How Terrance Knighton got his nickname, Ed Foley's travels around Nebraska and more

But, as a defensive lineman for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, he did order pot roast on a postgame flight instead of shrimp Alfredo. And, in doing so, a teammate thought the food would be a perfect name for him. So “Pot Roast” stuck.

Pot Roast will coach NU’s defensive linemen — the interior guys, and probably some of the edge rushers.

He’ll be tasked with rebuilding NU’s pass rush — which lost Garrett Nelson, Caleb Tannor and Ochaun Mathis to the NFL in the offseason — and helping reverse a program that has six straight losing seasons.

“Losing a lot of close games — for me, I feel like that’s culture,” Knighton said. “That’s culture in the locker room amongst the players, that’s a direct image of the leadership. Because, in the fourth quarter, when the game is tight, you want the players to say ‘Hey, we’re not losing today.”

Knighton landed several transfers — including Florida’s Chief Borders and Georgia’s MJ Sherman — and was able to hit the ground quickly in recruiting because he learned about “level of urgency” from coach Matt Rhule — and other Temple coaches — when he was a player there.

That urgency shapes his work on the recruiting trail. Because he played through several contracts in the NFL, he’s able to meet players at their dreams.

“It’s an easy conversation — because I’ve been in their shoes,” Knighton said of recruiting players who may have NFL aspirations. He’s a believer in Nebraska’s potential

“Growing up, Nebraska was always a school I admired,” Knighton said, noting that, when he was a kid, NU was like Alabama and Georgia is now. “That’s where we’re trying to get back to.”

Knighton said he’s excited to learn more about defensive coordinator Tony White’s 3-3-5 scheme, which has a lot of wrinkles to it that coaches still have to learn. Knighton said the NU’s defense will be “a lot” for opposing offenses.

“You’re going to lose some sleep trying to figure out where we’re lined up, how we’re going to attack you,” Knighton said. “You’ve got to have dynamic guys for a scheme like that. I’m looking forward to learning that just as much I am learning the guys.

Special teams coordinator Ed Foley talked to reporters for nearly a half-hour about traveling around Nebraska, his love for Philly sports and his evolving relationship with Rhule, who was once Foley’s “peer” before becoming his boss.

“We had some conversations and some adjustments to our relationship there for that early part of the time,” Foley said of Rhule’s first year as Temple head coach, when Foley coached tight ends. “The one great thing — which I think you’ve probably seen and gathered from some of people who have been up here is that you have a trust with players that you’ve coached, people you’ve been around with for a long time. And the trust, over time, gets stronger.”

The key football takeaway?

Nebraska will try to block punts to eventually create opportunities in punt return game. Foley aims for each punt return to be 10 yards — worth one first down.

“Coach Rhule wants to block some kicks,” Foley said. “...The whole thing to me on punt return is really fascinating in terms of being a game of, blocking, putting them on their heels a little bit and then hitting the return. We’ve had success for both of those things at Temple and Baylor

On Alvano

Omaha Westside kicker signee Tristan Alvano has a “huge leg” and has “faced a ton of pressure” in the Class A title game, when the Warriors beat Gretna on a last-second Alvano field goal.

“He checked out every single marker,” Foley said.

Coaching personalities 

Knighton played in the NFL with “a lot of different personalities, but he didn’t have to manage them until he coached with the Carolina Panthers. 

“Guys always appreciate if you get to know them on a personal basis,” Knighton said. “Sometimes in the NFL, you get so caught up in the business side of it, and the statistical part of it, you forget, at the end of the day, some of these guys in the NFL are still kids.”