Huskers' Swift Ain't JR, But He's Still Darn Good

The Old Husker Fan has been languishing a bit here recently--maybe because the last couple games haven't exactly been marquee-type clashes. Don't get me wrong--I'm glad for the wins over Iowa State and Baylor, and I appreciate that our guys had a come-from-behind-at-halftime win for the first time since 2003. (Over Baylor. BAYLOR??? And Bill Callahan could never figure that behind-at-halftime thing out. Mercy, mercy, mercy.)

But Nate Swift's garnering of the alltime NU career pass-catching record during the Baylor game last week is certainly worth noting--especially since he passed Johnny Rodgers, who this OHF got to see in person at the height of his collegiate powers. And that's where I'm going with this blog entry for the most part--to recall just what it was like when Johnny Rodgers wore #20 during the Bobfather days.

The setup--a sold-out Memorial Stadium. No video screens anywhere, so folks in the stadium were either watching the game or getting alternative entertainment through people-watching.
The defense had just achieved another 3 and out. And then the drums started up, the band yelled, and the crowd joined in:

"Run, Johnny, Run!" Ba-da-da-da. "RUN, JOHNNY, RUN!!" (repeat until the punter kicks)

65-70,000 people. All with one focus at that point. What would #20 do THIS time???

That was just on punts. But JR made people hold their breath on scrimmage plays, as well--where of course he achieved the record that Nate Swift surpassed. What I remember from his catches is that he made a lot of big plays through the now-famous acronym YAC. Yards After the Catch. Johnny was a master at catching a 10 yard pass and getting at least another 10 yards out of the play. And, he had plenty of chances to make those plays, too--because the Husker offense of 1970-1972 was a pro-style offense. It was not the power/option attack that the teams of the 1980s and 1990s made famous. (Remember--Nebraska sent 3 QBs to the pros in this time frame--Jerry Tagge, David Humm, and Vince Ferragamo.)

Bottom line on Johnny Rodgers---he was a true game-changer--and when the Huskers have had this type of talent, the teams have been top-shelf.

Now, I don't put Nate Swift in that super-elite category. But he's a "gamer"--that means he WILL NEVER QUIT. And that's something we can all be grateful for in this era of rebuilding.

Here's where Nate Swift has come from as a Husker. (Of course, he'd already made a tremendous comeback individually by the time he got to Lincoln with his recovery from major illness as a young boy.) But--back to football. During the Pitt game in 2005, when Swift was a freshman, he ran a limp little pattern in the middle of the field. It was supposed to be a square-in, but his route was just a brisk jog on kind of a weak little curl. It didn't threaten anyone or anything. No hard burst out of his stance. No hard cut to get open. Nothing. It was such a half-assed pattern that Brent Musburger and Gary Danielson on the ESPN telecast pointed it out on a replay and made fun of it. (That was the game where Gary D said that the Husker offense was even worse than a high school program.)

And it's the same guy--now a much different player--who has the Husker pass reception record. That is remarkable. So I'll remember that about Swift's ability to grow and improve.

I also think that Nate Swift is the author of THE SIGNATURE MOMENT in this Husker season, when he took that punt against Va Tech to the house. I'm convinced that damn near everyone wearing (or thinking) red was tossing that game down the chute at that point. Not Swift!! He made that play all by himself---and, at least to me, sent a message about this year's program: WE DON'T QUIT!!! That's a credit to Bo Pelini and the coaches of course---but it's also a credit to, as Bo said after last week's game---"a heck of a football player."

And you know what? Swift has made enough plays that I get just a little shiver when I know he's on the field. Same anticipation I got when a certain #20 was running around. That's pretty special. That's pretty cool.

Go, Nate, go! And thanks for the memories!!!

Go Big Red!!

The Old Husker Fan