Nebraska coach Bo Pelini speaks during the Huskers' weekly press conference Tuesday.

LINCOLN — Niles Paul is getting a bad rap.

Yes, Paul, who couldn't catch a punt in the rain at Missouri; whose failure to catch a lateral turned into a devastating 10- or 14-point swing against Texas Tech; whose inexplicable fumble after a 72-yard reception against Iowa State cost Nebraska a touchdown.

Paul doesn't deserve some of what's been said this week. He's taking it on the chin in the wake of consecutive losses to Texas Tech and Iowa State. I've seen evidence in my inbox and heard it on the radio and in conversations with NU fans.

The junior receiver from Omaha North is a scapegoat.

“I've made mistakes,” Paul said Monday. “Who doesn't?”

Paul is far from alone. Offensively, no position is free of blame. Yet Paul, perhaps because of the expectations he carried as a former high school All-American and nephew of NU great Ahman Green, shoulders as much of the perceived responsibility as any Husker with the exception of Zac Lee.

Paul is guilty of poor timing. He's been less than clutch in these past two games.

But he does much more good than bad for the NU offense. Paul leads Nebraska with 23 catches for 359 yards and three touchdowns. He ranks seventh in the Big 12 in all-purpose yardage and has no equal as a blocker among the Nebraska receivers.

And he owns up to his mistakes.

Menelik Holt, the senior-most NU receiver, darted through the interview room Saturday after Iowa State beat NU 9-7, declining to answer questions. That's fine, but it's not leadership.

Paul stood in the Hawks Center on Monday night and tried to explain the problems, answering questions — some of which lacked in thought — and acting like a leader. He didn't ask for the attention.

He didn't ask for this role, either. NU coaches gave it to Paul in August. They crowned him as the leader of the receivers. It was deserved, said receivers coach Ted Gilmore, and done to provide motivation for Paul and those behind him to get better.

Gilmore said he does not regret showering Paul with such praise, even as it, no doubt, caused Paul to feel pressure.

“As a competitor,” Gilmore said, “if my coach puts that out to me, I'm going to try to answer. And that was the whole intent.”

Paul said all the talk during preseason camp made him want to play harder.

“Every chance I get,” Paul said, “I try to make a play.”

That's just it: Paul is probably trying too hard. His recent mistakes were largely unforced by the opposition.

“I'm never going to fault a kid for trying too hard on the field,” Gilmore said. “His heart's in the right place. I love his heart, his competitiveness. We've just got to pay attention to the fundamentals, regardless of how talented you are. That can creep up and get you, and it's happened with him.”

Paul appears caught in a troubling cycle.

He played as a freshman in 2007 when he wasn't ready. Paul should have redshirted. Last year, he fit nicely in a reserve role more suited for a redshirt freshman. He has emerged this year but could have benefited from playing second fiddle to a more veteran receiver.

His accelerated rise through the program has made Paul vulnerable to mistakes. And when he does something like fumble into the end zone, Paul is especially hard on himself because he knows the expectations.

“I'll tell you this: I'll never forget that play as long as I play football,” he said. “I'm always going to remember that. I think about it morning, noon and night.”

He's got to forget. Uncle Ahman told him as much in a phone conversation over the weekend.

Veteran NU assistant Ron Brown said Paul must not define success based on what others think of him. Do that, Brown said, and eventually the whole structure upon which you build that success will collapse.

Brown described Paul's recent struggles as “growing pains.”

“I think Niles Paul is a guy who will battle,” Brown said. “He's not going to just roll over and play dead. He's got a lot of dignity about it. He's a very tough guy. So when you start doubting him, he has a tendency to rise up and prove you wrong.”

Contact the writer:

402-473-9587, mitch.sherman@owh.com

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