Heinrich Haarberg was just about to devour a noon buffet Sunday at the Kearney Country Club — he needs 8,000 calories a day to maintain his 6-foot-5, 205-pound frame, he says — when an important call flashed on his cellphone.
It was his future position coach, Mario Verduzco.
"His energy is unlike anyone's I've ever met," says Haarberg, whose status as a Nebraska quarterback becomes official Wednesday, when he signs a national letter of intent.
Haarberg spoke with Verduzco for 10 minutes Sunday, the day after Minnesota's 24-17 win against Nebraska in Lincoln. Within a single conversation, Verduzco can be equal parts complimentary and critical in a blunt manner about his quarterbacks' performance, Haarberg says.