• Photo Showcase: Tuesday's practice
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• Video: Nebraska coach Bo Pelini speaks after the Huskers' practice Tuesday:
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LINCOLN — Eric Martin two weeks ago was talking with a small group of reporters and matter-of-factly saying how he sees it as a “must” that he get on the field this season at linebacker.
Martin played on some Nebraska special teams as a freshman. Linebacker, in his mind, was the logical next step as a sophomore.
“It's just something to help me strive and just help me stay focused on what I'm here for,” Martin said Tuesday, recalling the conversation.
Events of the past week may have opened the door for Martin's wish to come true, but not in a way he would have hoped. The Huskers lost Sean Fisher to a broken leg.
Martin and Will Compton spoke solemnly Tuesday of a comrade and friend being removed from the defense.
But Martin also said the injury has left the rest of the group to work harder and cover for the loss.
“All the linebackers, we all felt bad for him,” Martin said. “That shouldn't have happened. He had a good season last year, and he should have had a better season this year.
“It kind of shocked us, but now it's just hit us that we got to move on. It's not like we're trying to forget about him or anything, but it's just stuff that's got to be done in order for us to win.”
Before the injury, Fisher and Compton were appearing to emerge as the likely starters at linebacker. Suddenly there's a potential shakeup.
Martin doesn't feel as if the weight lands on just one pair of shoulders at a position that also includes Lavonte David, Alonzo Whaley and Mathew May.
“It's on all of us,” Martin said. “Now everybody's got to pick their game up that much more.”
Compton (eight starts, 40 tackles) and Fisher (six, 35) were the Huskers' most experienced returning linebackers despite being only third-year sophomores. Martin made his impact as a true freshman with 15 tackles and two blocked kicks.
Compton said the linebackers needed no meetings last week to get across the point that things would change without Fisher.
“You have to be even more prepared now,” he said. “You should have been like that anyway, but losing Fish was a big blow. We just got to reload — and everybody's got to have more sense of urgency to get in there and get the job done.
“We've got 'backers who can step up and do the job, so we're just going to have to reload and not hang our heads about Fish.”
NU head coach Bo Pelini said Tuesday he still hasn't seen the consistency he wants out of Martin, a 6-foot-2, 240-pounder from Moreno Valley, Calif. No decisions have been made about who the No. 1 linebackers might be.
Martin recognizes the opportunity in front of him. If he can win a job, he'll have achieved the standard he set for himself before the season.
“I'd feel like I accomplished what I came here for, basically,” Martin said. “I'd feel like I got one of my goals. Then the next goal is to stay on the field. Once I get out there, I just got to feel like I'm not going to come off.”
Contact the writer:
444-1042, rich.kaipust@owh.com
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