John Butler is rebuilding Nebraska’s defense one rep at a time

Nebraska DC John Butler is tracking every rep, rewarding the right habits and building a defense that thrives in the moments that matter.

Courtesy Nebraska Athletics

By the time this newsletter arrives in your inbox, you’ve likely seen a bit from Nebraska football’s Tuesday post-practice availability. Maybe not, but likely so.

At the five-practice mark of Nebraska’s spring football calendar, defensive coordinator John Butler was the man at the podium to meet with the media. He impressed —  social media reaction said as much — likely because of how clear and concise he was on his expectations. Also because he is, as he put it, a “fanatic” who is “hellbent” on cracking every Nebraska opponent’s offensive code. 

We also learned Tuesday that Butler isn’t asking for perfection from Nebraska’s defense — but he is demanding something close to it.

“At the end of the day, all these games … they’re going to come down to the best possession of the game,” Butler said Tuesday. “You have to train yourself to win in those moments.”

We’re a third of the way through that training for spring, so how are things looking on the defensive side of things?