It has been an interesting road in Lincoln for Nebraska inside linebacker Nick Henrich. The Omaha native was one of the key pieces in the 2019 recruiting class. Henrich has bounced around positions between inside and outside linebacker during his time on campus. He has also battled injuries that have slowed his growth. Henrich put together a healthy finish to the season last year that gave him a boost coming into this year.
“Yeah, it just kind of solidified and gave me some confidence that I belong and I can play with anyone you know what I mean,” Henrich said. “That gave me definitely a confidence boost going into the offseason throughout.”
Henrich finished the season in 2019 with 21 tackles in the final two games. Despite that success, the defender got in the film room to take a look at what he could get better at. One thing he really wanted to emphasize this offseason was his footwork. Not wasting any steps is important for a linebacker when trying to make plays. The defender continues to also study in the film room. That helps him get better at knowing what the offensive tendencies are of opponents. That will help him play faster.
The biggest focus for Henrich has been staying healthy. He said that his coach Barrett Ruud talks about having a solid routine. He just has to work to stay healthy through good habits. The goal is to stay on the field, always.
“I do meditate,” Henrich said. “That’s something that really has helped me kind of get back and refocus and kind of just trust myself again, so that was the biggest thing for me. And then obviously just reps and getting it back on the field. Then you’ll gradually trust things more.”
Meditation has become a big part of the linebacker’s routine. He uses an app to meditate sometimes while other times he sits and collects his thoughts alone. This wasn’t something he did back at Omaha Burke. He actually picked it up from fellow linebackers JoJo Domann and Chris Kolarevic. The third-year linebacker is one of the leaders in his position group according to his team. That’s a role that he embraces.
“I just try and be as vocal as I can every day rain or shine and just always bring energy,” Henrich said. “I think as a group we do a really good job, and as coach always says you’re not going to feel like it some days but every day is 75 and sunny. You got to control your own weather.
“As a group, we really just have taken that to heart and we see one guy down, then we get them going and then that gets everyone else going. So just bringing that energy and things is something I’ve really been trying to focus on this camp.”
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.
