TL;DR
- Coach Matt Rhule expressed disappointment Emmett Johnson was not on Doak Walker Award finalist roster.
- Rhule believes Johnson had a fantastic season and deserves recognition for his commitment to the team.
- Johnson's selfless play and team-first attitude are traits Rhule values highly.
- Johnson has remaining games to prove he is a top college football running back.
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule will go the extra mile to defend his team.
On Wednesday, the Cornhuskers' regular-season finale against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Black Friday provided the most recent illustration of this.
Rhule expressed significant disappointment upon discovering that his standout running back, Emmett Johnson, was not included on the final Doak Walker Award roster, which featured three finalists: Ahmad Hardy of the Missouri Tigers, Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and Kewan Lacey representing the Ole Miss Rebels.
“I was disappointed,” Rhule told reporters. "I think Emmett has had a fantastic season. I think our, our guys on offense have been committed to blocking for him, and I would obviously love for him to get as much recognition as possible."
Rhule generally showed respect for the three finalists who made the list, without naming them, but did note that Johnson possesses a trait the other three might lack: the ability to avoid making every individual performance about himself.
“I don’t know the three guys real well, so I’m sure they all have done a nice job as well," Rhule added. "But one thing about Emmett Johnson that will stay with me forever is that it’s always about the team with him. It’s always about the team.”
Despite not receiving formal accolades, Johnson has several remaining games this season to demonstrate he remains a top college football running back. This opportunity begins this Friday against a Hawkeye defense that has limited opponents to an average of 16 points across its last four contests.
Kickoff is set for 12:08 p.m. ET on CBS from Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.