There was that rainy day his freshman year when he had four sacks. And there was that rainy day last fall when he spent the night living in the opponent’s backfield, piling up three more sacks and eight tackles for loss.
“It seems like the most important days in my life so far have been on rainy days,†says Newell, the highly sought-after defensive end recruit from Hiawatha, Kan., who has the Huskers on his short list.
When it rains, he shines.
When it rains, he thinks more than ever about Mom.
He was just 5 when she died. He barely knew her, but still she occupies a significant part of his thoughts.
“She’s a main part of me,†he says. “She’s definitely most of my motivation.â€
Missy Newell was diagnosed with breast cancer just before his first birthday. She fought it for almost five years.
Newell still remembers sitting with his grandmother on the porch on the toughest day, the last day -- Oct. 19, 2001.
“There are some days that are happy, and also a few sad days in your life,†his grandmother told him. “But most of these days are happy. This will be one of the few sad days.â€
