As Donovan Raiola left his first press conference of Nebraska's spring period, he repeated a saying he told media members multiple times while answering questions about his offensive line unit.
"Water the bamboo," Raiola said. "Water the bamboo."
A quick Google search of that brings up a book written by Greg Bell titled, "Water The Bamboo: Unleashing The Potential Of Teams And Individuals."
Was Raiola referencing the book? The O-line coach, who's a big reader, didn't say exactly, but the point is clear anyway.
Keep watering the bamboo seeds, even if you don't see anything pop up in a day, a week, a month, a year or two years. Patience is needed. In time, you'll see progress. As giant timber bamboo grows, it will shoot up to about 90 feet tall in only 60 days — but not until at least three years of consistent watering.
Yes, it's a metaphor that fits an offensive lineman in the Big Ten. Patience, and development, is where it's at with those guys.
That was Raiola's message when asked if any of the untested second- and third-year linemen in Nebraska's program have impressed enough this spring to make him think they could challenge for snaps this fall.
"It just takes time, right? The physical piece in the weight room," Raiola said. "The Big Ten is hard. It's a bunch of big, grown men. You look at defenses, a lot of those defenses have fourth- and fifth-year seniors out there. So it's just a progression. Like I said earlier, we just got to keep watering the bamboo, watering in the bamboo, and when they're ready to play, they'll be out there."
Raiola is tasked with piecing together the best offensive line Nebraska's room can provide.
Currently, the situation at left and right tackle is full of question marks. Veterans Teddy Prochazka and Turner Corcoran both return, but they're coming off season-ending injuries.
Prochazka suffered a torn ACL last fall camp, his third season-ender of his Nebraska career. Corcoran is coming off back-to-back season-ending injuries as well, the latest being a hamstring injury that didn't heal well and needed surgery that will keep him out of spring ball.
On Thursday, Raiola said Prochazka is doing everything at practice except contact. Corcoran is completely out as he rehabs, but is in a player-coach role, especially with Alabama transfer Elijah Pritchett, who sure looks the part at 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, but is in need of a fresh start after a poor season as the Crimson Tide's right tackle.
Gunner Gottula, who stepped up at left tackle as a redshirt freshman, returns, too. But he's currently rehabbing offseason shoulder surgery. Once healthy and available for fall camp, Gottula will be an option at both left or right tackle. Pritchett was a left tackle in high school and early in his Alabama career before being moved to the right side to make room for left tackle Kadyn Proctor.
Along with the questions at offensive tackle, Raiola will work to find the best replacement for departing center Ben Scott, the starter at the position the past two seasons who exhausted his eligibility.
"That's such a specialty position," Raiola said of centers. "Everyone ...