Sandhusker
Well-known member
Highlighted for the "naysayers"....
LINCOLN — When life slows to a mere whirlwind for Kody Spano later this month, perhaps he'll look back on the past few weeks and wonder how he handled everything with such apparent poise.
If nothing else, the experience ought to prepare Spano for his future as a college quarterback.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound recent graduate of Stephenville (Texas) High School accepted a Nebraska scholarship offer over the weekend during a two-day campus visit. He is the fourth high school senior to join coach Bo Pelini's first NU recruiting class, the 17th known commitment overall — and from all indications, the only QB among the 2008 newcomers.
By Sunday afternoon, Spano was back in North Texas, already planning his next set of steps. He's got to forward his transcripts to Lincoln, line up housing and return for the start of the spring semester a week from today.
All this after the rug was pulled from beneath Spano some three weeks ago by Oklahoma State, the school to which he had been committed since last February.
"To say the least, it's been a stressful time for our entire family," said Kyle Spano, Kody's father and the offensive line coach at Stephenville High School. "But I think Kody has handled things very well. He's shown a high degree of maturity. He didn't burn any bridges with anybody.
"He's done things the way we've tried to raise him."
Spano, a two-year starter who threw for 2,250 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior on a 10-2 team last fall, said he received word from OSU coach Mike Gundy in late December that the Cowboys no longer had room for him as a spring-term newcomer.
Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson made contact Dec. 20. Spano then planned a visit for last weekend during a three-day break from NCAA's recruiting dead period.
With most of the Huskers still at home and Pelini in New Orleans to coordinate the LSU defense tonight in the Bowl Championship Series title game, the trip went exceedingly well, Kody Spano said.
"Talking with everyone that I did, they all really welcomed me," the quarterback said. "That was a big thing for me. I felt comfortable with everyone there."
Spano arrived Friday night after his family, which drove from Texas. They all went to dinner with Watson, his wife, Anita, and son, Adam, a freshman defensive back at Nebraska, Athletic Director Tom Osborne, his wife, Nancy, and other NU coaches.
Osborne, in particular, made quite an impression on Spano's father, a coach in Texas for 16 years. Kody Spano's grandfather played for Paul "Bear" Bryant at Alabama, and Kyle Spano considers Bryant and Osborne, the former NU coach of 25 years, atop his personal list of influences.
"It was a humbling experience for me," Kyle Spano said. "Just having an opportunity to meet a great man of such high character and high integrity. He's a fantastic person to be around. It's evident that things are on the turn for Nebraska football."
Spano and his father also spoke with Pelini by phone. Kody Spano described the new Nebraska coach as an "awesome guy, very open."
"He told me I could call him if I needed anything," Kody Spano said.
Said Kyle Spano: "I can see, just by visiting with him, that he's definitely a player's coach. He's a guy that builds his program around kids having fun. But then, there's structure there. When he talks to you, it's very spirited, a lot of enthusiasm."
LINCOLN — When life slows to a mere whirlwind for Kody Spano later this month, perhaps he'll look back on the past few weeks and wonder how he handled everything with such apparent poise.
If nothing else, the experience ought to prepare Spano for his future as a college quarterback.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound recent graduate of Stephenville (Texas) High School accepted a Nebraska scholarship offer over the weekend during a two-day campus visit. He is the fourth high school senior to join coach Bo Pelini's first NU recruiting class, the 17th known commitment overall — and from all indications, the only QB among the 2008 newcomers.
By Sunday afternoon, Spano was back in North Texas, already planning his next set of steps. He's got to forward his transcripts to Lincoln, line up housing and return for the start of the spring semester a week from today.
All this after the rug was pulled from beneath Spano some three weeks ago by Oklahoma State, the school to which he had been committed since last February.
"To say the least, it's been a stressful time for our entire family," said Kyle Spano, Kody's father and the offensive line coach at Stephenville High School. "But I think Kody has handled things very well. He's shown a high degree of maturity. He didn't burn any bridges with anybody.
"He's done things the way we've tried to raise him."
Spano, a two-year starter who threw for 2,250 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior on a 10-2 team last fall, said he received word from OSU coach Mike Gundy in late December that the Cowboys no longer had room for him as a spring-term newcomer.
Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson made contact Dec. 20. Spano then planned a visit for last weekend during a three-day break from NCAA's recruiting dead period.
With most of the Huskers still at home and Pelini in New Orleans to coordinate the LSU defense tonight in the Bowl Championship Series title game, the trip went exceedingly well, Kody Spano said.
"Talking with everyone that I did, they all really welcomed me," the quarterback said. "That was a big thing for me. I felt comfortable with everyone there."
Spano arrived Friday night after his family, which drove from Texas. They all went to dinner with Watson, his wife, Anita, and son, Adam, a freshman defensive back at Nebraska, Athletic Director Tom Osborne, his wife, Nancy, and other NU coaches.
Osborne, in particular, made quite an impression on Spano's father, a coach in Texas for 16 years. Kody Spano's grandfather played for Paul "Bear" Bryant at Alabama, and Kyle Spano considers Bryant and Osborne, the former NU coach of 25 years, atop his personal list of influences.
"It was a humbling experience for me," Kyle Spano said. "Just having an opportunity to meet a great man of such high character and high integrity. He's a fantastic person to be around. It's evident that things are on the turn for Nebraska football."
Spano and his father also spoke with Pelini by phone. Kody Spano described the new Nebraska coach as an "awesome guy, very open."
"He told me I could call him if I needed anything," Kody Spano said.
Said Kyle Spano: "I can see, just by visiting with him, that he's definitely a player's coach. He's a guy that builds his program around kids having fun. But then, there's structure there. When he talks to you, it's very spirited, a lot of enthusiasm."
