Byford bids for playing time

By Staff
Hartselle grad Brett Byford hopes to see action this season
Charles Prince, Hartselle Enquirer
The Nebraska Cornhusker football team is known for great offensive lineman. That tradition includes 27 offensive lineman who have been named All-American in the past 30 years. Brett Byford, a graduate of Hartselle High School, hopes he can be part of the tradition before he finishes his playing days in Lincoln.
Byford, who was a redshirt freshman last season, will have his first opportunity to get on the field this fall for the Big Red. He is listed second on the depth chart at center coming out of spring practice.
His first chance to play may come Sept. 4, when the Huskers host Western Illinois, a division I-AA team.
"Hopefully I will get some playing time in our first game," Byford said. "I'll probably get my first chance late in some blowout."
Byford spent his redshirt year lifting weights and running to add strength to his 6-foot-3, 290-pound frame. Byford feels the time spent in the weight room was necessary for him to get his chance to play at the college level.
"I got stronger last year," Byford said. "I improved my squat lift and my clean lift by over 100-pounds each. I needed that. In high school every once in a while you play against a strong guy. In college every guy you face is strong-it's a different world."
Byford says that adjusting to the speed of the game is another change from his high school days, but it's not the only one.
"The play book here is about 10 times thicker," Byford said. "Not only are there more plays to remember, but there's more audibles to remember."
With the hiring of former Oakland Raider coach Bill Callahan, who is bringing in the west coast offense, the lineman have a new area of emphasis in practice.
"We work on both pass blocking and run blocking now," Byford said. "Last year there wasn't a lot of time spent on pass blocking. We put a lot of time into pass blocking now.
"You have to be careful with the stunts and blitzes. You have to make sure you pick out the right guy to block or it could result in a bad play."
Despite its challenges, the new offense has energized the fans of the Nebraska program, according to Byford.
"Everyone is totally excited about the new offense," Byford said. "The pass is going to add something to our team. I don't think anyone is worried that we might not be able to pass the ball in cold weather because we'll still be able to run the ball."
Byford, who played guard and center at Hartselle, says that he picked the Cornhuskers after asking a higher source for help with his decision.
"I talked to the Lord about it a lot," Byford said. "After praying about it, I felt Nebraska was the best place for me. The tradition of the lineman they have had over the years also had a little something to do with it."
Although fall drills don't begin at Nebraska until Aug. 8, Byford says that the campus is alive with talk about the upcoming season.
"Everyone's already talking football here," Byford said. "People are talking about the Oklahoma game already. They mention Kansas State some too, but everyone seems to talk about the Sooners."
Byford, who has not decided on a major yet, may have a chance to be the Cornhuskers starting center during his sophomore season. First-team center Richie Icongnito is listed by some pro scouts as the best at his position in the country. There has also been talk that he may apply for the NFL draft after this season.
"I don't try to compare myself to him," Byford said. "He may be the best center in the country. If he does go pro after this year, that might be a good thing for me. But, there would still be other people who would be fighting for the starting center's spot."
Byford thinks this Nebraska team can recapture the dominance the school enjoyed in the 1990s.
"The talent is definitely here for a national championship," Byford said. "This is still Nebraska football. Hopefully we'll be in the Big 12 championship game this year. As long as we win, I'll be happy."