Gilley shown some tough love by coaching staff

Gilleylen still can find reasons to smile
By Nick Rubek

WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

<< Big Red Today

It's a different kind of smile that Curenski Gilleylen wears these days.

One that carries a little more business behind it.

“I haven't lost that part of the game,” the Nebraska sophomore said.

It wouldn't be hard to blame him, though, if he had misplaced that trademark grin after going from starting receiver to scout-team example.

The 6-foot, 215-pound Gilleylen was dubbed in the preseason as NU's deep threat, the fastest of a group that returned minimal starting experience.

Through four games, he led the team in receiving yards, averaging almost 32 yards a catch as Nebraska stretched the field.

In the next three games, all against Big 12 defenses, the yards per catch fell to less than 6 as the Husker offense averaged less than 15 points a game.

That's when the hammer dropped.

Gilleylen and senior receiver Menelik Holt were demoted to the scout team as the Huskers went with younger and more inexperienced players at wide receiver.

“They expected a lot more out of me,” Gilleylen said.

Coaches were seeing a lack of effort on plays that didn't directly involve Gilleylen. He needed to learn that running his route hard on the other side of the field was just as important as doing it when the ball was coming his way.

He got a glimpse of the entire offense, and how integral each moving part is.

“I got to see a different side of how they saw me and what I needed to change,” he said. “The coaching staff just felt like they needed to do something to get me to understand where they needed me to be and where they wanted the program to be and what they expected out of the players.”

He used the word “shock” to describe what went through his head as he was demoted. It wasn't a move without precedent, though.

Senior linebacker Phillip Dillard was also relegated to the scout team. The way he worked through that, Gilleylen said, and got back to being an impact player was something of a path to follow.

“It was definitely nice to have that example to see that it's not something that you can't come out of,” Gilleylen said. “He went through it, came out of it and played crazy this whole year.”

Gilleylen didn't have a catch in the Huskers' final six games in a vastly smaller role than early on. When asked this week if it has been one of the most difficult times he's faced, he quickly answered “definitely.”

“The middle part of the season was pretty rough,” he said. “But it was really a character-building type of thing and I think I've come out of it a better person. I think I know what I need to do and what they expect from me.”

Husker coaches are making no promises when it comes to expanding his role or a return to starter status. When NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson was asked if Gilleylen would be in line for more playing time, his response was simple.

“Well,” Watson said, “if he earns it. He's got to earn his time on the field like everybody else.”

And that's just fine with Gilleylen, who said he was happy this situation occurred now that he's on the other side of it.

“I'm definitely still confident that I can be a factor next year,” he said.

With that new smile, of course.

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Coaches were seeing a lack of effort on plays that didn't directly involve Gilleylen. He needed to learn that running his route hard on the other side of the field was just as important as doing it when the ball was coming his way.

Click to expand...