Rhule aims to build 'brotherhood' as Nebraska football lives the dorm life

Jan 12, 2024

Scores of Millennials and Gen Xers remember the phrase.

For us, hearing “Welcome to my crib” is basically a time machine back to 2005 — even if we haven’t screened an episode of MTV Cribs since it was originally taken off the air in 2009.

The multi-million dollar mansions filled with outlandish luxuries, extensive car and shoe collections, lavish pools and extravagant wardrobes commanded our attention spans and our imaginations.

Nebraska football is turning that premise on its head this week, moving into the bare bones of Selleck Quadrangle for training camp.

Two extra-long twin beds. Two desks. Two chairs. A small refrigerator. A dresser. A shared closet. Community bathrooms.

To quote secondary coach Evan Cooper: “To your left, you’ve got my bed. And to your right, it’s a bed.”

For two weeks, that’s it. The traditional dorm life in one of UNL’s oldest residence halls. And it’s not just players. The coaches, the strength staff and a few athletic trainers are all kicking it old school to start the season.

“For me, we have to get comfortable with new things,” coach Matt Rhule said Monday, a day after move-in. “But more importantly, we’re trying to build brotherhood, right? We’re trying to build a sense of common purpose by getting to know each other.”

Ah yes. Getting to know each other. That’s what so much of Rhule’s offseason program was about.

Remember those competition teams composed of guys of all different years and all position groups? Yeah, this is something similar. The roommate pairings aren’t what you’d expect.

Turner Corcoran, a junior offensive lineman, is paired up with junior defensive back Tommi Hill. Ty Robinson, a junior defensive tackle, is rooming with freshman linebacker Eric Fields. Senior receiver Billy Kemp IV is bunking with freshman defensive back Mason Jones.

But that’s the entire point. Create bonds with your whole team. Not just your recruiting class. Not just your position group. Not just your side of the ball. The whole team.

“I feel like it’s going to be an experience that takes the team to another level as far as building a brotherhood and bonding,” quarterback Jeff Sims said at media days last week. “It’s going to be something that I think will be really fun for us.”

This whole dorm thing isn’t something Rhule necessarily carried over from Temple, but rather it’s something he embraced when leading the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers have conducted training camp in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on Wofford College’s campus since Carolina’s first season in 1995. The only year the Panthers didn’t make the trek down Interstate-85 was in 2020 — Rhule’s first season with Carolina.

But when NFL teams were allowed to go off-facility for training camps again in 2021, Rhule enjoyed seeing how everyone bonded and the impact that made in the locker room.

“Seeing those guys playing cards at night and all that, I was like, ‘I can re-create that here,’” Rhule told the Journal Star.

Nebraska, on the other hand, hasn’t had the team live in the dorms for training camp for decades.

While there are upsides, there are some downsides, too.

Extra-long twin beds are 6-foot-8 and some change. Regular twin beds are 6-foot-3.

Needless to say, that causes a few players to be a little uncomfortable at night.

There are 28 players currently listed on the online roster who are 6-foot-5 or taller. The tallest: offensive linemen Jacob Hood (6-foot-8), Bryce Benhart (6-9) and Teddy Prochazka (6-10).

Though, you don’t need to be as tall, or taller than, the mattress to have some issues.

“I can’t stand the bed,” said Robinson, who is one of the 6-6 players. “We’ve got a little twin-sized bed and my feet are hanging off the little wood thing.”

Added Corcoran, who is also 6-6: “[It’s] terrible. Terrible. I’ll get through it. It’s just one more thing, but I’m doing all right.”

Added linebacker Nick Henrich, who is 6-3: “It’s cozy, but it’s a good time.”

All things considered, it could be worse.

Rhule was hoping for the dorms of his day — no air conditioning and a cot. His accommodations in Selleck are slightly better than the players: no roommate and the room of a resident assistant.

“I have a slightly nicer room than some of the ones I saw on social media yesterday,” Rhule said. “So I feel a little bit bad, but not that bad.”

Besides. It’s only for two weeks.

But what a memorable — and hopefully meaningful — two weeks they’ll be.

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