Bryce Givens (June 19, November 5 & December 23, 2007), ranked #173
| N2FL: At what age did you start playing football? |
| B.G: Age 4, for the Lions. Ha-ha it was a flag football team. |
| N2FL: When and who was your first scholarship offer? |
| B.G.: Kansas State in October 2006, during a recruiting trip to Notre Dame. |
| N2FL: How many scholarship offers do you currently have? |
| B.G.: 17 |
| N2FL: What was your favorite college team growing up? |
| B.G.: I didn't really have a favorite, my dad was a professional baseball player so I followed baseball a lot more than football, but being from Colorado I liked CU but wasn't too big of a fan. I also liked Texas, but same story. But ever since high school began, I liked Nebraska because of one of my friends, and fellow teammates, Jimmy Miller. His entire family are die hard Nebraska fans, and showed me HUSKER NATION! |
| N2FL: Favorite NFL Team? |
| B.G.: San Francisco 49'ers |
| N2FL: Do you try and idolize any specific player? |
| B.G.: Jonathan Ogden from Baltimore and Robert Gallery from Oakland |
| N2FL: Any particular reason for the jersey number? |
| B.G.: Actually, (2005 Recruit) Jesse White, was a senior when I was a freshman. He was an All-American - blue chip guy, and I really looked up to him so that's why #63. |
| N2FL: You committed to Nebraska in April, why did you decide to end the process so early? |
| B.G.: I thought it was the right time, everything felt right. The only other school I really wanted to go to was Texas, and at the beginning of the recruiting process, they told me that the OL class was full; so I definitely wanted to go to a place that was close to home, and with a coaching staff that I really clicked with. And the other commits: Trevor (Robinson), Baker (Steinkuhler) and Dan (Hoch), they made my decision easy because they are all great players, and who wouldn't want to join that squad? |
| N2FL: What were some of the considerations when choosing your school? |
| B.G.: Playing time, location, other players, coaching staff, what type of offense they run, fan support, the academics of the school, and just the atmosphere - (it isn't all about going to school close to the beach with warm weather and bomb girls, it's about playing football, and wining championships, and I KNOW Nebraska has that in the very near future). What isn't there to like about Nebraska? |
| N2FL: What position would you prefer to play in college? Who is recruiting you to play where? |
| B.G.: OT, coach (Dennis) Wagner the OL coach says that I have the capability of playing all the positions on the line, so who knows but he says probably OT it just depends where we are in need. |
| N2FL: Are there any schools who continue to recruit you despite your commitment? |
| B.G.: Florida, Texas and CU a little bit, but other than that no. |
| N2FL: Who was your lead recruiter at Nebraska? |
| B.G.: Coach (Ted) Gilmore |
| N2FL: Despite your pledge to the Huskers, will you take any "official visits" anywhere else? |
| B.G.: NO WAY. I AM 1000000% COMMITTED. Despite all the BULL you may hear from other sites or whatever, I AM TOTALLY A HUSKER and have NO intention of CHANGING MY MIND EVER! I gave my word and I will keep that. |
| N2FL: Was there another school(s) in consideration before you pulled the trigger on the Huskers, and what was it about Nebraska that ultimately sold you on them? |
| B.G.: Michigan, I was really considering them because my friend and teammate, (2007 Recruit) Steve Watson, is going there and a ton of other reasons. But ultimately it came down to wanting my family to see me play and Lincoln is only 6 hours away. |
| N2FL: What are some of your playing strengths? |
| B.G.: Mean Streak, My Footwork, Flexibility and Pass Blocking |
| N2FL: What are some things you would like to work on between now and college? |
| B.G.: Gaining weight and just tweaking all aspects of my game, just try to get better. |
| N2FL: How do you feel about Redshirting? |
| B.G.: A lot of OL do it, I have no problem with it. It just gives me a year to learn the playbook and get as big as I can. |
