Jim Ebke

[Nidaros]

Re: Jim Ebke

No, you're not. Understood. I was kind of lumping a lot of thoughts into one post ... it was just the mention of an Orange Bowl ring that sparked me and I went on and on as I sometimes do. Sorry if you felt it was all aimed at you. You make valid points.

No offense taken here and I am guilty of coming across in a brusk and of scratchy manner too. I spent 20 years in Nebraska and yes I had plenty of opporunity to sense what multi-decades of success in winning football games does to entire state, such as when I first moved there and could not get any appliance sales person to wait on you, because the Huskers were playing. Not a good idea to shop for appliances on a Saturday afternoon even if you are 85 miles from Lincoln.

Going to a country church where Big Red football discussion dominated the usual talk of crops and livestock on a fall Sunday morning.

Yes UNL has it going in the right direction and people dont seem to grow tired of it. And contrary to what seems practical to me, the kids that become young men will not be thinking costs of education if they have a chance to walk on. Jim Ebke will probably be playing against the Jacks when we travel down there in the near future. And so it goes. I also agree with egguy in trying to work with their staff. We need to hang on to Coach Brubak as he is a very good Nebraska Connection for SDSU recruiting.

[EQguy]

Re: Jim Ebke

There are good and bad things with the revival of the Nebraska walk on program. We have seen the bad this year, hopefully our coaches can build/maintain a decent working relationship with the staff at Nebraska so we can have a pipeline to some of the kids that don't make it so we can get some good out of it.

[JackFan96]

Re: Jim Ebke

I was not really stating a like or dislike of the UNL walk on program, just recognizing a reality that it is being resurrected from the dead. I do think it was peculiar for some to chose a walk on thing at UNL and pay for your education with your own resources whereas going the NCC route, the cost would have been significantly less to the individuals and their families. It was their choice, but not one I would have taken if I was talented to play football and came from a low income family that does not have a college fund sitting in a local bank. Some of these UNL guys with the Orange Bowl rings are probably still paying off their college loans. How smart is that?

Thats my point. If its about being a Rudy in a top 25 program and a ring, its kind of expensive. I do understand very clearly btw.


Spilled Milk? What exactly do you mean? And who is crying? I am not.

No, you're not. Understood. I was kind of lumping a lot of thoughts into one post ... it was just the mention of an Orange Bowl ring that sparked me and I went on and on as I sometimes do. Sorry if you felt it was all aimed at you. You make valid points.

[Nidaros]

Re: Jim Ebke

Well, I think you said it all when you said "Orange Bowl ring." We don't have to like the Nebraska walk-on program, but it's not going anywhere. It's our problem to deal with. And we should continue to recruit those potential Nebraska walk-on kids, no doubt. As for players who want to walk-on there, well ... we should be so lucky to have such a tradition. It's clear there's a lack of understanding about how important playing at Nebraska is to a lot of high school players -- especially those who grew up in Nebraska. I don't like losing players to the Huskers, either. It aggravating. But I don't really blame the kids who want have the chance -- even just the chance -- to someday play for a big-time college team or a team that has the potential to finish in the Top 25 or whatever. We're spending too much time crying over spilled milk. Onward and upward.

I was not really stating a like or dislike of the UNL walk on program, just recognizing a reality that it is being resurrected from the dead. I do think it was peculiar for some to chose a walk on thing at UNL and pay for your education with your own resources whereas going the NCC route, the cost would have been significantly less to the individuals and their families. It was their choice, but not one I would have taken if I was talented to play football and came from a low income family that does not have a college fund sitting in a local bank. Some of these UNL guys with the Orange Bowl rings are probably still paying off their college loans. How smart is that?

Thats my point. If its about being a Rudy in a top 25 program and a ring, its kind of expensive. I do understand very clearly btw.


Spilled Milk? What exactly do you mean? And who is crying? I am not.

[JackFan96]

Re: Jim Ebke

Having lived in Nebraska for about 20 years and reading the Omaha WH daily, I could never understand when reading a article about Senior Days that several of these guys got to play one year at the most at UNL and several had turned down NCC scholarships to get that one year of scholarship money and possibly an Orange Bowl ring. And yes there are a bunch that never see fall practice.


