'We Just Want to Play For Each Other': Nick Broeker on Returning For Bowl Game vs. Texas Tech

Ole Miss offensive lineman Nick Broeker spoke with the media on Wednesday about the upcoming bowl game versus Texas Tech.

OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss Rebels are set to close out their season playing the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the TaxAct Texas Bowl on Dec. 28, and for a few players, it will be their final game of collegiate football.

While it is common nowadays for NFL prospects to opt out of their postseason bowl games to prepare for the NFL Draft, that thought never crossed the mind of Ole Miss offensive lineman Nick Broeker. 

Broeker spoke with the media last Wednesday about the upcoming bowl game and discussed why he decided to play in his final game as a Rebel.

"I always really wanted to play in the bowl game," Broeker told reporters. "To me, being in a bowl game is a reward for having a successful season. Early on in my career [at Ole Miss], we only won four games my freshman year. So for some of us older guys, going to a bowl game really means a lot."

Broeker talked about what it means to have leaders such as himself and receiver Jonathan Mingo stick around for bowl games despite having NFL aspirations.

"It says a lot," Broeker said. "It just proves how close we are as a group, and I think that's one of the main things: we all want to stick it out and finish what we started. We're such a close-knit team, and we just want to play for each other."

The Rebels ended the regular season by losing their final three games, and Broeker mentioned that it has only fueled the team to prepare for their matchup with the Red Raiders. 

"It's been a long time since we've won a football game," Broeker said. "Losing our last three [games] left a bad taste in our mouths... We're just itching to get out there and compete again. I definitely feel like we've gotten a lot better."

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You can follow Ben King on Twitter at @BKing_2023.

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