond just watching and attending games. He has covered many events from the Rose Bowl to championship boxing matches. If he’s not talking sports, he’s hovering over his grill. He is married to an amazing woman, Kim, and they have a dog that barks when Greg yells at the TV during games.
