Ed Foley: The Husker Energizer Bunny?

Matt Rhule’s pick for special teams could be a great one.

Nebraska Athletics

Ed Foley is one of Husker head coach Matt Rhule's longtime coaching buddies. Foley, the new Husker special teams coach, has been with Rhule at Temple, Baylor and most recently with the NFL Carolina Panthers where he served as assistant special teams coordinator.

With an average age of Rhule's new staff at 38.5 years, Foley is the "geezer" of them all at 55. But if you're thinking this guy has slowed down because of his age, you'd better think again.

I met up with Coach Foley recently and came away impressed not only with his energy level, but with his passion for the game of football and his love of helping players be all they can be.

I'm not sure if Foley ever sleeps. He's constantly on the recruiting trail, banging on the doors of nearly every high school in the state of Nebraska. He is looking for talent and trying to build relationships with in-state high school coaches. Some of the coaches he's calling on may not have any star athletes today, but down the road they might.

While on a recent visit to the Grand Island area, he stopped by the home of Gerald and Jill Foltz in Greeley, Nebraska. Who are they, you ask?

They are the parents of Sam Foltz who was a punter for Nebraska from 2013-2015. Sam was one of the nation's best punters and was a sure-fire bet to be kicking in the NFL after his senior season.

But sadly, as many Husker fans know, Sam was killed in a car accident just before his senior year. Since that time, Gerald and Jill never had a visit from any Husker coach. You'd think that after six years, one of the coaches would have found time to make a visit to see Gerald and Jill. But finally a coach did show up.

That coach was Ed Foley. Why would Foley go to Greeley? Why such interest in the parents of a fallen former Husker punter?

Because it was the right thing to do. I believe his visit to Greeley speaks volumes about the character of the man.

One of the questions I asked Coach Foley was, "What should Husker fans need to know about Matt Rhule?"

Foley's response was lengthy. He talked about Rhule's family, faith and his love for not only the game of football but the players who play the game. Foley went on to talk about Rhule's vision. "He sees things in the future that nobody else does."

Foley talked about how Coach Rhule recently initiated a team-building exercise grouping players into several teams of 12 each. Each player is responsible for the actions of the rest of his team. Each team is graded on a numerical system that awards points to players for attending such things as classes, study sessions and team meals. They also get points every time they attend Husker athletic events such as Husker men's and women's basketball games.

Points can also be deducted if a player shows up late for a workout session or misses a class. The goal is to bring the players closer together and make them more accountable to each other.

Will Matt Rhule's efforts pay off this fall? Will Coach Foley's passion pay dividends down the road on special teams?

I have no clue.

But one thing Husker fans are really going to like. When someone asked Foley about his philosophy regarding punt returning, he emphatically said, "We're not gonna fair catch the freakin' football!"

Readers’ Comments

First of all, thanks so much for responding to my request for your thoughts of the current state of the Husker football program. Next week, I'll post some of your responses. As I keep saying, Husker fans are THE best!

How ’Bout Them Huskers

This week we start with an update on both the men's and women's basketball teams. We talk about the fight in the women's team and the misery on the men's side. There are some new transfers and recruits we discuss as well. While talking about recruits we would be remiss if we did not mention Dylan Raiola's name. We finish off the episode with predictions for the Super Bowl. 

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