STrib: JD Spielman returns to Minnesota as Nebraska's new dynamic weapon

BleedGopher

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Spielman leads Nebraska in all-purpose yards with 1,154 in nine games. His hallmark game, so far, came in an Oct. 14 loss to Ohio State, where he broke a near 20-year-old school record by 33 yards with 200 receiving yards. His 11 receptions also tied for third-most in school history, and his 77-yard touchdown catch was the longest of his career. He also made a 40-yard run in Nebraska's most recent game, the longest of the Huskers' season.

But no one will hear Spielman boasting. Grant said he didn't hear Spielman speak for his entire first year on varsity. And his dad, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, remembers taking his ninth-grade son on a lacrosse recruiting trip and watching practice for a good 30 minutes in silence until JD finally said something.

" 'Well, I know I'm better than those three guys. This guy is better than me right now,' " Rick Spielman recalled his son saying. "He's always observing. Not very outgoing but very observant of what's around him."

JD attributes his ability to his football family. In addition to his dad, his uncle, Chris Spielman, is a former NFL linebacker and current analyst. His uncle was the one to tip off Nebraska coach Mike Riley about his nephew, showing him Spielman's highlight video when they were on an ESPN broadcast.

"It came from my dad and my uncle, just seeing the football side from a higher level," JD Spielman said. "A lot of people don't get to watch NFL players practice or watch them up close on the field during games ... and be able to talk to them in the locker room after a practice or after a game. The way that my game developed and my field vision, all that, comes from being more in-depth with the game longer in my life than most people are able to get into."

http://www.startribune.com/jd-spiel...463063/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it

Go Gophers!!
 

I really thought we would get him showing some loyalty to Minnesota as Minnesota is a great place to live and get a solid education. Guess I was dead wrong on this one.
 

I really thought we would get him showing some loyalty to Minnesota as Minnesota is a great place to live and get a solid education. Guess I was dead wrong on this one.

I do not remember the details about his recruiting process. How hard did we try to get him signed ? I agree it always bothers me when local athletes leave and contribute immediately. Of course, as a life long MN. fan I am very used to this happening on a regular basis. Pitino has made some progress in BB and I hope PJ can do the same in FB.
 

Can they hurry up and fire Riley after the game so PJ can say to this kid, 'hey, you play whatever position you want, we'll
even try you at punter if you wish' and get him to transfer.

EP kid with daddy here....lesssss go
 

I do not remember the details about his recruiting process. How hard did we try to get him signed ? I agree it always bothers me when local athletes leave and contribute immediately. Of course, as a life long MN. fan I am very used to this happening on a regular basis. Pitino has made some progress in BB and I hope PJ can do the same in FB.

My understanding is Claeys told him, you're an athlete, we'll figure out your position when you get here, with emphasis that
they wanted him at DB, and Nebraska promised him a WR spot..
 


We had Snelson and Howard committed by the time and threw Spielman a half-hearted offer but they weren't serious about him. This was in the spring before the fall in which Kill retired mid-season
 

My understanding is Claeys told him, you're an athlete, we'll figure out your position when you get here, with emphasis that
they wanted him at DB, and Nebraska promised him a WR spot..

This is similar to the story I heard. I didn't hear the specifics on what MN did/didn't say - but I heard Riley had a specific plan on where and how to use JD and that sold him. Seems like it was the right choice for him too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

My understanding is Claeys told him, you're an athlete, we'll figure out your position when you get here, with emphasis that
they wanted him at DB
, and Nebraska promised him a WR spot..

Not true. The offer was at WR
 

From what I remember, they had Snelson and Howard already committed, and Spielman would have fit the mold of 2 guys already committed. Not surprised they didnt push hard for him.
 



Don't know anything about his recruiting process ..... but if he was going to head south for college, at least he could've gone to Iowa City. They at least have been around the block in the Big Ten, and have some culture there.

But to spend the next five years in Lincoln, Nebraska? Yikes.
 

Don't know anything about his recruiting process ..... but if he was going to head south for college, at least he could've gone to Iowa City. They at least have been around the block in the Big Ten, and have some culture there.

But to spend the next five years in Lincoln, Nebraska? Yikes.

IALTO
 

He probably thought he would have a hard time seeing the field with the depth we had at WR :)
 

We had Snelson and Howard committed by the time and threw Spielman a half-hearted offer but they weren't serious about him. This was in the spring before the fall in which Kill retired mid-season

I was totally disappointed when they let a local speedster like him get away to Nebraska. Claeys showed no love to a local product and picked Snelson over him. We can't expect loyalty from our local kids when you are enamored with Southern football talent.

https://247sports.com/Player/JD-Spielman-63670
 



I was totally disappointed when they let a local speedster like him get away to Nebraska. Claeys showed no love to a local product and picked Snelson over him. We can't expect loyalty from our local kids when you are enamored with Southern football talent.

https://247sports.com/Player/JD-Spielman-63670

Snelson and the Daniels Twins. Good Times.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Snelson and the Daniels Twins. Good Times.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They also had a snafu picking McLaurin over Ta'amu for QB. The Gophers under Kill/Claeys bungled the QB and WR recruiting. Partly because of insistence of running their offensive scheme favoring the rushing game scaring potential better QBs away.

Other than that, they had stabilized the defense and the Gophers became a team that were not an easy victory anymore. However, because of the QB/WR deficit, they were forever in Fifth place on average.

Let's hope PJ Fleck can take it to the next level.
 

I was totally disappointed when they let a local speedster like him get away to Nebraska. Claeys showed no love to a local product and picked Snelson over him. We can't expect loyalty from our local kids when you are enamored with Southern football talent.

https://247sports.com/Player/JD-Spielman-63670

They would've taken both. I think Spielman showed less love to us than we did to him.
 

Spielman wasn't Claeys' fault, it was Kill's. Once again, we got Howard and Snelson in the spring of '15. Spielman committed to Nebraska that summer. Kill was still the HC until the middle of that fall. I guess , if you want to get on Claeys for not getting him to flip, then you'd be right but he wasn't in charge at that point.
 

He's a stud. Would love to have him with the rest of our good, young WRs.
 




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