Perfection is now Pelini’s top principle

By Marc Hudgens  |   Wednesday, August 13, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Nebraska Cornhuskers
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It was after the Red-White spring game that Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini stated his players must learn the principles and concepts of what he’s teaching them. With all the time that’s passed since then, it’s clear that the first-year coach’s No. 1 principle at this point, with the season nearing, is perfection.

"We have high standards around here," Pelini says. "That’s what we want, and that’s how we want to live. If the coaches don’t have it, then the players aren’t going to have that sense of urgency."

For any coach or team, there will be days when practices aren't crisp. Whether it be spring drills, summer workouts, fall practice or during the throes of the season, reality says you can’t perform at 100 percent all the time. We like to believe it’s that way with our favorite teams, but it’s simply impossible.

Although he knows that, it’s no excuse for Pelini. So, every time the players don their bland practice uniforms, nothing on their helmets, it’s expected that they perform their best and earn the right to wear the red ‘N’ emblazoned on their headgear.

That perfectionist mentality is what birthed Pelini's top defensive squads at Oklahoma and LSU, where significant improvement was clearly seen during his first year with those teams. His ‘'unrealistic'’ perspective made that happen before, and it’s expected to again in Lincoln this year. And if a player isn’t out for perfection, Pelini doesn’t want him on his team.

Two things are different this time around, though. For one, Pelini is a head coach, not a defensive coordinator. His attention must now be split among offense, defense and special teams, although his main focus is 'D'. Second, he enters a school whose defense is arguably the most lauded in college football history, but a major turnaround is needed.

Although well-qualified for the job, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the challenge Pelini faces is very daunting. To turn around such tribulation, the expectation of perfection is really the only viable solution.

But even with that high bar looming on the team, there will likely be troubles this season. The nature of overcoming any learning curve will include some stumbling. Regardless, at a football program like Nebraska, any expectation other than perfection would do a severe injustice to the school’s reputation.
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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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