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Old Names Spice Up a New Form of Competition for Husker Football

Three teams are vying for the ‘Nebraska Spring League’ title during spring practices. A new video explains the elaborate details.

Joe Hudson

The team logos
The team logos / Nebraska Athletics

The Bugeaters. The Old Gold Knights. The Rattlesnake Boys.

Those are three of the long-ago nicknames that were informally applied to the earliest Nebraska football teams. The names fell into disuse after the Cornhuskers moniker finally stuck in 1900 or so, but this spring they have been reborn. Second-year head coach Matt Rhule is using them as part of a new form of competition that's taking place on the Huskers' practice fields.

During portions of practice this spring, the Huskers are being split into three squads -- Bugeaters, Old Gold Knights and Rattlesnake Boys -- and are pitted against each other in situational competitions.

Rhule explained that part of it last week. It turns out, however, that it's a little more complicated than that.

On Tuesday, the Nebraska Athletic Department posted a video on social media that spells out the details. Strategic thinking is required of the player who manages each team. There are player acquisitions, a league name and logo, and more. Watch the two-minute clip below.

Speaking to reporters after practice on Thursday last week, Rhule explained the thinking behind the setup:

"We have an offense and a defense called the Bugeaters. We have an offense and a defense called the Old Gold Knights. We have an offense and a defense called the Rattlesnake Boys, and they each have their own song. The injured guys are like the GMs. They have coaches.

"Today was a third-down derby; they're competing against each other. What we found with our guys is -- I was making fun of them out there, like, Oh, if I told you you had 36 reps at third down, guys would be like, 'Oooh, my legs!' I say, 'Hey guys, we're going to compete,' and they're like, 'Run it back! Do it again!'

"These guys love competition. They grew up in an era of playing Madden and playing Mario Kart, and they just love to compete. So I think what it does for us is it makes different players have to go against different people. It's not all we're doing, but it's one part of what we're doing.

"It's giving all three quarterbacks a chance to really captain their own team and move your team. You have a lot of unique things to it, all different types of situational things. But just trying to really buy into what our young men do well."

Nebraska Spring League logo
The Nebraska Spring League logo / Nebraska Athletics

The Bugeaters' general manager is wide receiver Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda. The Old Gold Knights are managed by wide receiver Elliott Brown. The Rattlesnake Boys are led by defensive back DeShon Singleton, who like the two other GMs is not practicing this spring as he rehabs an injury.

Which team will be the champion of the Nebraska Spring League? We should know at some point before the Huskers' annual Red-White spring game kicks off on April 27.

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Joe Hudson
JOE HUDSON

Joe Hudson has operated a Husker-related website since 1995 and joined forces with David Max to form HuskerPedia (later renamed HuskerMax) in 1999. It began as a hobby during his 35 years as a newspaper editor and reporter, a career that included stints at the Lincoln Star, Omaha World-Herald, Philadelphia Inquirer and Denver Post. In Denver, Joe was chief of the copy desk during his final 16 years at the Post. He is proud to have been involved in Pulitzer Prize-winning projects in both Philadelphia and Denver. Joe has been a Nebraska football fan since the mid-1960s during his childhood in Omaha. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in journalism and economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1976. He resides a few freeway exits north of Colorado Springs and enjoys bicycling and walking his dogs in his spare time. You can reach him at joeroyhud@outlook.com.

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