Each week during the season, we will take a look back at some of the most interesting and thought-provoking interviews on Hail Varsity Radio hosted by Chris Schmidt.
On Tuesday, Chris asked former Husker fullback Joel Makovicka about the teams’ reputation for lack of toughness.
CS: The rep is out there that if you punch Nebraska in the face enough they’ll go away, and they have a chance to change that.
JM: Absolutely. And why wouldn’t that be the rep out there? Until you do something different, Chris, that is going to be the rep. That’s why that should piss off every player that puts on the uniform. That is not the reputation of Nebraska football. And that upsets me, that upsets all former players. People laid the foundation, and it was laid before I got there and it was sustained while I was there. You lay that foundation of “we’re Midwest and we’re the most physical, dominant team out there.” It starts with physicality. Any time you get that reputation that that isn’t what it is any more, that should upset you.
In Saturday’s rewind feature, Wisconsin Athletic Director and former Nebraska linebacker Barry Alvarez spoke about leadership.
CS: What did you take from Coach Devaney from a leadership standpoint on culture?
BA: Well I think leaders come to to the top. As a coach you are always looking for those leaders and see who takes the bit and see who the other kids will follow. We used to talk about this as a staff. Sometimes you might have a team that doesn’t have any leaders, you try to cultivate some leaders and teach them how to lead. Sometimes the coaches have to lead. I remember telling our coaches, there are no excuses. If no one steps up, we have to lead. We’re the ones that have to figure out how to win games. Ive always felt like you can guide leadership and guide some players towards that but the good leaders know how to lead and players will follow them because they do the right thing on and off the field.
On Monday, Chris spoke with Huskers linebacker Luke Gifford about the versatility of the new 3-4 defense.
CS: What do you like most about the new 3-4 defense?
LG: It’s so multiple. There’s so many different things we can do. People are flying around. It’s not even so much the 3-4 defense but Coach Diaco and the mentality that he’s instilled in us. The way we go about everyday. I think that’s really changed our defense and the way we are going to play.
