Wednesday Night Beer: 'Dre Better at Stealing TV's than Footballs

Former Husker cornerback Andre Jones has been charged with theft of a 50" Pioneer plasma TV from former teammate Dreu Young's house this summer. Young's father reported the TV stolen earlier this summer, and Lincoln police later found the TV at a Lincoln pawnshop, who's records indicated that the TV was listed under Jones' name, date of birth, and driver's license. In comparison, during his Husker career, the former five star recruit only managed to steal one pass.

The Lincoln Journal-Star reports that leaders are emerging inside the football program as the season approaches. Major Culbert says that last year, leaders didn't start to emerge until well after the season had imploded:

“It's a great experience being on a team that is really a team,” Culbert said. “It's not individual. Guys last year were playing for the name on the back of the jersey rather than the name on the helmet.”

“They're vocal on the field, and we get the message that they're trying to prove: We don't want to be like last year. This is a new year, it's 08, new coaches,” Culbert said. “We want to make the coaches proud. We're playing for the coaches. We're playing for the tradition. We're trying to restore the tradition at Nebraska.”

Just more evidence that things are changing in the football program.... and hopefully for the better.

Steve Sipple checks in on the progress of backup quarterback Patrick Witt, who might be one hard hit away from having to take over at quarterback, much like Joe Ganz had to do against Texas last year. Witt's strength is his decision making, according to Shawn Watson, which is impressive for a redshirt freshman. His main weakness?

"The thing I've talked to Pat about is his demeanor in terms of putting bad plays behind him, which he's done," Watson said. "He's been a remarkably mature person. That's why he's gotten so advanced in our offense at a young age. But then the next step for him is to handle his emotions. He's doing a good job of that."

I've been a big Patrick Witt fan since listening to his first radio interview, so it's great to see Witt continuing to progress. I'm hoping that we'll have a chance to see Witt (and Zac Lee) get some playing time in the first three games this season.

While the Journal-Star has been regularly eating the Omaha World-Herald's lunch with their blogging, today the World-Herald had a few great nuggets:

• Is there any doubt that Marvin Sanders bleeds Husker red? Especially telling is his story of losing his mother and his job in a matter of weeks, then breaking down after hearing the halftime score of last year's NU-Okie State game.
• Phillip Dillard has apparantly recovered from Dave Kennedy's doughnut training regimen.
• The days of telegraphed offensive play calls should be over. My father pointed this out early in the 2004 schedule how Bill Callahan's personnel groupings telegraphed the play call. He first noticed it with Brandon Jackson, and the pattern continued to manifest itself. With Callahan, the play was called and then the best personnel to run that play were sent into the game. Problem is that the personnel groupings tipped off the defense to the play.

Finally... the pressure is really on Florida Marlins catcher Matt Treanor and pro volleyball player Casey Jennings now as their wives, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh could only talk about having babies after winning gold tonight.