All year round, former Husker and NFL veteran Adam Carriker is taking the pulse of Husker Nation. In the "Carriker Chronicles" video series, he breaks down the latest NU news, upcoming opponents, player updates and recruiting information, and he offers his insight into the X's and O's and more.

On Friday's episode, Adam Carriker talks about how Nebraska can solve its kicking problems without Barret Pickering, NU adding a player from the club soccer team and more. 

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Here's a transcript of today's show:

Welcome to another Fast Friday edition of the Carriker Chronicles, where each and every Friday we keep it quick and easy, brought to you by Nebraska Spine Hospital. Ladies and gentlemen, what's the deal with the Huskers' kicking situation?

Now Barret Pickering, if you noticed, hasn't kicked it all this year. He was the No. 1 ranked kicker in the entire country coming out of high school two years ago. Kicked for us last year, got better and better as the year went along, especially towards the last half of the season. He's been battling ailments, kind of an undisclosed injury if you will. Isaac Armstrong is also battling ailments this week as well. He's the punter, he's been trying to help us out with kicking, obviously his forte is more along the lines of punting.

I do know the Nebraska coaching staff is working really, really hard and working with the club soccer team there trying to get at least one, if not more, potential kickers to come over from the soccer team to hopefully help the football team out. I mean, I don't know, my thought is: it's kind of like the NFL draft. Ray Guy as a punter was drafted in the first round. I can't think of anybody else who's ever been that highly drafted in the history of the NFL draft. There just isn't a high importance put on him. Not that it's not important, but you're like, "I can get one. I can get one kicker here or there it's not that hard to find one."

We're having a hard time finding one, ladies and gentlemen.

Now I will say this, you know, whoever they bring over from the club soccer team, you never know. Some of you might know I'm coaching a nine-and-under youth tackle football team and it might surprise you, but I had a hard time finding a guy to do kickoffs. We don't even try field goals, my lord, or extra points, you just go for two all the time. The biggest kid on our team happens to be a big time soccer player of all things. He walks up and starts booting the ball into the end zone. I would have never guessed.

So maybe we'll find a soccer player who can legit help us out, maybe be kind of a cool story, maybe it could be a movie one day. He tries out, he walks onto the team, he makes a game-winning field goal, and it ends up turning into a movie. Or maybe we just get to the point where we can make 30-yard field goals. I'm not trying to make fun of anybody, it's hard when you're battling ailments. I'm just saying this kicking situation is a little bit unique, little bit surprising, especially when you thought Barret Pickering was going to be the guy this year.

It's something I'm intrigued by, I don't talk a whole lot about special teams. They are an equal third of the game and especially when that game is on the line, all of a sudden, that kicker you've been making fun of, hey, you're kind of important. So the kicking situation is important, it is going to be something I'm definitely gonna be keeping my eye on as well. All right, until next time Husker nation, Go Big Red, have fun kicking it old school and always remember to throw the bones!

Thanks again to the Nebraska Spine Hospital. Ladies and gentlemen, when it’s your spine, you do not want to mess around. Experience matters. That’s why you can trust the experts at Nebraska Spine Hospital, the region's only spine specific hospital. They are the best at what they do.

Adam Carriker is a Husker Hall of Famer and NFL veteran. The former Blackshirt and Hastings native was NU's 2004 lifter of the year and in 2005 was NU's defensive MVP and a first-team All-Big 12 pick. He was a first-round pick in the 2007 NFL draft.



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