Ever wondered how much in NFL riches your favorite Husker has earned?  For many of the players in today's game, it's not about who has the most sacks, the most TD's, or the most interceptions (although it obviously reflects your salary) but rather who has the most money to retire on.  With the average NFL career lasting only 3.3 years, every paycheck counts.

Below is a table of every active former Nebraska football player and what he's earned over his career (through 2009 only) in total base salary, total signing bonuses, total other bonuses, and total earned.  Information taken from USAToday.com.

**Unavailable:  Titus Adams, Cody Glenn, Terrence Nunn, Chris Patrick, Zach Potter, Ty Steinkuhler, Nate Swift

The Pinstripe Bowl

Officially calling it the 'New Era Cap Co. Inc. Pinstripe Bowl,' Yankee Stadium will host the Big 12 No. 6 vs. the Big East No. 3 teams on December 30th in New York.  The New Era Cap Co. signed on for four years as the sponsor and ESPN has agreed to a 6-year contract to televise the game.  However, this won't be the first game at the new Yankee Stadium as that honor belongs to Notre Dame and Army, who will play there on November 20th.  Interestingly, the last college football game to be played at Yankee Stadium was the 1962 Gotham Bowl where Nebraska beat Miami 36-34.  I'm sure the Pinstripe Bowl will sound a helluva lot better than the Texas Bowl to Missouri.

The Big 12 Meeting

When the Big 12 officials meet in Denver during the first week of June, one of the hottest topics will be where the Big 12 football championship will be played beyond the 2010 game at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.  Although Denver's Ford Field, Arrowhead Stadium, Edward Jones Dome (St. Louis), and San Antonio's Alamodome are all candidates, expect there to be lobbying to keep the game permanently in Dallas.  Said Mack Brown before last year's Big 12 Championship in Dallas,  "I would love to see it in (Arlington).  It's centrally located. Obviously, people would think playing it there would be self-serving. But I think an indoor area this time of the year to make sure the weather is not a factor and doesn't change is something that I would be 100 percent for."  As I've said before, Dallas is not centrally located, it is self-serving for Texas, and weather is and has always been a part of the game of football.  Move the game around.  I'm sure Denver will welcome Texas in early December.

Taking Gerald McCoy Out of Context

The normally great website sportsBYbrooks very recently ran with a post titled "Gerald McCoy: Ndamukong Suh 'Not Tough Enough.'"  They were going off an interview on the Dan Patrick Show (audio here) where McCoy said:  "Some people think that he's too nice. He's not tough enough. I turn into a different type of guy when it's football time. As soon as I come out of the tunnel, I change. I don't know what it is... I think my first step is faster. I'm a little more of a speedy guy and pass rusher. I'm a little more of an explosive guy, while he fills holes." If you listen to the audio, you can clearly understand that McCoy was talking about himself and not Suh.  Nonetheless, Suh fans were outraged because they took what the website above claimed - which was completely out of context.  McCoy is arrogant, but he knows better than this.  As he said in the interview, the two are friends.

Cost of Colorado Joining the Pac-10...

....would roughly be $9 million out of their own pockets.

The Boulder Daily Camera states, "Under Big 12 rules, Colorado must give two years notice if it plans to withdraw from the league and would forfeit 50 percent of its conference distribution for both of those years.  CU received $9.7 million from the Big 12 for the 2008-09 school year and is expecting about $9 million this year because the league had only one team in a Bowl Championship Series football game.  Assuming those numbers remain consistent over the next two years, it would cost Colorado roughly $4.5 million per year or $9 million over two years to leave the Big 12. The fall of 2012 is the target date for any possible Pac-10 expansion because that is when its new television agreements will begin."

