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Jorgensen wastes no time in accepting Nebraska walk-on offer

Lincoln (Neb.) Southwest kicker Dylan Jorgensen realized a dream of his over the weekend.

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound senior placekicker has been working for a long time to earn a walk-on spot at Nebraska. Jorgensen had been getting the feeling that an offer to walk-on could be happening soon, but had no idea that he'd be a future Husker before NU's game against Minnesota even started.

“My parents told me they had received a postcard in the mail from my special teams coach (Graduate Assistant Zach Crespo),” Jorgensen said. “It just kind of said to be ready for a chance if I get one and to be ready to compete. That was before my visit Saturday so I kind of knew something could be coming eventually, but I didn’t know it was going to be Saturday if it was. I was just going there to have fun and get used to everything.”

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Turns out Jorgensen didn't have to wait very long for the news about a walk-on offer once he arrived on his unofficial visit to Nebraska. Also, it turns out that he didn't have to take any time to think about accepting the offer once it came his way.

“I was sitting down at a table with a bunch of guys and Coach Crespo came over and asked how I was doing,” Jorgensen said. “He was just asking me some questions and then he asked where my parents were. So I took him over to my parents and we started talking and after awhile he said that he would find me on the field and talk to me there.

"Then a little later he came over and whispered in my ear to grab my parents and to meet him over to the side. When he said that I had a pretty good idea of what he was going to say. We went over to where he was standing and he said, ‘We’d like to offer Dylan a walk-on spot.’ When he said that I almost started crying. My dad started crying, my mom was crying, it was just really emotional, but it was great.

“When Coach Crespo offered me I told him that my parents and I have been talking about this for so long. Just all about if some other schools offered me or if (Nebraska) offered me and what I’d do. I told him that there’s no other place I want to be and that I’m ready and I wanted to commit right now and that I was all in.”

The opportunity to play for Nebraska has been a dream of Jorgensen's for a long time. He says it would never have come true without the support of his parents.

“It means everything to me,” Jorgensen said about getting the chance to walk-on at Nebraska. “My parents also told me to just stay the course and to me that’s kind of meant to just let everything happen and control only what you can control. If you do that then things will happen the way that they are supposed to happen.

“My parents have always believed in me ever since I started trying to get some exposure. My dad has always just told me to keep working and trying to get better every day and to keep your head high, stay focused and it will come. At the beginning I didn’t really believe him, but as things went on and I started to see that schools were interested in me, especially Nebraska, it’s been great.

"I’m so thankful for the opportunity that I’m getting right now. It’s just crazy because there are kids that would die to be in my position and I’m just super happy to be able to be a part of the Nebraska football team.”

Jorgensen says the Huskers see him as someone that can come in and compete as a field goal kicker as well as with kick off duties.

He describes himself as a technically sound kicker, but admits he's still trying to get better every day.

"I would describe myself as being super technical,” Jorgensen said. “I feel like technique is everything when you kick. It doesn’t matter if you’re kicking or punting, technique is the base foundation of everything. Whether that’s steps, placement, follow through, your eyes, or mental.

“Obviously there’s always things you can improve, but I feel like I have a good foundation in my form. Everyone can get stronger so that’s something that I’m really going to work on through the next year before I get to Nebraska. I’m going to work really, really strong in my legs and my upper body.”

Jorgensen is a perfect 28 of 28 on PATs and has made 6 of 9 field goal attempts with a long of 47 yards so far this season. He has also recorded 33 touch backs on 45 kickoffs so far this fall.

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