Nebraska safety Corey Cooper is being held out of spring practices for the time being. Turf toe is to blame, leaving the returning starter moving around in a walking boot on his left foot. The injury is not one that is being considered too serious, although head coach Bo Pelini says now is not the time to push it.
“I’m not going to push Coop at this time of year,” Pelini said Saturday, according to Lincoln Star Journal.
There is no need for Cooper to rush back of course. because he has already established himself as one of the top returning players for the Huskers in 2014. Last season he recorded 91 tackles and came up with an interception early in the season. Not having him on the field during practices now will open up some playing time for some other players to improve the experience down on the depth chart. Nathan Gerry and LeRoy Alexander are expected to continue filling in with the first team defense until Cooper is able to get on the field.
Nebraska also got their new defensive backs coach in to the mix, Charlton Warren. Warren joined the Huskers coaching staff this year after nine years at his alma mater, Air Force. He apparently is making for an impression with his energetic in his first practice with the team.
“He was out there yelling, jumping around with us, running down the field with us,” senior cornerback Josh Mitchell said to the Lincoln Journal Star. “I thought he was going to pull a hamstring.”
Among the roster changes this spring for Nebraska is the absence of safety Harvey Jackson. Jackson is not listed on Nebraska’s spring roster, a surprising development considering he would have been one of the most experienced players in the Nebraska secondary. There has been no word on why Jackson is no longer on the roster according to multiple reports.