The Wiz of Odds followed with, "The athletic department has an operating budget of about $45 million, which means a forfeiture of roughly 10%. That's a lot of money for a department that balked at firing Dan Hawkins because a $3 million separation package was viewed as too steep a price.  Nonetheless, the pluses outweigh the minuses. Colorado has 4,523 alumni in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma combined. The largest numbers of alumni in another Big 12 state are the 6,244 in Texas.  By comparison, there are 23,137 alumni in California, 3,755 in Arizona, 2,983 in Oregon and 5,113 in Washington. That's 34,988 alumni in Pac-10 conference territory compared to 10,767 in Big 12 country. Another 1,200 alums live in Utah, which is considered to be the Pac-10's other expansion target.  Colorado generally draws less than 1,000 fans to Big 12 road games. A 2007 game at Arizona State attracted 7,000 supporters."

Newest Offers From Nebraska

QB Brett Hundley (Chandler, AZ).....DT Kevin Williams (Holland, OH).....DT Kris Harley (Indianapolis, IN).....DT Mickey Johnson (Covington, LA).....OLB Lateek Townsend (Bennettsville, SC)

Joining us for a spring practice discussion on all things Nebraska are fellow Big Red blogs Corn Nation, Big Red Network, and Husker Hype.  My answers to this Q&A format are below and make sure to check out what the other fine sites have to say.

1.)  Who do you think will come out of Spring Practice as the Offensive and Defensive MVP?

Defensively, Jared Crick will certainly be on everyone's radar as a possible pre-season All-American candidate.  All he was able to do last season next to Suh was accumulate 73 tackles, 15 tackles for losses, 9.5 sacks, 4 pass break-ups, 16 quarterback hurries, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 blocked kick.  With the departure of Suh, I absolutely expect Crick to become one of the leaders on and off the field for the Blackshirts.  The potential for Crick to have a break-out season in 2010 on the national level is all there and I think that needs to begin with dominating spring ball.

Offensively, I think the two players coming into the spring with the most momentum from last season are Rex Burkhead and Niles Paul.  With the implementation of the Wildcat offense, this gives Burkhead a tremendous opportunity to shine.  His work ethic is second to none and although he was very good at the end of the 2009 season, imagine where he could of been if he wasn't out six weeks with a fractured foot.  2010 could be the year of the Rex.

2.)  Nebraska appears to be switching to a spread-option style offense. How do you think this will affect quarterback and running back rotation and play?

If we do run a spread-option offense, then it won't affect the rotation much, if at all.  This type of offense obviously is going to favor a more mobile quarterback and flat-out speed at the skill positions - if they're on your roster.  Cody Green has every opportunity in the world to shine in this system, but by going off of what I saw in him last season, he still has a long way to go before I feel comfortable with him in any situation. And if Zac Lee stays as the de facto quarterback as he probably will, then I also don't want to see him running the ball nearly as much as he did towards the end of the season.  He's a nice running quarterback for Division 2 football - not the Big 12.  Although Burkhead and Helu will likely be 1 and 1A, I'm really anxious to see what Braylon Heard can bring to the table when he gets to campus.  His film shows that he's made for the spread-option.

3.)  Who do you think the starting QB will be coming out of Spring Practice and do you feel that his spot is safe until Western Kentucky week?

Even though Zac Lee's tendon surgery on his throwing arm will more than likely keep him out of spring practice, I'm sure that he'll be number one on the depth chart heading into fall camp and into week one - unless Cody Green becomes the next Vince Young overnight.  Although I still believe he lacks instinct, isn't athletically gifted enough to play vs. BCS-caliber athletes, and makes terrible decisions, he's the only battle-tested QB we have.  And even though Green was a turnover waiting to happen as he clearly lost confidence as last season wore on, he will enter the spring with an advantage on the rest of this group in Lee's absence.  I don't see Latravis Washington as a threat for any playing time whatsoever, but I am excited to see what Taylor Martinez and a healthy Kody Spano can do.  As I've said here before, I'm sure we are going to hear how whoever starts at QB has 'turned the corner' and looks great against back-ups in practice, but I need to see someone that can move the ball come this fall.  Until then, this position will remain the biggest uncertainty on the team.

