Blackshirts awarded!!

[Joe]

In a surprise move Coach Pelini awarded BLACKSHIRTS today! Here is the story from Omaha.com


Eleven surprised Huskers found a coveted gift in their lockers before Tuesday's practice.

The coaching staff awarded Blackshirts, a sign that it has been impressed with the recent improvement on defense.

Five defensive linemen (Zach Potter, Ndamukong Suh, Ty Steinkuhler, Pierre Allen and Clayton Sievers), two linebackers (Phillip Dillard and Tyler Wortman) and four defensive backs (Anthony West, Larry Asante, Armando Murillo and Eric Hagg) all received the black practice jerseys.

The Blackshirt certainly caught West off guard, just because he said he and his teammates had sort of forgotten about the storied tradition. They just figured they needed to work harder, he said.

"I think we just accepted and realized that it was something we were going to have to earn," West said. "With a new staff, we just had to prove to them that we could earn them and we deserved them."

Murillo said he stopped by the locker room before team meetings, where he was unable to locate his normal practice jersey. He asked Jay Terry, the team's equipment manager, and was told that his jersey was being washed.

Then, after meetings, Murillo saw the Blackshirt.

"It kind of shocked me because I wasn't really thinking about it," Murillo said.

It kept the spirits high for a defensive unit that learned today that it'll be without a key member for an undisclosed amount of time.

Senior linebacker Cody Glenn was indefinitely suspended today for violating team rules, though coach Bo Pelini refused to comment further on the situation after practice. Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini talked only about potential replacements for Glenn, not about his infractions.

[Joe]

The following is a list of all the players who received their blackshirts today:



DE – Sr. Zach Potter
DE – Sr. Clayton Sievers
DE – So. Pierre Allen
LB – Jr. Phillip Dillard
LB – Sr. Tyler Wortman
DB – Jr. Larry Asante
DB – So. Eric Hagg (Nickel)
DB – Sr. Armando Murillo
DB – So. Anthony West
DT – Jr. Ndamukong Suh