Tom Osborne could draw up option plays during his REM cycle. He could demonstrate the complexities of a pulling tackle and recite the nuances of holding penalties. He could watch a three-second play and evaluate all 22 participants.
But Osborne didn’t own a doctorate degree in educational psychology for nothing. He understood intangibles. Perhaps none more important than the culture of a locker room.
He initiated college football’s best walk-on program not simply because it insured his roster against injuries or defections, but because volunteers fight harder than mercenaries.
Years ago, Osborne shared an airplane row with Doug Colman, a linebacker on the 1994-95 national championship teams.