Latest news with #Raiola
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Nebraska quarterback commit to open 2025 high school season on ESPN in primetime
Nebraska quarterback commit to open 2025 high school season on ESPN in primetime With the 2025 high school football season approaching, ESPN announced its primetime game to kick off the season, and a future Husker will be on display. Quarterback Dayton Raiola and the Buford Wolves face off against the Milton Eagles in a Thursday night bout on ESPN. Raiola and the Wolves opened the 2024 season against the Eagles, narrowly falling 13-10. Now Buford welcomes the defending Georgia High School Association 5A state champs to begin the season once again while debuting in the team's brand new $62 million stadium. Raiola enters his second year under center for the Wolves after backing up his brother and current Nebraska quarterback, Dylan, during his freshman and sophomore seasons. Dayton committed to the Huskers during the 2024 season and finished the year tossing 1,953 passing yards and 19 touchdowns across 14 games, helping the Wolves to a 6A semi-final finish. He now begins his senior year on primetime. Kickoff between the Wolves and the Eagles is set for Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘I said a soft prayer for everybody I handled': diver reflects on recovering victims from Skyway Bridge collapse
MANATEE COUNTY, Fla., (WFLA) – Today marks 45 years since the Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapsed and claimed the lives of 35 people. 8 On Your Side's Alessandra Young spoke with a diver who went into the water that day and recovered several of the victims. May 9, 1980, will forever be a part of history. Bob Raiola and his partner, Mike, performed underwater inspections for DOT and county bridges. '28 people were killed on impact from blunt force trauma, seven people drowned,' Bob Raiola said. They had stepped out for a cup of coffee when they got the call that no one was prepared for. 'I said a soft prayer for everybody I handled': diver reflects on recovering victims from Skyway Bridge collapse Motorcyclist suffers serious injuries after crash in Clearwater Woman, child seriously injured in hit-and-run at Largo Walmart, police say 'Back then, there was no procedures or anything set up for that type of disaster. There was no glass case on the wall at the office that said smash, in case the Skyway gets knocked down,' Raiola said. Raiola said the 19,734-ton Summit Venture freighter was caught in a severe microburst and had lost all radar contact. When the cargo ship hit the bridge, the impact took out over 1,200 feet of the entire Southbound side. The divers said they got there as quickly as they could. 'We finally geared up and rolled into the water and tumbled into the water, backwards, and I immediately spotted the bus driver. Mike Curtin, behind the wheel, he had his white shirt on, so he was very visible, he was only in about 10 or 15 feet of water,' Raiola said. The diver said the bus driver was the first victim he saw and was able to recover. His partner, Mike, treaded water outside the bus to retrieve the victims. 'I positioned Mike on the outside of the bus and went into the bus myself and recovered a couple of victims. Then, passed them off to Mike, who hung onto them, and I went back in and recovered two more,' Raiola said. After recovering four victims, Raiola went back in a second time and recovered three more, making their total 7. 'It was during that time that I came across what I would call a baby bag, and I became a little bit more emotional in regard to what we were trying to accomplish,' Raiola said. As a combat veteran in Vietnam, Raiola said he was used to trauma, but this was different. To this day, he relives this experience every time he talks about it or crosses the Skyway. 'I said a soft prayer for everybody I handled; I apologized for the rough treatment that I was going to give them, that I needed to do to get them extricated from that situation,' Raiola said. 45 years later, Raiola wants people to know that the new bridge is safe and that the piers are protected to prevent another tragedy like this one from happening. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Nebraska quarterback signs NIL deal with Adidas
Nebraska quarterback signs NIL deal with Adidas A Nebraska quarterback has signed a new NIL deal. Sophomore Dylan Raiola has signed a deal with Adidas. Last season, Raiola played in all 13 games for the Cornhuskers. He threw for 2,819 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while leading Nebraska to its first bowl game after a seven-year drought. He set the record for most passing yards and highest completion percentage by a freshman in Nebraska football history. In a statement to the media, Raiola says he looks forward to joining the Adidas family and building the next era of Nebraska football. 'Heading into my second season, the goal remains the same: help build the next era of Nebraska football and leave a legacy that makes our fans proud. Joining the elite family of athletes at Adidas is a tremendous honor, and their support strengthens the journey as we continue building something special in Lincoln.' Nebraska has a relationship with Adidas. The apparel company and the school are currently in the midst of an 11-year, $128 million contract signed in 2017. Raiola has preexisting deals with Campus Ink, EA Sports, and Panini America per On3. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