4.)  Who will be the #1 Running Back coming out of Spring Practice? Some have questioned Roy Helu, Jr.'s durability and Rex Burkhead busted out on the scene showing he can do impressive amounts of damage himself.

Roy Helu demonstrated last year that he can't be expected to shoulder (no pun intended) the majority of the load at running back and remain healthy for the entire season.  Look for Helu and Rex Burkhead to come out of spring practice as co-number ones and remain that way throughout next fall.  Of course, that can change if one of these two becomes an All-American, but I think we'll see a very similar number in terms of attempts by season's end.

5.)  Which defensive unit will look best coming out of spring ball and why?

Running Bo Pelini's match-up zone pass defense with one of the most athletically gifted secondaries we've had in some time should make this defense one of the best, if not the best defense in college football next season.  Prince Amukamara, Eric Hagg, Alfonzo Dennard, and Dejon Gomes all excelled in the secondary in their first year with Pelini and should improve in the 2010 season as should last season's back-ups in PJ Smith, Lance Thorell, Anthony West, and Anthony Blue.  And to think that we will see Ricky Thenarse in an unexpected return as well as have Andrew Green, Dijon Washington, and Lazarri Middleton all coming off their redshirt seasons.  I wouldn't trade this unit with anyone's right now.

6.)  Ndamukong Suh, Phil Dillard and Larry Asante all are likely to be chosen during the draft. Does Matt O'Hanlon get picked up in one of the later rounds, go undrafted and sign as a free agent or another route not mentioned?

I haven't heard whether or not O'Hanlon has grown several inches and gained 20 lbs. since last season, but if he wants any chance of getting drafted he better be running a sub-4.4 40-yard dash at Nebraska's Pro Day this coming Friday.  In other words, no way he gets drafted.  If O'Hanlon wants to give the NFL a chance, Coach Pelini can probably find a team that will allow him a tryout.  No doubt he'll be considered a long shot to make a roster, but then again, he was a long shot to ever see significant playing time at Nebraska - let alone start for one of the best defenses in college football.

7.)  Now for the obvious question on everyone's mind: What does St. Louis do with the #1 pick?

St. Louis drafts Sam Bradford if they keep the #1 pick.  Detroit drafts Ndamukong Suh with the #2 pick if nobody trades up to #1 to take him.  Suh, Kyle Vanden Bosch, and Dominic Raiola make the Detroit Lions watchable for one state other than Michigan.

Every so often we all need a break from the usual cheerleader drunken debauchery posts.  Therefore, this week I thought I'd throw a little something out there for all of you outdoorsmen. Meet Univeristy of Alabama cheerleader Sidney (2009-10 Crimson Squad).  All that I'm really qualified to tell you about her is that besides looking great in a cheerleading uniform, she loves to hunt.

Plenty more of Sidney and her wild game after the jump.  (HT:  BC)

Okay, it's more like a Nebraska dream defensive line.  And yes, you and I might be watching the Detroit Lions on another day besides Thanksgiving next season.

Former Husker Kyle Vanden Bosch signed a 4-year, $26 million dollar contract today with the Lions.  "I could be anywhere in the country right now, and I'm on your front step because you're the guy I want," Vanden Bosch said this morning of (Detroit HC Jim) Schwartz's message. "He's a great coach, and last night he was a great salesman."  Vanden Bosch spent five seasons with the Tennessee Titans before the move and accumulated 43.5 sacks and was selected to the Pro Bowl three times.

Moving on, it's only logical now to imagine the very real possibility that Ndamukong Suh could be lining up next to Vanden Bosch next season with the Lions.  The worst kept secret in the draft right now is the St. Louis Rams' desire for a quarterback.  If that happens, then all eyes will be on Detroit as they will choose between Suh or Gerald McCoy.