| N2FL: Do you have a major in mind? |
| B.G.: Not yet. |
| N2FL: What are your goals for your senior season? |
| B.G.: WIN STATE and U.S. Army All-American |
| N2FL: What is the craziest recruiting "pitch" you have heard so far? |
| B.G.: Not too many crazy ones. |
| N2FL: Have you communicated with any prospective recruits about attending Nebraska with you? |
| B.G.: Oh yeah, I am trying to get the best players around me. I heavily recruited Blaine Gabbert, who is now our QB. And I am recruiting Sam McGuffie, he stayed at my house during the Nike combine in Boulder, so I know him pretty well. Willie Mobley from Minnesota, I talk to him a lot, and Josh Williams, a DE from Denton, Texas, I think they will all be Huskers soon. |
| N2FL: Who has been the biggest influence in your life? |
| B.G.: MY DAD, he was a professional athlete and I ask him for any and all advice, and he influences me tremendously. |
|
*Follow-Up Interview (11/05)* |
| N2FL: How committed are you to Nebraska at this point? |
| B.G.: Still verbal: 90% |
| N2FL: What other schools are you now considering? |
| B.G.: Texas, Colorado, Missouri, Florida, Oklahoma and Michigan. |
| N2FL: Does your Husker commitment pertain solely to Bill Callahan being the coach of Nebraska in 2008? |
| B.G.: Not solely, but a lot. I would like to play under Callahan and Wagner because they are both regarded as top notch O-Line coaches and ultimately I want to play in the NFL. |
| N2FL: Being that you actively "recruited" other players to come with you to Lincoln, can you give a general consensus of the attitudes of the commits whom you are in contact with? |
| B.G.: I feel like most of them have lost faith and are ready to de-commit, or are already goners. I think this class is going to lose most of its recruits. |
| N2FL: Internet rumors run rampant with names like Bo Pelini and Jim Grobe, have you given any thought to the rumored coaching candidates? |
| B.G.: Yeah, I know Bo Pelini is a great coach, I will definitely get to know him - or whoever becomes coach. |
| N2FL: If a coaching change is made at the end of the season, between then and National Signing Day February 6th, would a new Nebraska coach have your ear in the recruiting process? |
| B.G.: Yeah I'll meet him. |
| N2FL: You are close friends with numerous Husker commits including de-commit Blaine Gabbert, once considered the gem of the class. If Nebraska does indeed replace Callahan with Pelini, Grobe or whomever, what are the chances Gabbert or any other de-commit re-looks at Nebraska in your opinion? |
| B.G.: 0% percent for Blaine, I think he'll end up at Missouri. The others I don't know. |
| N2FL: Does the fact Tom Osborne is again associated with the program as their Athletic Director change your views in any way? |
| B.G.: Not unless he would be coach. |
| N2FL: Have you talked to Tom Osborne yet, if no do you plan to? |
| B.G.: Yeah I talked to him, he's pretty quiet. |
|
*Follow-Up Interview (12/23)* |
| N2FL: At what point did you know you were not going to sign with Nebraska? |
| B.G.: After my visit to Texas (Dec. 7th) |
| N2FL: After a very disappointing season on the field, had Bill Callahan not been fired, would you still be committed to Nebraska? |
| B.G.: Yes |
| N2FL: What did you think of Bo Pelini? |
| B.G.: Nice guy - I'm sure he'll do good at Nebraska. I just don't think its the place for me. |
| N2FL: What schools did you ultimately consider before you decided on the Buffaloes? |
| B.G.: Texas, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado |
| N2FL: What was it about Colorado that made them stand out from the rest? |
| B.G.: Close to home, family, friends, the program is on the rise, the other recruits that are coming with me, (OL) coach (Jeff) Grimes, lots of things. |
| N2FL: Who was your lead recruiter at Colorado? |
| B.G.: One of my best friends ('06 Recruit) Eric Lawson, and the second night it was OL Daniel Sanders. |
| N2FL: Are you now actively trying to lure other recruits to Boulder? |
| B.G.: Always big dog. |