You usually can’t miss big Ty Robinson. Hard to with his size. And in an age where bowl game opt-outs have become more common, you definitely can’t miss seeing him out there.
He’s spent all these years pushing to knock down that wall and get Nebraska back in the bowl game. Think he’s going to miss out on this type of party in New York?
A veteran like Robinson, or Nash Hutmacher, or various other Nebraska seniors like a DeShon Singleton playing in Saturday’s Pinstripe Bowl against Boston College also isn’t lost on some NFL personnel.
«I can’t tell you how many guys have texted me, ‘Hey, are your guys playing?'» said Husker defensive coordinator John Butler. «And once we’re like, ‘Yeah, of course they’re playing,’ the level of respect that those guys in that league have for the players that are continuing to battle — and they want to finish this thing the right way. So once those guys made the decision to do that, I told them, ‘Let’s make the best of it.’ We’re going to help them play as well as they can to continue to improve their stock as their opportunities at the next level come.»
Certainly the risk factor in this game is understood anytime a player steps on the field. And one reason some heading to the NFL sit out is to negate that possibility. Although it wasn’t until recent years when sitting out a bowl started to become more widely considered.
Nebraska will have three seniors out of the game: Wide receiver Isaiah Neyor has been in the Husker building but is prepping for the next level. O-lineman Micah Mazzccua had surgery to repair a torn labrum and is recovering. Cornerback Tommi Hill is going to continue to prep for the draft after his season was shut down after the USC game. He struggled with a plantar fascia injury during the fall.
On the other side, even those who cover Boston College aren’t sure yet if defensive lineman Donovan Ezeiruaku (who had 16 1/2 sacks) is playing or not. There are logical reasons for all decisions made for players who have a lot of money on the line attached.
But with many of these Husker seniors – certainly Robinson – this is one last chance to leave their mark.
Robinson and Hutmacher will be doing it Saturday with some different faces getting more reps this go round.
«As usual, Cam (Lenhardt) and Riley (Van Poppel) have done a really great job as young guys, just continuing to get better,» Robinson said. «But for some of the younger guys like Ashton Murphy, Dylan Parrott just got moved over in the spring – those type of guys – Mason (Goldman) has just been awesome off the edge. Just those guys showing up every day, especially with the numbers being light, not complaining about having to take a lot of the load of those reps. Just being grateful I think at the opportunity to showcase their strengths to the coaches … and why they should be a factor in this defense.»
Robinson said it’s been a great December of competition in Matt Rhule’s program. It has been almost like a spring ball before spring ball.
«It’s kind of awesome because he’s let us older guys sit back and also kind of evaluate the guys as well, especially within our group,» Robinson said. «So me and Nash have done a pretty good job I think of watching and trying to coach those guys up, and still trying to be those mentors there, but also reminding, ‘This is what it’s going to look like next year.'»
It’s awesome for them to have that experience now that Robinson didn’t get early in his career. It can pay dividends in 2025.
«Every year I’ve been here it’s weird not having the guys who you played with last year and then you go basically two, three months without seeing each other except for winter conditioning. And then when you go out there, it’s a different feel when you’re playing with those guys. So I think those guys have done a really good job kind of getting comfortable. Understanding who goes where. Every single young guy who has been out there competing has been awesome to watch.»
For Robinson, playing in a bowl game is a fitting end to the sentence of a six-year Husker career.
Marking it with an exclamation point and a win would be even better.
«It was a big reason why I wanted to come to Nebraska just to help make it great and be part of the process to where we get this thing turned around to where we need to go,» he said. «And I’m loyal through and through to this place, so to be able to represent the red ‘N’ one more time in Yankee Stadium. I’m blessed, I’m honored because it’s such a privilege to play for this place.»