Myles Farmer reveals impact team bonding has on Nebraska

From the coaching staff on down the roster, there’s a litany of new faces around the Nebraska football facility this year. As a result, head coach Matt Rhule has made it a point to ensure players and coaches are getting familiar off the field, something that’s paying dividends according to defensive back Myles Farmer.

The activities in question have tasked the players with opening up and sharing some, being vulnerable to build trust in one another. It’s the kind of thing that shows up in high-leverage moments, Farmer said.

“It shows resilience. Because coach Rhule can get on me and I can spazz back at him or I could just take the coaching. But that just goes from us building a relationship off the field. I could get on my brother, and he could get mad at me because I’m getting on him, or he could take the coaching. It goes hand-in-hand,” Farmer said.

As for the actual activities, Farmer still tends to find the vibe laid back and enjoyable. It’s a space to share and let down ones guard, but it’s not heart-wrenching stuff, either.

“It’s just, it’s just bonding. Just chilling with my brothers, just bonding,” Farmer said. “Just doing different stuff that we don’t know, that we haven’t done, with new people. Getting to know each other.”

It’s all part of a winning culture that Rhule is trying to forge after a run of losing seasons in Lincoln.

Running back Gabe Earvin discussed the fledgling culture earlier in the spring.

“This whole staff under Matt Rhule, they’re kind of detail-oriented,” he said. “They kind of remind me of my staff from high school. A lot of detail-oriented, focused on the details and willing to win. They’re really focused on building that winning culture and trying to find the details. Each and every day, trying to stack days to be the best team in the country.”

Keeping with that detail-oriented theme, Rhule recently harped on the importance of the players knowing the ins and outs of the playbook. Each guy learns and masters it in their own way, but being well-versed in what the Cornhuskers are trying to do is critical for Rhule.

“I think it’s individual to each guy. It takes what it takes,” Rhule said. “One of the most dangerous things is when guys just kind of know what to do. So they can kind of do it. You can’t figure out how to do your job until you know what your job is. So we have a lot of guys still at that level one trying to learn what it is.”

“We can make excuses for them but we’re trying to change the expectation level of our guys,” said Rhule. “We’re not here to try hard, we’re not here to lose and thank the fans. We’re here to win. And winning happens now. It doesn’t happen in the fall. So the guys who know their jobs really well?…You are what you produce. I just want the guys to own the way (they) practice, the way (you) prepare, and own the result.”