Lincoln, Neb. – The
Nebraska football team concluded its fall camp on a rainy Saturday at the Ed and
Joyanne Gass Practice Fields. Head Coach Bo Pelini addressed the media
following practice, and noted that five previous walk-ons were awarded
scholarships for the 2012 season.
“It’s a great walk on group, and they have been a big part
of our program for a long time.” Pelini said.
Senior kicker/punter Brett Maher was awarded a scholarship
after being a stand out special teams performer last year. A native of Kearney,
Neb., Maher earned All-Big Ten honors as a junior for the Huskers, winning the
Big Ten Kicker of the Year Award, as well as the Big Ten Punter of the Year
award after the 2011 season.
Senior offensive lineman Spencer Long also received a
scholarship Saturday. Long, a native of
Elkhorn, Neb., will be a force on the offensive line this year, earning
preseason first-team All-Big Ten honors for the 2012 season.
Safety Justin Blatchford also earned a scholarship on
Saturday. The senior native of Ponca, Neb., will be a key member of the
Blackshirt defense and special teams units in the 2012 season.
South Korea native, and Lincoln Christian graduate Seung
Hoon Choi also received a scholarship for his senior season. Choi, will be a
leader of the NU offensive line this upcoming season, where he is likely to
earn a starting job at offensive guard.
Senior offensive lineman Justin Jackson received a scholarship
for the 2012 season as well. Jackson, a native of Roca, Neb., will bring senior
leadership to the line, and he is currently battling for the starting center
spot.
Saturday’s announcement continued to show the importance
Pelini has placed on continuing to make the Husker walk-on program a priority.
With the five players placed on scholarship for the 2012 season, Pelini has now
awarded 18 scholarships to walk-on players during his first five seasons as
head coach.
While speaking to the media after practice, Pelini liked how
his team practiced, especially during the team scrimmage on Saturday.
“We had a good scrimmage, we got the chance to look at a lot
of guys, and also give a lot of guys rest.” Pelini said. “There was a lot of
mixing and matching, and we got well over 100 plays in the scrimmage.”
*Pelini also noted that freshman linebacker Jared Afalava
has been cleared to play by the NCAA, and will be joining the team once he gets
to Lincoln.
The Nebraska football team will return to the practice field
Monday, to continue to prepare for their season opener against Southern
Mississippi on Sept. 1. The Huskers will finally get to bring their entire team
to the practice (NCAA only allows a 105 man roster during fall camp). Check
back here at Huskers.com for more updates.
