5/13/2019 football Edit

Frost highlights from his Jim Rome interview

Sean Callahan • InsideNebraska

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Sean Callahan has worked with Rivals.com since 2000, and has been the Publisher of HuskerOnline since 2007. He also reports for KETV Channel 7 in Omaha, NET's Big Red Wrap-Up and KFAB Radio in Omaha.

Nebraska head coach Scott Frost joined the Jim Rome radio show on Monday for a short interview.

Frost covered several different topics about things like NU's great fan base, the walk-on program, and former Husker players.

However, maybe the most interesting thing he shared with Rome was in regards to the upcoming season, where he compared things in Lincoln in year two to his time at Central Florida, where the Knights went 13-0.

Scott Frost told Jim Rome that outside linebackers coach Jovan Dewitt started working in the office again recently. Dewitt has been going through throat cancer treatments the last two months. (Associated Press)

“It’s very similar tracks. It’s interesting as you are trying to build a program,” Frost told Rome. “We really didn’t know success was going to come and didn’t feel it coming probably until Fall Camp of that second year. The pieces fell right for us, and some things happened that we needed to happen to have a complete team. Everything just took off from there. We really thought down there it was going to be a three-year deal. We thought in our third year that that was going to be our year. Things just happened a little quicker than we thought.

"We are looking for a jump this year. I know there’s a lot of high expectations outside the program and there’s a lot of high expectations in this building for what we can accomplish. We have some of the right pieces. We are certainly not a complete a team yet, but we are way down the road from where we were 12 months ago. I would love to see the same type of leap happen in year two here.”

Frost also addressed the importance of recruiting at Nebraska and making sure you find the right kind of players that fit what they want to do.

“We are looking for the ‘character kid,’ and a tough kid that wants to come to Nebraska," Frost said. "But really, with all the choices out there in college football, the type of kid that’s going to choose Nebraska and coming to Lincoln, is really the kid that’s really serious about it, and recognizes what we are trying to build, and wants to be a part of something special, and wants to focus on what is important. That’s school and life after football. There’s a lot of easier choices. I think the kids that make this choice are the right type of kids that want to be here for the right kind reasons.”

In other news, Frost gave an update on the health status of outside linebackers coach Jovan Dewitt, who was away from the team for most of this spring undergoing treatment for throat cancer.

Frost said Dewitt continues to battle his way back each day.

“(DeWitt) is just starting to get involved again,” Frost said. “He was in my office this morning. Things look like they are going really well for him. Our prayers are with him, and we are going to do everything we can for him.

"One of the first messages I give the team every year, and I learned this from Tony Dungy is ‘we all love football, and football is important, but football isn’t life.’ When things like this happen, it makes you realize as much time as we spend on football and trying to win games, it’s not the most important thing. I think when you are coming from that point and you understand that it makes you even a better player, a better coach, and a better team. We are going to try and keep our priorities in place and trying to help Jovan through this is certainly something that’s going to keep us grounded.”