Filed by Mitch Sherman at 10:10 a.m.
Cody Green and Rex Burkhead staged their coming-out party Saturday night. Expect to hear a lot more on Nebraska's dynamic duo. If the post-game buzz is an accurate indicator, people can't get enough of these two.
Understudies to Zac Lee and Roy Helu, the true freshmen from Texas figure to team together for a long time in the NU backfield.
After their debuts, Green and Burkhead answered questions from the media for the first time as Huskers. Coach Bo Pelini keeps his players off limits until they play in a game. Let's just say the press was interested to listen; the crowd of reporters around Green, after NU beat Florida Atlantic 49-3, numbered at least 20.
“Me and Rex, especially on the practice field, we made a little connection,” Green said. “We know we're going to be together for a long time. It's better to make a companion right now than to do it later. I think we feel comfortable with each other.”
Here's something to consider: When has Nebraska featured a more intriguing pair of freshmen at QB and I-back in the same year? These guys are something entirely different than Harrison Beck and Marlon Lucky.
Green and Burkhead carry an unusually strong presence. Green commands attention with his size and booming voice. And his personality seems to match. Burkhead has a confident demeanor, too, though he communicates primarily through his play. Even after one game, it's easy to understand the reverence with which Texans speak of Burkhead.
His style on the field is strikingly instinctive.
“He was amazing,” Green said of his backfield mate. “The way I look at it, he dominated.”
Burkhead said he thought his play Saturday night was a good indication of his style.
And of Green, the I-back said this: “He was getting excited when he knew he was coming in, for me to be in the backfield him. It's kind of that Texas thing. It was fun to be back there with him. You develop a bond with him, and hopefully it carries on for the next few years.”
What might they be like together in a few years? Intriguing to consider.
Look for more on Green and Burkhead in a story Monday in The World-Herald.
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
RSS Feeds