Krenk Reacts To Fate Of Football Season
Former Husker says losing the season will be tough on players, economy and fans
By News Channel NebraskaNEBRASKA CITY – While the sports world awaits decisions about the fate of the 2020 college football season, News Channel Nebraska spoke with former Husker Mitch Krenk about the impact on the team and its players.
Krenk: “The tough thing for the players there right now is …these kids really work hard. They put a lot of time in. I’m sure for all of them, I wouldn’t even say most of them, but all of them, this was their lifetime dream and it looks like it’s probably going to be taken away this season. Now, hopefully they can play in the spring, but it’s a tough deal.
Krenk, who played for Coach Tom Osborne and earned a Super Bowl ring as a tight end for the Chicago Bears, said the situation does not minimize what others have experienced, with graduations postponed and now Omaha players losing a season.
He said the desire to play at Nebraska is probably felt across campuses nationwide.
Krenk: “We always think of ourselves as totally different and our fan base is a lot different than other places. They’ve got other sports maybe to root for, some places have some professional baseball going on and things like that. You know, we’re kind of a one-trick pony with the university, so it’s really tough for fans. It’s going to be tough for businesses downtown, in Nebraska, in Lincoln, obviously tough for the athletic department financially.”
He said whatever the decision is regarding the 2020 season, the Nebraska athletes will be tasked to continue to improve.
Krenk: “I always thought about that in the offseason. I don’t want to be not working when other players are working as an athlete, so I’m sure they are still going to be working. Whatever the NCAA will allow them to do. If this season is shut down, they are probably going to have rules implemented to quote ‘keep it fair’ with the other schools. So they’ll be limited with how much contact they can have with coaches. They are going to be limited on how much time they can have in meetings, how much practice time, if they can practice. We all know it’s a whole new world.”