The Huskers made a late addition to their 2017 recruiting class Thursday night:
Words cannot describe the feeling. Thank you to everyone who believed in me. God is Great! #GBR pic.twitter.com/BdPovHOJ2f
— Kade Warner (@KadeWarner) February 17, 2017
If the last name sounds familiar, it should. Kade is the son of former NFL quarterback (and soon to be pro football hall of famer) Kurt Warner.
There's a lot of reasons to like Warner's commitment to the Huskers, but the family connection is hard to overlook.
When you run down Nebraska's roster, you'll find the sons of Warner, Keyshawn Johnson, Rick Spielman, Les Miles, and numerous Husker legacies.
What does it mean?
While their sons may or may not ever achieve the success their fathers enjoyed, there's something to be said about the kids of "football guys" picking Nebraska. It's largely a testament to the respect that Mike Riley has in the football community.
While it may or may not lead to future success, it's a feather in the cap of the Huskers program.
The other reason to like Warner's commitment? Simply put, it fills a need. The Huskers came up at least one wide receiver short of their goal on signing day. Warner's commitment helps fill that void with essentially zero risk.
While Warner may not possess the physical measurables that will often lead to a D1 offer, his productivity at the position stands out. Over his prep career, Warner hauled in 241 receptions for 2892 yards and 35 touchdowns.
Sometimes there's a tendency over analyze the physical tools, and ignore the fact that the kid is just a heck of a football player. Maybe Warner won't turn into much of anything and the next level, or maybe he'll end up being a three year starter.
A perfect example of a guy like this in the Big Ten would be at Matt VandeBerg at Iowa. Listed at 6-1 and 185 lbs (Warner is 6-2, 205), VandeBerg was never a guy many expected to turn into the kind of weapon he was a season ago for the Hawkeyes.
Yet, all the guy does is catch the ball and make plays. It was a huge loss for Iowa when he suffered a season ending injury this season.
Let's hope Warner turns into that kind of player for the Huskers.
I happen to like this commitment for completely irrelevant personal reasons as well. I grew up in Des Moines watching Kurt Warner as the QB for the Iowa Barnstormers (he was incredible).
When I was in sixth grade, Warner's 'Stormers came up about three yards short of winning the Arena Bowl title. I was at the game, and their head coach, John Gregory, didn't call a timeout as his team scrambled to get one final play off. I'm still bitter.
But hey, that was hardly Warner's fault, and I'll be happy to see his kid in Lincoln.
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Both the Nebraska and Iowa state wrestling tournaments are this weekend.
Being from Iowa, you'd think I'd have a fairly firm grasp of the sport. That couldn't be further from the truth.
For whatever reason, I have no clue as the scoring system, strategy, or what it takes to win. I could literally watch an entire match, wire to wire, and have no idea who's hand was going to be raised at the end.
I'm a little upset at myself, because I love the passion for the sport in both states, yet have absolutely no clue as to what's going on. I'd probably have better luck understanding a cricket match at this point.
Something I should probably work on going forward.
Anyway - Tyler Martin has you covered. He's knows the ins and outs better than most - and you can find all of his state tournament updates HERE.
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A bunch of the former (and current) NFL players we talk to on our show are having an open house/training day this weekend at D1 Sports in Omaha.
I've heard they're looking to do some smaller group sessions going forward for individual position players.
Might be kind of neat opportunity for kids to learn from the best.
Details: HERE
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You remember Genie Bouchard, the Canadian tennis player that lost a Twitter bet with some random dude over the Patriot's comeback in the Super Bowl?
Well, she agreed to go on a date with this guy, and it turns out it went pretty well. He bought her some expensive earrings, got to kiss her on the cheek, and might even get a second date. Here's the skinny on the whole thing.
Maybe there's hope for random people wanting to date pro athletes after all.
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NASCAR is back next week! The Daytona 500 will run Sunday, Feb. 26.
Wondering who's the favorite? I'll give you a hint - his last name is Earnhardt.
The Daytona 500 might be one of (if not the single) hardest race to pick, given the nature of plate racing, but that won't stop Vegas from collecting a few bets. Here's the list of the odds.
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