Glenn to Linebacker?

It's been a pretty quiet spring thus far. Every day, we get the same tired quotes from the players as well as the coaching staff, which is understandable. They probably get sick of answering the the same questions day after day, just as I'm sure the media gets tired of asking them. But dammit, it's Husker football, and there isn't much else going on, so the routine continues. There was one interesting development we found out about this morning though: Cody Glenn is contemplating a move to linebacker. The former standout running back, who has battled injuries throughout his career at NU, apparently barely even played defense in HIGH SCHOOL!

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't blame him for thinking about the move. If I had to pick between fighting for playing time in a crowded backfield or a position group that returns no starters, I'd probably start to think about switching too. But when I read that his high school used him on defense only occasionally (and at defensive end at that), I became highly skeptical of this decision. It'd be one thing if Glenn had been pulling a Major Culbert and had been switching back and forth for a year or two, but to play running back your entire college career and then decide as a senior that you'd like to play on the other side of the ball seems like a stretch to me. Believe it or not, muscle memory is important when it comes to things like pursuit angles and tackling. And while Glenn undoubtedly has the athletic ability and size to play linebacker, it's a whole other thing to actually play the position well. The nuances and subtleties of being 'backer in the college game is no simple task, particularly if you barely even played it in high school.

The motivation for this move is easy to understand. With Marlon Lucky, Q, Helu, Mendoza, as well as the soon-to-be-active Kenny Wilson all competing for carries, Glenn faced an uphill battle for playing time, particularly considering his role as goal-line battering ram would likely be filled by Castille. That said though, does Glenn really think he's going to be getting significant playing time behind guys who received scholarships specifically to play the LB position? In addition to this, would an experiment like this stunt the development of younger guys who could use the practice snaps? It's tough to say, and Glenn hasn't made a final decision yet, so this might all be pointless to talk about right now. As much as I have my doubts about this maneuver, I think Glenn has the right to play where wants to, considering he's a senior who has sacrificed his health for the program for several years now. I don't think it will be successful, but the guy deserves a shot if that is what he wants.


Some random thoughts to end the post:

-It may be un-American, but I really don't give a rat's ass about pro baseball. Not one bit. I appreciate the skill the game takes, and I do acknowledge it as an American institution, but that doesn't change one simple fact: 95% of the time, it is the most boring damn thing I've ever seen. The only thing fun to watch is the playoffs, or if there is a dominant pitcher on the mound. Other than that, I'd seriously rather watch golf. Lone exception: if former Husker Alex Gordon is batting, I'd watch it. But then I'd change it after his AB. Most of this dislike stems from the fact the baseball season (counting spring training) stretches from February to November, which would be too long for even an exciting sport (which baseball isn't most of the time).

-I haven't really cared about pro basketball since Charles Barkley retired. Sure, I like KG and followed the Wolves there for a couple of years, but I've never really found a team I care about enough to sit down and watch entire games. That said, for the first time I am genuinely looking forward to the NBA postseason (well really only the Western Conference playoffs, but better than none, right?). It has been incredible to watch the emergence of so many players jumping to the next level this year. Have you seen Chris Paul play? It's like watching a created player abuse people on a video game. He's really that good. It's not just him either: Kobe made the leap from selfish jackass to selfless jackass who is playing on a whole other level, Garnett has made the Eastern Conference a legitimate threat in the Finals, and Shaq is rejuvenated in Phoenix. How crazy would a Lakers-Suns Western Conference finals be, followed by Lakers-Celtics for the title? How could you not watch that, even if you were just an impartial observer?

-51,000 tickets sold for the spring game thus far........the chances for a sellout are high, but we're going to need a lot of walk-ups to get there. I think Husker nation will come through, if only to show Alabama (who had 92,000 in the stands for last year's spring game) that they aren't the only ones who have nothing to do right now besides obsess over college football.