Maybe you will want to ask offensive lineman Givens Price a few times, why he chose Nebraska.
That's what he did about an hour ago.
Why a few times? He's got a few reasons, and oddly enough, they all come after the narrow loss in the Big 12 title game.
Yes,
recruits do commit after losses. And coaches visit recruits after
losses. That's what Price experienced after the Husker heartbreaker in
Arlington.
"Coach Ekeler came to my house yesterday, but
I didn't call up to commit until today," said the 6-5, 270 lbs.
offensive lineman who is slated to play tackle for the Big Red. "I had
to decommit from Rice before I made any real decisions. But once I made
that, it was down to Baylor and NU."
Don't shrug at the
choice of Baylor. As people can tell nowadays, the Bears are getting
better, and for Prince specifically, they had a program which made this
ultimate choice harder than one might at first think. "They have a great
Sports Medicine" program, but I know Nebraska has a good one. That was
what really kept Baylor in the running," he said. "But Nebraska was like
a second home to me. That's how I felt when I went on my visit there. I
got there and it just felt like being at home."
As for
the timing, it's probably not a surprise anymore to see most kids
committed by this point. They have been happening earlier and earlier as
the years have gone on. That's one reason Price said that he pulled the
trigger now for NU. If he waited a few months, he wasn't sure there
would be a trigger to pull. "I wanted to get it out of the way so I
could guarantee my spot as a Husker. I just wanted to make sure I had a
spot on the team," he said.
"And really, I had my mind
made up. It wasn't totally for sure for awhile, but it has been
recently. So, I'm now a future Husker."
This is a new
step for Price, but it's one he'll cherish, because unlike many in his
state who might worry about playing close to home, he likes the idea of
going to the Big Ten. "I don't have anything against the Big 12, but
this is going to be a new thing for me and the team. So, I'm excited,"
he said. "I know it's going to be a great conference to be in."
Price's
team experienced something new as well, going undefeated in District
play for the first time in school history, and winning nine games in a
row, which is another first for Taylor High (Houston, TX). "We have a
lot of pride in how we did, because we did something no team before us
did. Our whole team is really proud of what we did," he said.
Price
plans to have some pride about what he'll be doing down the road, too,
as he gets to head a bit north and play the kind of football he likes to
play. "Power. It's about power. You run the ball like they do,
offensive linemen get to just take on defensive linemen and see who the
best guy is," he said. "I love being able to just line up and go. That
offense suits me, because I think I could fit in and do well with what
they like to do. That was another reason I chose them."
That
brings up the inevitable question about potential future visits, not in
Lincoln - potential future visitors, not from the University of
Nebraska and other coaches from other schools coming in and trying to
convince him that there is someplace else he needs to be.
Price says don't waste your time.
"I'm a Husker now. I'm going to be a Husker in the future. On signing day, I am signing as a Husker," he said.