Final take: Huskers continuing to build a ‘self-policing’ culture
When Scott Frost got to Nebraska, one of his biggest goals was to instill a culture back into the program where the players held each other accountable.
A “self-policing” culture, that from year-to-year veteran players take ownership of the locker room after what they’ve learned in previous seasons.
As NU gets ready to kick-off Fall Camp in 2019, you get the sense that’s finally starting to come into place.
“I would say the No. 1 thing is a lot of things have been player-led vs. a lot of coaches telling people to do things,” junior tight end Jack Stoll said. “I think as soon as coaches start telling people to do things not everyone is going to be as bought in. But as soon as some of the leaders step up and start saying ‘hey we’ve got to do this,’ and everyone starts buying in, I think that’s when you get a great team. That’s definitely something this summer we’ve seen a lot of. Everybody just willing to show up and give it their all every single day.”
I’m sure if you went and visited established programs like Clemson, Alabama and Ohio State, you would see something very similar.
When players can take ownership of the locker room good things are going to happen. When players can punish other players and hold them accountable everyone takes notice.
“Basically, if you aren’t doing what you are supposed to there will be a punishment led by the players,” Stoll said. “That’s something we definitely have embraced, and it’s definitely held everyone accountable making sure everyone is bought in. Especially this year, a lot of people are bought in vs. last year, you could see some people weren’t 100 percent bought in. Those people are gone.
“That’s something else that’s exciting, because if you aren’t going to be bought in and you aren’t going to give it your all, you aren’t going to be on this football team.”
One of the next steps Frost would like to take is bringing back the Unity Council, which is something that Tom Osborne had on his teams in the 90’s.
Last year Frost said NU was nowhere near ready to have a Unity Council, but that could change this year.
“We actually already have a group identified that comes up and meets with us as coaches once in a while,” Frost said. “It keeps us abreast to things. We put a lot of things on those guys as far as responsibly as far as to make sure the team is doing things the right way. I think we are real close to implementing the Unity Council closer to the way people in Nebraska know it.”
Along the lines of accountability comes “toughness,” and that too was a big topic of discussion on Thursday by Frost and his players.
“I think we’ve had a tough team before, but I think we can be the toughest team in the Big Ten,” Stoll said.
And with more accountability and added toughness comes expectations. Everybody in the Huskers locker room has a feel for what this year could be.
The players are embracing the challenge, but at the same time know there’s a lot a work ahead of them this month. Is it Aug. 30 yet?
“I would say our expectations are to definitely to win that Big Ten championship,” Stoll said. “I know those were definitely our expectations last year, unfortunately, that didn’t end up happening. With all the work we’ve been putting in, especially at the tail end of that season, that’s definitely a goal that’s very attainable, and I know everyone has been working towards it.
"Coach Frost has definitely been preaching it because I didn’t come here to go 4-8. I came here to put a ring on my finger and win the Big Ten. That’s just personally how I feel and that’s the reason I came to Nebraska.”
