The Colorado State University-Pueblo football team hit another
milestone Thursday - without playing a down.
It signed its first bona fide blue-chip player.
Seth Jensen, a 6-foot-4, 285-pound defensive lineman recruited out
of high school in 2006 by Oklahoma, Colorado, Colorado State, Iowa
State, Kansas State, Oregon, UCLA and Wyoming, transferred to
Pueblo from the University of Nebraska.
"This is a great opportunity for a fresh start for me," said
Jensen, who left the Cornhuskers a week before the spring game.
After a stellar career at Fort Morgan High School, Jensen was wooed
to the Huskers Nation by then-head coach Bill Callahan and
assistant Ted Gilmore. Jensen redshirted his freshman year and was
injured most of 2007. He never saw live game action at Nebraska.
The Huskers made a coaching change - Callahan was out, Bo Pelini
was in - at season's end and Jensen felt it was best to move
on.
"I really didn't share the same views on some things with the new
coaching staff," Jensen said. "Nebraska's a great place and they
love football more than any place I've ever seen. I just felt it
was best for me to pursue other opportunities."
Gilmore, who was retained by Pelini, and CSU-Pueblo head coach John
Wristen coached together at the University of Colorado. Wristen
also had ties to other members of the coaching staff, including
Huskers offensive coordinator Shawn Watson. Because of NCAA rules,
Wristen cannot comment on Jensen.
Several Division I schools were interested in recruiting Jensen
again, but he chose CSU-Pueblo.
Jensen said signing with the ThunderWolves, "was a big sigh of
relief. I found another home where there are some great
opportunities and a lot of excitement. A day-and-a-half after I
left Nebraska, I had my release papers signed and got a call from
Coach Wristen. He said that he was sorry things didn't work out at
Nebraska, but that he was really happy that I was free."
Making the transition from Division I - and one of the mecca's of
college football - to Division II (and a program that hasn't played
a game in nearly a quarter-century), has been a little tough,
Jensen admitted.
"I talked with a friend of mine in Lincoln who knew I was
transferring and he said that no matter what level you're playing
at, you're still playing college football and representing a school
that wants you," Jensen said. "Pueblo loves football and there's a
lot of excitement and a lot of money going into that program.
Everything anybody does, from quarterbacks, to cornerbacks to
defensive linemen, is going to go in the record books as part of
history right away."
Because Jensen dropped a classification, he is eligible to play
immediately. The ThunderWolves report Aug. 6 and begin practice
Aug. 7. Jensen said he will move to Pueblo soon and work out on
campus this summer.
