By Ryan Donohue
- Find Leaders and Make Followers
Alfonzo Dennard made waves when he said some teammates were taking plays off during the Wisconsin debacle. If there is leadership, you won’t see players going through the motions.
You see more discipline, camaraderie and intense competition. All of this benefits the overall performance of a team.
Leaders are vocal, but bust heads when they need to. It’s unfortunate that coaches only have so much influence, but it’s true. If they can’t get through to a player, the only immediate option is the bench.
If there isn’t enough depth, that’s not even a choice. Players can coach teammates in a different way. It’s not necessarily a senior’s responsibility to focus on helping others, but true leaders do just that as upperclassmen.
Yes, NU has a small senior class, but they and a number of special underclassmen can provide a blueprint for how others should carry themselves.
Rex Burkhead is becoming more vocal. He’s the anchor of the offense. Who will join him? How about offensive veterans like Mike Caputo or Ben Cotton? How about Will Compton or Austin Cassidy on defense?
It’s always concerning when players are off doing their own thing – The “Me First” approach. Players that serve as leaders exist to eliminate this behavior and instill the team-first mentality to all.
Try as they might, this isn't something coaches can do alone. Nebraska badly needs this component if they hope to compete for, and win, a conference crown this year or any other.
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