The Suh and McCoy debate is something that has puzzled me for the past few weeks.  What debate?  We all know how the two fared at the NFL Combine.  And we certainly how they measured up in the same league last year in college.  Said CBS' Gregg Doyle:

"Keep in mind the obvious fact that Suh and McCoy played in the same conference, so they put up their numbers against many of the same teams. Against Texas, for example, McCoy had three tackles and one sack. That's a nice game. In his game against Texas, Suh had 12 tackles and 4½ sacks. Nothing nice about that - he tossed around Texas quarterback Colt McCoy like a discus.

"Against Kansas State, Suh had nine tackles and one sack. How did McCoy do against Kansas State? One tackle. No sacks. So this is where I dismiss that plausible explanation . . . that McCoy didn't match Suh's production because he had too many great players around him. I'm going for an even more plausible explanation: McCoy didn't match Suh's production because he's not as good."

Exactly, Gregg.

Being as biased as I can here...I think they'll look damn good together in blue and silver.  Go Lions?

The 2010 NFL Combine is officially in the books and we should be hearing a little more about the impact of these workouts in the days to come.  Next up for a few ex-Huskers will be Nebraska's Pro Day, which is scheduled for Friday, March 12th.

Click here for all of the 2010 NFL Combine Results courtesty of SteelersDepot.com.

Ndamukong Suh

Gerlad McCoy

Larry Asante

Phillip Dillard

Here's what ESPN's Todd McShay had to say about Ndamukong Suh vs. Gerald McCoy:

Suh's overall day was a bit better. He checked in at 6-4 and 307 pounds, and his 40 time of 4.98 was more than adequate. Suh also put up 32 reps on the bench press, showcasing the upper-body power that allows him to lock onto and control blockers before discarding them. His strength also showed up when he was punching the bags during drills, impacts that echoed throughout the stadium.

McCoy measured 6-4 but a little lighter at 295, and his 23 reps were a little disappointing. Still, he ran a 4.96 and was able to showcase his outstanding quickness (feet and hands) during position-specific drills.

Who loves Nebraska?  Vegas does.

According to our friends in Las Vegas right this moment, only five teams have a better a chance to win the BCS championship next season.  Those teams are Alabama, Boise State, Ohio State, Oregon, and Texas.  Nebraska is even with USC at 15/1, which is tied for the 6th best odds on the board.

The odds for a few selected teams from bodog:

Dylan Admire (6'4, 273 lbs. from Overland Park, KS) became the third offensive line recruit to commit to Nebraska's 2011 class on Saturday's Junior Days in Lincoln.  Admire's accolades include:  January 2010, rated as one of the top offensive linemen at the US Army National Combine, San Antonio TX / 2009 All Conference (EKL) 1st Team / 2009 All State 1st Team / 2009 Lineman of the Year / 2009 Iron Man of the Year / 2009 Kansas Preseason All State 1st Team.  Not too bad.  Bo Pelini always talks about building this program from the lines out and with OT Ryne Reeves, OT Tyler Moore, and now Admire on board for the 2011 class, it's safe to say his grand plan is beginning to take shape.  The skill position recruits ought to start taking notice.

Click here for his Rivals profile.
Click here for his Scout profile.

Ndamukong Suh's quest to dominate the NFL Combine took him to Michael Johnson Performance in Dallas, TX.  Johnson runs an all-inclusive six-week program for prospective professional athletes at an approximate cost of $18,000.  Johnson and his team are training 11 athletes for the draft - including Jonathan Dwyer, Sergio Kindle, Brandon LaFell, Greg Hardy, and Dexter McCluster.  Suh and the rest of the defensive lineman are scheduled to workout at the combine in Indianapolis on Monday.

Watch Suh at Michael Johnson Performance by clicking here.

If the last name in the title of the post sounds familiar that's because it should be.  Natalie is the daughter of none other than mega sports agent Scott Boras and is currently a senior at the University of Arizona.  Exotic animals, beaches, and partying with B-list celebrities like Brody Jenner (Spring Break) are definitely some of her preferred hobbies as well as leaking some extremely awesome glamour photos on the internet. Thanks Scott.  (HT: Slanch Report)

Check out the rest of the gallery after the jump.