Husker Dan: A Huskerland Update

Johnny Rodgers, coaching hires and volleyball

Nebraska Athletics Communications

Scott Frost and three of his newly hired offensive assistants held press conferences last week. I watched each of them but was disappointed with the media for not asking some basic questions during Frost's presser.

Here are several questions I wish the media had asked Frost:

On the firings of four of his five offensive assistants:

"Coach, this season, out of the 14 teams in the Big Ten conference, the Huskers finished #3 in Total Offense, #4 in Scoring Offense, #5 in Passing Offense and #6 Rushing Offense. Given these positive offensive numbers, why did you feel the need to replace four offensive assistants?"

On hiring Mark Whipple:

"You hired Mark Whipple as your offensive coordinator - the same title he held this season for the 11-1 Pittsburgh Panthers. As you know, Pitt is headed to the Peach Bowl December 30th to meet Michigan State. By coming to Nebraska early, It seems Coach Whipple abandoned his team as it prepares for its bowl game.

My question is, whose decision was it for Whipple leave to the Panthers immediately? Was it yours? Was it Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi? Or was the decision left up to Whipple himself?

And if Mark said he'd prefer to stay on through Pitt's bowl game, would you have allowed that?"

On new O-line coach Donovan Raiola:

"Coach Frost, as you know, Donovan's resume includes playing center at the University of Wisconsin from '02-'05. And over a six-year period, he played in the NFL for a total of 10 teams. And most recently, he was an offensive assistant for the Chicago Bears. But he's had only one year as an O-line coach at the college level and that was at NCAA Division III Aurora University in Illinois.

Given his lack of coaching and recruiting in the Big Ten, why do you think he can succeed as the O-line coach at Nebraska?"

Part II: Those ladies just won’t quit

What a ride John Cook's volleyball team went on this season! After their regular season ended, the Huskers had to win 6 playoff matches to earn a national championship. The Huskers went 5-1, losing in the national championship match to Big Ten champ, Wisconsin in a wild five-set match. In the deciding fifth set, the Huskers found themselves down 7-0. It looked as if the Huskers were not only going to lose the set, but were looking to be embarrassed. But these Husker ladies didn't flinch. They battled their way, pulling to within 12-9, before losing 15-12.

I think the volley that won Set 4 for the Huskers was perhaps the best one of the night. With that set point, the Huskers tied the match at 2-2. The Husker ladies played with an incredible level of tenacity and courage.

It doesn't seem like a real loss. The two best teams in the country battled for all the marbles on national TV.

Hold your heads high, ladies. We are all so very proud of you!

Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers update

I recently spoke with Johnny Rodgers about his battle with COVID. Johnny opted not to get vaccinated. But when he came to the aid of his daughter and her mother who were battling the disease in Denver, Johnny came down with COVID. And he was in really bad shape. He refused to be hooked up to a ventilator, choosing instead to fight the disease with other methods.

He's home now but is on oxygen 24/7 and hopes to be off that in about three months. When I asked him what he wanted to tell Husker fans, he said, "Get the vaccine. This is a very serious disease. Don't ignore it."

The first time I talked with Johnny last week, our conversation was peppered with several bad coughing episodes. And when we talked Sunday (December 19th), his coughing spasms were limited to just a couple.

I asked him what he was doing to combat the disease.

"Every day, I lift weights, do pushups and sit-ups. I'm not going to let this disease beat me." I'm not surprised. There is a lot of fight left in the 70-year-old Heisman winner.

Sad note

Sadly, Johnny's mother, Ardella, passed away last week. She was just 14 when she had Johnny in 1951. Keep Johnny and his family in your prayers.

“Ten Minutes of Insanity”

I just bought Johnny's autobiography called "Ten Minutes Of Insanity." It's a good read and would make a great stocking stuffer for the Husker football fans on your Christmas list. The book comes in hardback, paperback and audiobook. You can get it here.