Roster Rumblings for 2007
3 comments so far
July 10, 2007 by
The Nebraska sports information folks just released the updated NU football roster and bios for 2007. Is this newsworthy in and of itself? Probably not. But, in the midst of a football-starved summer, nearly anything is worth taking a closer look at. At first glance, I found myself drawn to new number changes, the new additions to the team, and the measured height and weight of various players.
Coming Soon To a Store Near You
Unlike my comrade Steve, I'm a big jersey number guy. I find them very significant and can remember the numbers of my favorite players going decades back in time. So, I find changes in numbers interesting. I'm sure the NU athletic department does too, since they will do their best to make as much cash as possible off of two noteworthy number changes.
Marlon Lucky will give up his #20 jersey in favor of #5. Maybe Lucky is looking to change his fortunes at NU or make a fresh start with a new number. He apparently didn't know the significance of #20 at NU (Rogers) when he took it. Though, I'm sure he knows what USC feature back was #5 recently. (Side note: Rogers was "Reggie Bush" before Bush was even born. Rogers brought that electricity to the game.) So, is Marlon making a statement? I'm not sure. But, I do think running backs wearing single-digit numbers are pretty cool. Quarterbacks...not so much.
On that note, Sam Keller (who was #5) will change to #9 this year. Keller wore #9 in 2005 at Arizona State. I suspect the scarlet and cream edition of #9 will also be a big seller.
New Faces
I enjoy reviewing the bios of the new players, learning their background, and learning their numbers so I can see if they get on the field as freshman. It's also humbling to see people college-aged who were born in the 1980s. Wow, I feel old.
I'm always curious about which of the newcomers have made it to campus. The Journal-Star just posted a pretty good run down of the known eligibility concerns for the incoming freshman class. I wonder if Demetrious Davis, Adi Kunalic and LaTravis Washington not having numbers assigned to them means that there are concerns for their being eligible at this point?
A Taller Team
I also take note of the size measurements for the players. There is no doubt in my mind that the team is getting collectively bigger and taller under Callahan. The number of players at or above 6'3'' tall keeps increasing, and the number of players below 6' keeps decreasing. Consider this, there are now more players on the roster that are 6'5'' tall or taller (15) than there are listed below 6' even (9). Only the diminutive Cortney Grixby (5'9'') and Xavier Rucker (5'6'') are listed below 5'10'', which qualifies as right near the male average.
One other interesting size-related note. Pierre Allen's weight is listed at 265 lbs. For a player that came in at 225 lbs, that is adding 40 lbs in pretty short order. That is some strength and conditioning program at NU. Of course, this is not new information for religious BRN readers.
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alex Jul 10 07
cory ross improved his game upon switching from #22 to #4, as did jamal lord in going from #10 to #5. let's hope the same rings true for mr. lucky. on a related note, let's also hope that an electrifying frosh (e.g. latravis washington) inherits #20 so that all those former lucky/#20 jerseys don't become obsolete.
looking over the new roster i also think it's interesting to note that both prince amukamara (#21) and eric hagg (#28) were given numbers that were not double-issued. perhaps this is an early indication that both could see immediate time on special teams and, later, on both sides of the ball.
can't wait for kickoff...
'sa blang thang Jul 10 07
The #5 thing could work against Lucky: it'll be highlighted and hyped, now, that he's assuming Reggie Bush's # and it's therefore implied that he thinks of himself as Bush-esque. NOT!
Uh, last time I looked, Lucky isn't Bush! He's very good and I expect a breakout year for him this year, but even if he brings his A A A game, he will be 'Lucky' to be 1/2 the player of Reggie.
Probably the biggest thing the two have in common is that they're both from L.A.
Besides, I think #20 is way cooler.
What-EVER!
Jack D Jul 24 07
Marlon lucky changing his number will not make a difference in how he plays come saturday. He needs to be able to focus on being durable and holding on to the football.
When he gets the fundamentals down, then you may be able to start even comparing him.