Nebraska football punter Brian Buschini was one of two new Blackshirt recipients on Monday. Coach Matt Rhule explained why the punter got a Blackshirt.
Buschini and cornerback Ceyair Wright were officially recognized as members of the exclusive club. The punter has tallied 18 punts for an average of 47.6 yards per kick. His 69-yard punt against Rutgers was his longest of the season. He has also registered eight kicks inside the 20-yard line.
Wright also was a Blackshirt recipient. The USC transfer has fit in sturdily with the Nebraska defense. He has 16 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, one interception, and four pass deflections over the season’s first six games. With injuries to Tommi Hill, he became a vital part of the secondary.
Rhule explained why the punter got a Blackshirt at his Monday press conference. It wasn’t entirely up to him, as the defensive players also had a hand in Buschini’s selection.
“The way he’s impacted the game defensively. I had talked to Jason Peter a couple weeks ago and asked how that worked. He said at the bowl game those guys always get it. They said Coach (Mike) Riley or Coach (Sean) Callahan had done it once with a punter in the middle of the season. So I just wanted to stick with tradition, but when Marques Buford texted me at home and said, ‘coach, we need Buschini in black,’ I thought that was a tremendous message, whether it was the tackles at Purdue on the game-saving tackles during the field goals. The punts he made last week, to get hit like that, some guys get hurt and they come out to finish the game, he accelerated. I did it because it was from the players, they feel like he is part of that unit so let’s roll.”
Both Wright and Buschini embody what it means to be a Blackshirt. Their selfless play and work ethic have really shone through as Nebraska looks to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2016.
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