Nebraska QB controversy with Brion Carnes and Taylor Martinez reminds us of Tommie Frazier

There is a quarterback controversy brewing at Nebraska and it involves another Manatee High signal caller.

Huskers incumbent starter Taylor Martinez has taken a lot of heat after Nebraska was blown out by Wisconsin 48-17 last week with the sophomore throwing three interceptions.

Nebraska is 4-1 with a lot of people calling for Brion Carnes to take over the quarterback slot. Ironically the Huskers were 4-1 back in 1992 when Tommie Frazier took over the starting QB job from senior Mike Grant.

Frazier took off from there on a spectacular career that saw him earn a spot as a backup quarterback on the All-Century team selected by Sports Illustrated. If not for blood clots that temporarily derailed his career, Frazier might haven reached in an even higher status.

Frazier and Carnes started their careers at Manatee and it was Frazier who encouraged Carnes to sign with Nebraska.

Interesting to see if history in some way will repeat itself.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said there is a wide gap between Carnes and Martinez and didn't anticipate any changes in the near future. But could another shaky performance from Martinez change that thinking?

What does Nebraska great Tommie Frazier think of Taylor Martinez?

Wonder what former Nebraska great Tommie Frazier thinks about current beleaguered Huskers sophomore quarterback Taylor Martinez?

A lot of fans are clamoring for backup Brion Carnes to take over the QB job. It was Frazier who convinced Carnes to sign with Nebraska encouraging him to compete against the best.

Both graduated from Manatee High and Carnes took Frazier's advice turning down offers where he might have gotten on the field quicker.

Frazier is a person of class and would never comment on what soon might be a quarterback controversy. But you can't help but wondering what he is thinking.

A lot of people in their hometown of Bradenton felt Carnes was making a mistake signing with Nebraska because it would be too tough to get playing time. Frazier did not feel that way. Even knowing the quarterback situation at Nebraska, he told Carnes to come.

Husker fans are still seething over how Wisconsin pounded Nebraska 48-17 last Saturday ruining their undefeated status and their pride. The Huskers led 14-13 in the second quarter when Martinez imploded and threw three interceptions.

Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini called the criticism "a shame."

There has been some comparisons made between Martinez, Frazier and Cornhusker Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch.

Martinez has thrown 12 interceptions in 17 starts and has a career completion percentage of 56.1 percent. Frazier had 18 interceptions in 509 career passes and 49.1 percent completion rate.

But the difference his in quality wins. Frazier owns that stat guiding Nebraska to two national titles and was 33-3 as a starter.

Cast your vote for Manatee County's Greatest High School Football Player

You’ve seen it, you’ve studied and had time to digest it.

Who is the greatest high school football in Manatee County history? The belief here is that it’s Peter Warrick.

He won two state championships at Southeast and made the most difficult transition his senior year when he switched from receiver to quarterback.

In his final two years at Southeast he never lost a game that he played in sitting out the Seminoles lone defeat with an injury.

But you might disagree and there are plenty of worthy candidates to wear the crown as Manatee County’s greatest gridiron hero.

Here is a chance to cast your vote on who is Manatee County’s greatest high school football player. Cast your vote on the poll.

Frazier says Manatee connection doesn't pressure Carnes at Nebraska

Tommie Frazier says there is no great pressure on Brion Carnes at Nebraksa because they are both from the same high school.

Both were standout quarterbacks for Manatee High and there is a feeling that folks in Lincoln, Nebraska are expecting Carnes to duplicate Frazier's success, which would be hard for anyone.

Frazier led Nebraska to two national championships and three straight national title games earning MVP honors in all the games.

"I don't see that comparison between us, not from here," said Frazier who lives in Omaha. "It's a big transition from high school to college and Brion has worked very hard to put himself in a position. If he works hard I believe he will have a successful career."

For now, the starting quarterback at Nebraska is Taylor Martinez and Frazier says it's anybody's guess whether Carnes or someone else is going to be the backup.

It was reported that Kody Spano, one of the quarterbacks in the mix, has left the team because of numerous injuries he has incurred throughout his career at Nebraska including two ACL tears.

The quarterback battle could or could not get heated up a bit more this summer with the arrival of Bubba Starling, the heralded star signal caller, who is also rated the top high school baseball prospect by Baseball America.

Hall of Fame exec says Tommie Frazier should be in

Steve Hatchell, the president and CEO of the National Football Foundation, which operates the College Football Hall of Fame, said Tommie Frazier deserves to be inducted.

Hatchell made his comment to ESPN this week after controversy erupted all over the country over the exclusion of Frazier and other former college football greats.

It seems there are a bunch of unwritten rules about how people get in. Hatchell said one thing that hurt Frazier was that former Nebraska offensive lineman Will Shields was voted in this year.

"There's a lot of things to balance: What do we have for positions, for race, for geographic considerations," Hatchell told ESPN.com. "What people don't understand is that we're not dealing with 32 teams. We're dealing with 119 and we're dealing with 22 positions and special teams while going border to border and coast to coast. And we've worked very hard in the last seven years to show a lot of balance.”

Frazier finished his career at Nebraska in 1995 and wasn’t on the ballot until this year. The Manatee High product was voted the 33d best player of All Time in 2004 by Collegefootballnews.com

Tommie Frazier's Hall of Fame snub creating uproar

The snub of Tommie Frazier in this year’s College Football Hall of Fame balloting has created a fury of protest.

Frazier has now become the focal point for critics, who are calling the Hall of Fame’s method of selecting inductees unfair and archaic.

Some are saying Frazier’s snub reveals an outdated organization that lives in the past. To his credit, Frazier has not issued a complaint and says he is not bothered.

But many others are concerned and see Frazier’s snub indicative that something is inherently wrong with the College Football Hall of Fame.

“If Tommie Frazier is not an immediate unquestionable first ballot hall of famer in his sport then what is the point of having a College Football Hall of Fame,” CBSSPORTS.COM asked after the voting of the class of 2011 came out last week.

CBSPORTS.COM says there are dozens of clearly deserving players who haven’t been granted induction into the Hall and many others have had to wait an unreasonably long time.

Frazier’s career ended 16 years ago and yet his name didn’t appear on the ballot until this year. And CBS asks why are we still waiting for the quarterback to get his due.

Frazier threw for more than 4,000 yards and 47 touchdowns while rushing for 2,286 yards and 36 touchdowns. The former Manatee High great also capped off his career with that infamous TD run against Florida that propelled the Huskers to their second straight national title.

“A College Football Hall of Fame that does not include Tommie Frazier is an incomplete Hall of Fame and the voters owe it to Frazier, Nebraska, and college football to fix this mistake as soon as possible,” CBSSports.com said.

Lots of Manatee County flavor at WKU-Nebraska opener

Two former Manatee County players are expected to play key roles in the Willie Taggart era that begins Saturday when Western Kentucky visits Nebraska.

Braden River’s Willie McNeal is slated to start at receiver and return punts and kickoffs while true freshman Ty Scott from Palmetto High goes into the game as a second team defensive back.

The game will mark the head coaching debut of former Manatee High great Taggart, who takes over a team that did not win a game last season and has lost 20 straight.

The game has some strong Manatee County ties involving three former quarterbacks, who played at Manatee under legendary head coach Joe Kinnan.

Tommie Frazier, former Nebraska All-American, played at Manatee High and helped sway Brion Carnes, last year’s quarterback for Kinnan, to the Cornhuskers. Ray Woodie, who coached and played at Palmetto High, is on Taggart’s staff.