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Published Sunday, March 18, 2001

Davis set to switch positions

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Josh Davis agonized over the decision. He called and talked to his dad, Tony, every day for about a month before finally deciding to switch from running back to rover.

The sophomore-to-be on the Nebraska football team has long imagined what it would be like to follow in his father's footsteps and be a Cornhusker I-back.

Tony Davis was an I-back and fullback on former Coach Tom Osborne's first three teams. "Tough Tony" was the third player in modern Nebraska history to rush for 1,000 or more yards in a season, in fact, gaining 1,008 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns on 254 carries in 1973.

Josh has an appreciation for what his dad accomplished, and "I thought it would be real cool when I started playing running back, or after playing a lot more than I have, people would write about how my dad played, and then I'm a running back, too, and maybe do a story on us," Josh said.

The theme of such a story probably won't be like father, like son anymore, assuming Josh's position switch is successful. From now on, it appears he'll be playing defense.

Davis is among several Cornhuskers who will be playing new positions when 15 days of spring practice begin on Monday. There might be a few more than usual, according to Solich.

"You're probably talking a little more than a handful," he said.

Terrell Butler, who played cornerback as a true freshman, and Lannie Hopkins, a redshirted freshman weakside linebacker, are among those who will join Davis in the competition at rover.

John Garrison will move from offensive guard to center, where he and Matt Shook will share time with the top units while Jon Rutherford works to rehabilitate his left knee.

T.J. Hollowell will try weakside linebacker after playing the strongside as a true freshman.

Robin Miller, who moved to fullback last season in hopes of increasing his playing time, will return to I-back, to compete with Dahrran Diedrick, DeAntae Grixby and Thunder Collins.

And Josh Brown will get a serious look at split end in addition to trying to hold off the challenge of redshirted freshman Sandro DeAngelis for the job as the No. 1 placekicker.

"Kicking is still my thing, even after last season," said Brown, whose 29-yard field goal as time elapsed produced a 34-32 victory against Colorado in the final regular-season game.

That kick redeemed what "just wasn't my best season," Brown said. "It wasn't the season I expected to have. It pretty much sent me along my way . . . working hard (on) kicking."

Even so, he's willing to divide his attention for the good of the team.

"I think there's a definite need for receivers," he said.

There's also a need for rovers, following the departure of Joe Walker and Clint Finley and the loss of Taylor Gehman, who has been forced to give up football because of a neck injury.

Gehman talked to Davis about switching positions.

"That was kind of inspirational, how he wasn't playing any more," said Davis. "So I kind of listened to him a lot.

"He was like, 'You should play defense. You'd be real good at defense.' "

Davis was among the team's fastest players until suffering a knee injury while covering a punt during practice in October. Just four months after surgery, in post-winter conditioning tests, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds. The knee was "probably 80 to 85 percent, strength-wise," he said.

As a result, he'll probably be limited in what he does during the spring. The knee could be close to 100 percent by the Red-White intrasquad game on April 14, however.

"I'm hoping so," Davis said. "For sure in fall camp, though."

In addition to earning SuperPrep All-America honors as a running back, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound Davis played middle linebacker at Loveland (Colo.) High School.

But most of the Cornhuskers who will be switching positions this spring won't be changing sides of the ball, moving from offense to defense or vice versa. And that makes it tougher.

"I love running the ball," said Davis, who will still get that opportunity as a kick returner. "When you play in high school, you get so much glory when you're on offense.

"But when you're on defense, you get a pat on the back."

Despite the difficulty of the decision, it came as no surprise to his dad.

"I think he kind of knew that I was going to (switch), eventually," Davis said. "He was kind of waiting for it, I guess."

Actually, you could say like father, like son, because Tony agreed to move from I-back to bolster the fullback position after rushing for 1,000 yards during his sophomore season.

Anything to help the team.

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