On Thursday a player vote decided who the captains were going to be for the 2015 Nebraska Football season. Mike Riley announced the 6 captains in front of the team, and I think the 6 players chosen speaks volumes about the character Nebraska has for the upcoming season. Here are my views on the 2015 captain selections.
Tommy Armstrong: I think being chosen as a captain by his teammates solidifies that we know who will start the season at quarterback, and the real quarterback race is for who will get the backup job. Since arriving on campus Tommy has shown the characteristics of being a vocal leader and this was a no brain decision by the rest of the team. I look for Tommy to take a step forward this year with Mike Rileys offense.
Jordan Westerkamp: One of the most underrated receivers in the Big Ten, I look for Westerkamp to have a breakout year this year. He has played a valuable part in Nebraska passing game the last 2 years. The guy is a human highlight real and can catch anything.
Alex Lewis: He started all 13 games last year and now joins his father Bill Lewis as serving as a captain for Nebraska. Lewis is the only offensive lineman who we know will be a starter this year. I think he is going to have an All-American caliber year and is a great player to set the foundation for resurrecting the Pipeline at Nebraska.
Maliek Collins: With 45 tackles, 14 for loss, and 4.5 sacks in 2014, the ceiling for Collins will only get higher as he is projected to have a monster year for the Blackshirts. The number 1 goal for Nebraska’s defense this year will be stopping the run and it all starts up front. Collins has improved each season he has been at Nebraska and after earning second-team All-Big Ten honors last year as a sophomore, look for him to be a beast in the trenches and get looked at for some National awards.
Nate Gerry: Gerry led the team in tackles last year and looked more comfortable returning to his natural position at safety, recording 5 interceptions (although it felt like he had about 10). With the secondary loaded with depth, this was a great pick by the players to lead that group and look for Gerry to emerge as one of the best safeties in the Big Ten
Jack Gangwish: Nebraska walk-on turned into Husker Captain, we’ve heard this story before and it gets better every time. A 5th year senior from the small town of Wood River Nebraska, Gangwish continues the tradition of Nebraska natives being chosen as a captain; this marks the 10th straight year. He has emerged as one of the most vocal and energetic players in the locker room and I think this was a no brainer electing him captain. If something needs to be said or addressed, you can be Gangwish will stand up and say it, and say it the right way. He is emerging as one of my favorite players on the team. He will tell you up front that he is not the most athletic guy on the field, but that doesn’t stop him from going hard every play. Nobody in that locker room is going to wear that C with more pride than Jack and I can’t wait to see how this motivates Gangwish even more for the upcoming year.
Overall, I think the players did an excellent job in naming their captains. I like how the captains were chosen at this time and I think it was a great idea to let the players vote on them. I think it shows the maturity of this team that only 2 of the 6 captains are seniors. I also like what Mike Riley said, just because a player wasn’t elected to be a captain doesn’t mean you don’t have to be a leader. You can bet guys like Imani Cross, Pierson-El, Vince Valentine, Josh Banderas, and Daniel Davie will all be looked up to by guys in their position. Go Big Red!!