New York Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Nebraska football concludes spring with ‘Husker Games': 10 thoughts from the festivities
LINCOLN, Neb. — Spring turned into summer, figuratively, Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska staged the Husker Games, a first-time event, that featured a giant garage sale of memorabilia and apparel, tours of the Osborne Legacy Complex, competitions in the spirit of an NFL Pro Bowl, and, yes, a bit of football. Advertisement So was it a hit? Well, about 8,000 fans attended the scrimmage — approximately 10 percent of the figure on this day in 2018, when the popularity of the Red-White game peaked at Nebraska. Last year and in 2023 under coach Matt Rhule, the crowds exceeded 60,000. 'I just can't wait til this place is sold out,' said wide receiver Dane Key, the transfer from Kentucky on track to lead his position group in the fall. The measure of success from Saturday, though, involved more than exposure. Nebraska nixed television options and held its top 60 players out of the scrimmage to avoid transforming the final practice of April into a showcase of talent for interested outside programs. A year after Nebraska lost two key pieces in the spring game to injury, Saturday was simply a fun finish to five weeks of offseason practice. The Huskers accomplished plenty on the field this spring. Here are 10 observations from the end of spring in Lincoln: 1. Dylan Raiola is on solid ground atop the roster. The sophomore quarterback took a few snaps with the Nebraska women's club team in its flag game against Midland at Memorial Stadium. Raiola tossed the ball from 50 yards into a basketball hoop as part of a QB competition during a break in the scrimmage. DR from downtown. 🎯 — Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) April 26, 2025 Raiola helped call plays. Rhule used a microphone to speak to fans periodically, but it was Raiola who thanked them at the end for attending. Little moments illustrate Raiola's readiness to lead. He's displayed steady growth since his freshman season ended in December with a win in the Pinstripe Bowl. Raiola said he's more vocal with teammates. His command of the offense has improved. His confidence is up. 'As a leader, it becomes who you are,' he said. 'You don't want to be that leader where you're sometimes on, sometimes off. It's that consistency of being the same guy every day.' Advertisement 2. Nebraska's QB stable is deep but unproven. With Raiola and top backup Jalyn Gramstad on the sideline, true freshman TJ Lateef and Purdue transfer Marcos Davila directed the first two quarters of action. Both of their first drives ended in interceptions, but Nebraska has talent at the position. Lateef, an early enrollee out of Compton, Calif., showed pocket awareness. Davila, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound redshirt freshman from Midland, Texas, possesses the ideal size to survive in the Big Ten. He threw a touchdown pass to DJ Singleton. DJ All Day 💯 TD 👉 DJ Singleton — Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) April 26, 2025 3. Young defenders flashed. Freshmen Tanner Terch and Kahmir Prescott recorded interceptions in the first half of the scrimmage. Defensive linemen David Hoffken and Mason Goldman registered sacks. The Huskers who scrimmaged Saturday are fighting for position on the bottom half of the roster — and ultimately to move into the top 57. With a 105-player limit likely off the table in 2025 after a federal judge moved last week in the House settlement case to protect active athletes from mandated cuts, a smaller roster is still coming. Nebraska used the spring to identify 18 to 20 defensive players in spots to contribute as starters or in packages as part of John Butler's scheme. The final scrimmage helped organize depth pieces. 