Unity Council will prove crucial to Huskers’ success

By Marc Hudgens  |   Sunday, May 18, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Nebraska Cornhuskers
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"For my own personal situation, from where I stand and where we're at right now as a program, we won't be utilizing that method," ex-Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan said in April 2004 regarding the fate of the then-13-year-old Unity Council, an official player-only ruling body created by Tom Osborne that allowed its leaders to govern the actions of the team.

It's hard to believe Callahan had any idea where Nebraska was as a program at the time, considering he had only been on the job for a little over three months and had yet to coach a game, let alone an entire season. Callahan certainly didn't do himself any favors when he abolished it; after all, he went just 5-6 in his debut season after Frank Solich was fired on the heels of a 10-3 mark in 2003. And so began the marred legacy Callahan would leave in Lincoln.

According to Jack Stark, the Huskers' former team psychologist, the Council eliminated self-serving interests and promoted communication between players and coaches. But just as important, this 17-member board was charged with holding its own accountable. If a player was ditching classes, he'd hear about it from team-elected representatives. If he was not putting 100 percent on the field, he'd hear about that, too.

With the rash of off-field problems Nebraska has had since the end of last season, the reviving of the Unity Council is highly necessary to reestablish order. The Huskers' recent problems include linebacker Nick Covey's alcohol possession; defensive end commit Josh Williams' punching a man in the face and running off with $900; linemen Ben Martin and Michael Smith remaining at a loud party after being asked to leave by police; and the issues surrounding offensive guard Andy Christensen, who was charged with sexual assault and resisting arrest.

If any team in the land needs an injection of law and order, it's Nebraska.

New coach Bo Pelini recently authorized the return of the Unity Council, and the first-year skipper will need it to help him run a safer and cleaner program and put the boys in red back on the straight and narrow.

A disciplined team has a far higher chance of winning titles than an undisciplined one, and the Unity Council will only serve to infuse the discipline and a team mentality that's direly needed for the program to rebound.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He ...
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