Nebraska Football: For Cameron Jurgens, the hard work has paid off

(Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
(Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)

This is another great story for Nebraska Football.

Nebraska Football has announced its starting center, and it may not be who you expect. Friday, Nebraska Football head coach Scott Frost announced  that Cameron Jurgens would be the starter against South Alabama, and he would also be the number one center on the depth chart.

This may come as a surprise to many. Jurgens has undoubtedly worked hard for the program. When you think about all of the unique situations he has encountered during his time with the program, the fact that he is going to be the starting center is even more impressive. He came into Lincoln as a tight end, and then decided to make the position change to center. Aside from just a position change, he has also battled a plethora of injuries. Now, he looks to regain full health, and he has an opportunity to make an impact in a big way for the program.

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It’s been a long road for Jurgens to get to this point. Being named the starter of a college football program at any level is impressive. Being named the starter of a college football program at a position that you weren’t originally slotted in at is even more impressive. Jurgens has been working hard to overcome current injuries. He suffered a fractured foot last fall, and remained determined to make an impact. Now, he has done a lot more work in the last week. According to Parker Gabriel of the Lincoln Journal Star, Jurgens has now begun working on individual work and full-on contact drills. What many might have seen as a setback only fueled him more.

He is a great story, and Nebraska Football is lucky to have him in their program. Following his progress closely throughout the course of spring practices, I couldn’t be happier for him. I just hope he’s able to take the next step in his Nebraska Football career. If he can do that, he is in line for a great year. Measuring in at six-foot-three, 285 pounds, Jurgens is a force to be reckoned with.

Speaking to the media last October, offensive line coach Greg Austin had nothing but nice things to say about Jurgens.

"“He’s a natural at snapping the football,” Austin said then. “The other thing you see with him is his frame. Our guys, (performance nutrition director) Dave Ellis and (head strength coach) Zach Duval, do a great job of measuring how much a body frame can hold in terms of weight and support. His frame, he’s a guy that can carry the weight. He’s, in my opinion, the ideal size in terms of height to play inside and play center.”"

He has certainly come a long way, and I’m excited for him. I can’t remember the last time I saw someone switch positions so seamlessly. Of course, the real test will come next Saturday against South Alabama. It should be a great first look for Jurgens.  It will also undoubtedly be a source of validation. All that hard work he put in to rehab and get better now looks like it’s beginning to pay off. If nothing else, it’s just another reason to cheer on Nebraska Football the season.