4. In Rhule's program, players swap positions in every offseason. This spring, Nebraska shifted Ian Flynt from tight end to defensive line and Landen Davidson from offensive line to defensive line. Flynt and Davidson, entering their second seasons in the program, moved in a bid to add depth up front on defense. Nebraska is thin on experience behind Elijah Jeudy, Cam Lenhardt and Riley Van Poppel. It signed Jaylen George and Gabe Moore out of the portal in the winter. Advertisement Defensive linemen come at a high premium in the spring portal. Nebraska might stand pat with what it's got. 5. Trent Uhlir and Vince Genatone switched spots. Uhlir, a redshirt freshman, is now playing linebacker, and Genatone, a junior, flipped to running back. The move for Genatone comes with some intrigue. He's a 225-pound Montana transfer out of North Platte, Neb., who ran a 10.5-second 100-meter dash while in high school. Genatone played special teams at Nebraska last season. Can he get traction at running back? The Huskers need someone to break out. 6. Brett Maher, the former NFL kicker who punted and kicked at Nebraska in 2011 and 2012, joined Tristan Alvano and Nico Ottomanelli in a kicking competition before the scrimmage. Maher coaches the Nebraska kickers, and he's done good work with Alvano. The third-year kicker from Omaha Westside performed well on Saturday. He appears on track to regain his freshman season form after an injury kept him out last year. John Hohl emerged in Alvano's absence in 2024, hitting 10 of 15 field-goal attempts. Hohl was sidelined this spring and did not kick Saturday. 7. The Huskers' new leader on special teams, Mike Eleker, delivered an inspiring performance. Rhule challenged the 53-year-old Ekeler to show his strength on the bench press, pledging $5,000 to the Teammates mentoring program for each rep at 225 pounds that Ekeler completed. He got 13. Rhule then doubled the donation to $130,000 after former Nebraska linebacker Will Compton finished 15 reps. Compton and his 'Bussin' With the Boys' podcast co-host Taylor Lewan served as guest coaches at the Husker Games. 8. Raiola praised the leadership of Key, naming him among seven Huskers who've directed efforts to set a high standard in the offseason. The others, in addition to Raiola, are Lenhardt, offensive linemen Justin Evans and Henry Lutovsky and linebackers Marques Watson-Trent and Gage Stenger. Advertisement Rhule has helped Key find his voice as a leader since the receiver arrived in January. Key has embraced the role. 'I feel like everybody on this team respects me,' Key said. The order of depth at receiver features Key, Jacory Barney, newcomer Nyziah Hunter and Janiran Bonner, with freshmen Quinn Clark, Cortez Mills and Isaiah Mozee also pushing for work under new assistant Daikiel Shorts. 9. Barney won the fastest-man competition. He predicted the victory last week. After his 55-reception season last fall, the sophomore from South Florida set a goal to 'be unguardable' in 2025. Barney has worked this year on his route running and body control. 'Mastering my game,' he said. 10. Plenty of smiles at Memorial Stadium followed the NFL Draft selections Saturday of defensive lineman Ty Robinson (fourth round to Philadelphia) and tight end Thomas Fidone (seventh round to the New York Giants). Wide receiver Isaiah Neyor (San Francisco), safety Isaac Gifford (Carolina), defensive lineman Nash Hutmacher (Baltimore), linebacker John Bullock (Tampa Bay), wide receiver Jahmal Banks (Baltimore) and center Ben Scott (Tampa Bay) signed free-agent deals. Despite the unorthodox format of the spring conclusion, it allowed for a festive atmosphere and showcased progress in this third year under Rhule. Nebraska has many strides to take. Chief among the priorities: sign and develop first-round picks. Eleven Big Ten players were drafted in the first round on Thursday. Nebraska's last first-rounder remains Prince Amukamara, 14 years ago.
USA Today
27-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Nebraska quarterback's impressive throw goes viral
Nebraska quarterback's impressive throw goes viral Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola went viral on Saturday afternoon after showing off his accuracy from an impressive distance during the Husker Games. The sophomore threw a football through a basketball hoop from midfield. Last season, Raiola played in all 13 games for the Cornhuskers. He threw for 2,819 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while leading Nebraska to their first bowl game after a seven-year drought. He set the record for most passing yards and highest completion percentage by a freshman in Nebraska football history. The quarterback recently discussed his workout regimen ahead of his sophomore season. "If I'm being honest, it sucks,. I'm just being honest. It's a constant grind every day. Sometimes you don't see change right away. In this instance, a physical body standpoint doesn't change in a day, it doesn't change in a week, it doesn't change in two weeks, not even three. There's just the consistency of staying on it and keep going on it." Nebraska will open the 2025 college football season on Thursday, August 28, when the Huskers face the Cincinnati Bearcats at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The kickoff time has yet to be determined. Find social media reactions by scrolling below. The throw The hoop Downtown Nothing but net SC Top Ten Answer the question? Showing him the ropes Credit due! Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
