By Randy York
Before the 10 o’clock news came on Tuesday night, the N-Sider received an email with a one-word subject line: “Amazing!” So I took my eyes off a scoreless Royals’ game and read a comment from Lincoln’s Bret Hergenrader, who read about Nebraska’s record number of college graduates on this fall’s Husker team and how that fact reflects the priorities set at the top by Bo Pelini. “It’s evident Bo practices what he preaches,” Hergenrader wrote. “I have great pride in Nebraska’s commitment for being a school first and a place for football second. Bo does things the right way and always will.” Bret ended his thoughts with a Go Big Red!
Bo’s commitment to academics is indeed admirable and his strongly rooted belief is based on personal experience, but it is just part of his coaching philosophy. Pelini embraces a value system he calls The Process – something every Husker fan should know about and understand because it drives the hearts and minds of Nebraska football on a daily basis. That mindset comes through in a video produced for Huskers.com. The video is, in essence, a three-minute class that defines The Process through the words and thoughts of such Husker players as Ameer Abdullah, Kenny Bell, Corey Cooper, Imani Cross, Taylor Martinez, Cole Pensick, Michael Rose and C.J. Zimmerer. Take a quick break and listen to their descriptions of being Relentless, Accountable and Competitive – the linchpins of The Process. After you watch, please take a couple minutes and let us know what you think.
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Voices from Husker Nation
I’m an active duty Marine Corps officer stationed in Washington DC, and I loved the The Process video the first time I saw it. I watched it several more times and even asked my kids to sit down and watch it, too. It’s a testament to the job that Coach Pelini has done with our beloved program, and while he may take a lot of criticism for wins and losses, I’ll take the current state of the program over a championship season marred by NCAA investigations into illegal activity. The video makes me proud to be a Husker fan and fills me with confidence that the program is headed in the right direction. And who knows? Maybe that championship season is closer than we know. Go Big Red! David Forbell, Lorton, Virginia
I am a high school coach in the Las Vegas area and the very first time I heard Bo talk about the process, I knew exactly what he meant. While my coaching is not on the same level, the basic principles that you are trying to teach the kids are the same and that is why I understood what he meant. Success rarely happens overnight. It is usually a process. Chad Robertus, Las Vegas, Nevada
It drives me a bit crazy when I hear analysts refer to Nick Saban as the originator of the concept of The Process. No, he got the concept from a coach he idolized. A coach that wrote a book about The Process in the late ‘80s in which he refers to feeling anti-climactic about winning a national championship and has an epiphany that the journey is more important that the destination. It’s a book called More Than Winning. We all know the man quite well, and I am sure Bo Pelini’s emphasis on The Process came from his mentor, Tom Osborne. That book has a special place on my book case. T.O. was way ahead of his time. Matt Hagood, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Read your story on the academic success of graduation among our Husker football players. Dennis Leblanc, Jeff Jamrog, Bo Pelini and his coaching staff, plus our team members, have all done a great job. Great article! Love reading your articles. I’m a UNL grad ‘81/Dawson, Neb., native/Husker fan. All the best! Kevin Kean, Las Vegas, Nevada