LINCOLN — As much as it might seem that life will be different this season for Dreu Young, the Nebraska tight end acts like it might not change much at all.
Will there be more opportunities with Mike McNeill going to an “adjuster” role?
“I played about 50 snaps a game last year,” Young said, “so I'm fine with the role I've had and I think it'll kind of stay the same.”
Will Young need to be more of a leader with McNeill working as much with the receivers as the tight ends?
“Mike and I have been the oldest guys in there for the last two years, so it's really nothing new,” Young said. “It's just I don't really have my wingman anymore.”
The matter-of-fact approach comes from a comfort level that Young has attained after playing four years, seeing time in 33 games and drawing 13 starts with the Huskers.
It also has to do with his trust in his fellow tight ends — junior Ryan Hill, sophomores Kyler Reed and Ben Cotton, and redshirt freshman J.T. Kerr.
“Kyler and Ben have played, Ryan has played ... everybody that's played is pretty good about stepping up and being leaders as a whole,” Young said. “Honestly, it's been all of us who have been out there.”
Young, a former walk-on from Cozad, Neb., is one of 23 seniors who have taken part in the Huskers' climb from five wins in 2007 to nine in 2008 to 10 in 2009 under head coach Bo Pelini.
But Young wants to take another step, and that's what drove him to change his approach through the offseason.
“I didn't really change it because it's my last year. I changed it because I wasn't good enough last year,” he said. “We lost a couple close games, and we do a couple more things right and maybe we're a no-loss team and we're in there competing for a national championship. I'd really just like to win my last year.
“Anybody on the team would be a fool to say we were the best we could have been last year.”
Young would have had an excuse for being less than his best early last season. After back surgery over the summer, he had to rest for six weeks, fight to get back in shape and then do his best after missing the season opener.
“It makes a huge difference not having that back issue,” he said. “Going through winter conditioning I didn't have to hold off on anything.”
Contact the writer:
444-1042, rich.kaipust@owh.com
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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.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