The Big Lead

Matt Rhule wants Cornhuskers to channel Nebraska native Terence Crawford

Nebraska head coach offers analogy for his team to “risk it all” like the boxing world champion  

By Miguel Villafuerte

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule reacts after a call in their Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bearcats.
Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule reacts after a call in their Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bearcats. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
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After some lean times in recent years, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have gotten off to a positive 2-0 start this college football season which included a 68-0 demolition of Akron last Saturday.

Head Coach Matt Rhule is eager to see his players remain hungry and motivated for more success the rest of the year and he believes they could learn a thing or two from one of the best pound for pound fighters in boxing.

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With Nebraska native Terence Crawford set to square off with Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez in a once in a lifetime fight in Las Vegas on Saturday, Rhule wants his squad to embody the same thirst for competition that is embedded within Crawford’s DNA.

“One thing I keep telling them (his team), if…the pressure to perform feels like too much right now, just wait. Pressure doesn’t go away…and it makes you either fight or flight,” Rhule said.

“And some people would flee and what I love about Bud Crawford is, no pun intended, he fights. He accepts the challenge, he moves forward, he puts his city, his state, his legacy on his back and he goes out there and risks it all in the ring because he’s the ultimate, ultimate competitor so that’s the analogy for our team.”

Nebraska will get their next chance to leave it all out on the field this Saturday against HCU, as Rhule continues his mission to guide the Cornhuskers back to national relevance.

And later that night, they can be sure that Bud Crawford will stop at nothing as he seeks to make history in one of the biggest and most significant fights boxing has ever staged.   

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