I think SDSU should continue to recruit these potential walk on's as they could later transfer to SDSU. Parker Douglas was about to walk on at UNL until he started talking to Stig. (This was from the horses mouth) Back in the late 1980's another Columbus kid Tim Kwapnaski walked on at UNL and then transferred to SDSU and was a good defensive back for nearly four years. So I dont think we should give up entirely. I think the big advantage is we now have more money to offer than UNO has and thats another reason to keep recruiting in Nebraska. UNO seems to have a close connection because staff have worked both at UNL and UNO. Coach Brubak from what I understand has a big Nebraska network so no need to give up because of losing the two good ones this year.

I guess Bill Callalhan was our best recruiting friend we ever had. Who knows, Bo may have his problems too and bringing back the walk on program may not be the answer.

Well, I think you said it all when you said "Orange Bowl ring." We don't have to like the Nebraska walk-on program, but it's not going anywhere. It's our problem to deal with. And we should continue to recruit those potential Nebraska walk-on kids, no doubt. As for players who want to walk-on there, well ... we should be so lucky to have such a tradition. It's clear there's a lack of understanding about how important playing at Nebraska is to a lot of high school players -- especially those who grew up in Nebraska. I don't like losing players to the Huskers, either. It aggravating. But I don't really blame the kids who want have the chance -- even just the chance -- to someday play for a big-time college team or a team that has the potential to finish in the Top 25 or whatever. We're spending too much time crying over spilled milk. Onward and upward.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Jim Ebke

I don't recall who it was, but on Cowherd's show on ESPN there was a former NU walk-on that was being interviewed for different reasons. At the end of the show the subject of the walk-on program came up. His comment was that he only played in a couple of games in mop-up duty his final and year, but it was the best experience of his life. Cowherd didn't believe him and his response was that if given one day, he could find 100 walk-ons that never played a down that would say the same thing.

My point is that many kids dream is to play for Whatever U, and to do that they have to be part of Whatever U's team. If you go to Somewhere U, you will never be on Whatever's team.

[jackrabid]

Re: Jim Ebke

[quote=CatchEmAll;81209]This is a near impossibility because until a player steps foot on the field coaches can never know what they are getting.

C'mon now, that is far more the exception rather than the rule. While you will have a few disappointments and a few pleasant surprises, D-1, coaches aren't gonna be around long if they are not capable enough to do a credible job of both evaluating and projecting talent.

Rudy ain't ever gonna start or play but one emotional minute in a made for T.V. movie. And there isn't anything wrong with that scenario as long as Coach Bo is honest with a five foot nothing 180 lb. running back who runs a 5.3 40.

[CatchEmAll]

Re: Jim Ebke

As long as the coaches look the walk-on right in the eye and flat out tell them though they are inviting them to walk-on, after seriously evaluating film, their actual chances of even making the team is this______%. Then they also need to be up front with them as to what would be their chances of ever playing should they make the team and how many other invited walk-ons are competing with them for a position and how many of their status will actually be retained?

This is a near impossibility because until a player steps foot on the field coaches can never know what they are getting. Players are offered full rides that turn out to be the biggest turds in the world, and conversely, players that look like they have no reason to be suiting up become contributors.

I was an invited walk on and told that there were no guarantees in terms of scholarships or playing time, reminded I'd never played the position I was recruited for, and every year told that they were recruiting someone to replace me. If I, as a player, had given two craps what the coaches said versus following my heart and sticking with it...well the ending would have been a lot different and I wouldn't be spending my time on here talking about a subject that was beat to death two months ago.

[jackrabid]

Re: Jim Ebke

As long as the coaches look the walk-on right in the eye and flat out tell them though they are inviting them to walk-on, after seriously evaluating film, their actual chances of even making the team is this______%. Then they also need to be up front with them as to what would be their chances of ever playing should they make the team and how many other invited walk-ons are competing with them for a position and how many of their status will actually be retained?

I think we all agree that if a young man sincerely wants to give it a go he should. What bothers me is the sense that the coaches aren't being forthright and brutally honest. They would be by ommission of this information, guilty of real dishonesty.

Finally, who knows maybe some of these guys who could even play at a different level would rather be sitting on the pine at Nebraska in front of 85,000 fanatics rather than playing in front of 10,000 somewhere else? I don't think there would be many in that category but you never know.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Jim Ebke

I understand the point that its there dream but I still think that the coaches are feeding them full of bs...... The preferred walk ons at SDSU are given a fair shot from what I have heard about Nebraska its not that case...... SDSU doesn't bring in 20,30,40 walkons a year which is what Nebraska at least wants to do...... (don't know what they will do)

I agree that the walk-on program at Nebraska is not presenting a fair scenario to many of those recruits. However, the question I have to ask is where are the parents with all of this? The majority of the recruits are likely coming from a good family background with both parents able to help in their collegiate choice decision. Where is the voice of reason from these parents when their kid passes up a scholarship to be one of 40 walk-ons at Nebraska? Someone is doing their kids a disservice by not providing them the correct advice in one of the most important decisions of their young lives.

[joeboo22]

Re: Jim Ebke

I understand the point that its there dream but I still think that the coaches are feeding them full of bs...... The preferred walk ons at SDSU are given a fair shot from what I have heard about Nebraska its not that case...... SDSU doesn't bring in 20,30,40 walkons a year which is what Nebraska at least wants to do...... (don't know what they will do)

[rabidrabbit]

Re: Jim Ebke

Realize that we have kids walking on that were offered scholarships to other schools as well and turned them down to be a Jackrabbit. If a kid grows up having a dream, you have to respect their trying to realize it...even if it hurts the team we are cheering for. As somebody else mentioned, its best to stay in touch, not burn a bridge, and maybe they will keep us in mind if things don't work out.

How many walk-ons are coming into SDSU and how are they doing, %-wise, of upgrading to Schollies as Jr/Sr? I would envision that with the two major SD U's both being D-I, we may be seeing more of the SD talent taking the walk-on rather than ship out to a D-II or NAIA program.

[jackmd]

Re: Jim Ebke

Realize that we have kids walking on that were offered scholarships to other schools as well and turned them down to be a Jackrabbit. If a kid grows up having a dream, you have to respect their trying to realize it...even if it hurts the team we are cheering for. As somebody else mentioned, its best to stay in touch, not burn a bridge, and maybe they will keep us in mind if things don't work out.

Sit down and talk to Coach Stig. He isn't a guy that focuses on the negatives, he likes to point out whats great about SDSU and his program. However, if you ask him about the choices made with regards to this issue, I suspect you'll hear a different side of Coach. Its not as simple as trying to realize a dream or tripping up a promising career.

[ringthebells]

Re: Jim Ebke

I think the ones that get hurt are the players that walk on at Nebraska..... being told they have a shot then 2 years from now realize that nothing is going to happen and are lost as of what to do.

Realize that we have kids walking on that were offered scholarships to other schools as well and turned them down to be a Jackrabbit. If a kid grows up having a dream, you have to respect their trying to realize it...even if it hurts the team we are cheering for. As somebody else mentioned, its best to stay in touch, not burn a bridge, and maybe they will keep us in mind if things don't work out.

[Nidaros]

Re: Jim Ebke

Having lived in Nebraska for about 20 years and reading the Omaha WH daily, I could never understand when reading a article about Senior Days that several of these guys got to play one year at the most at UNL and several had turned down NCC scholarships to get that one year of scholarship money and possibly an Orange Bowl ring. And yes there are a bunch that never see fall practice.


I think SDSU should continue to recruit these potential walk on's as they could later transfer to SDSU. Parker Douglas was about to walk on at UNL until he started talking to Stig. (This was from the horses mouth) Back in the late 1980's another Columbus kid Tim Kwapnaski walked on at UNL and then transferred to SDSU and was a good defensive back for nearly four years. So I dont think we should give up entirely. I think the big advantage is we now have more money to offer than UNO has and thats another reason to keep recruiting in Nebraska. UNO seems to have a close connection because staff have worked both at UNL and UNO. Coach Brubak from what I understand has a big Nebraska network so no need to give up because of losing the two good ones this year.

I guess Bill Callalhan was our best recruiting friend we ever had. Who knows, Bo may have his problems too and bringing back the walk on program may not be the answer.