Transformative offseason has John Bullock ready for new defensive role at Nebraska

That’s about to change for the fifth-year Husker and Creighton Prep graduate whose time has finally arrived.

Bullock never doubted he could get to this point, on the verge of being in a tight rotation at inside linebacker with longtime starters Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich. But he waited as a walk-on for two seasons behind the scenes. A larger role on kickoff and return units followed in 2021, then just 39 snaps last fall.

“I just know I’ll be ready to go,” Bullock said Friday. “I know I haven’t had any experience — on defense, at least — but I think I’m ready for that moment when it comes.”

A transformative offseason made it possible. After four years of wondering whether he might have a body more like a linebacker than defensive back, coach Matt Rhule and his staff approached him within two weeks of arriving last winter about a move down in the defense.

It’s been a pads-crunching hit. Now the 6-foot Bullock is up to 225 pounds — he played at 210 a year ago — and spent spring practices consistently around the football. He was impressive enough that Nebraska awarded him a scholarship in May. Rhule said other Huskers respect the in-state playmaker to the point that when the coach announced the scholarship news, the reaction was more head-nodding celebration than surprise.

“I’ve been working for that moment my whole career here,” Bullock said. “It’s an honor that Coach Rhule gave me that. I’ve just always kept my head down, kept working and whatever comes my way comes. I don’t expect anything back from what I gave. Very appreciative of it, though, from Coach Rhule for that.”

Said Rhule in the spring: “Bullock, he'll have a chance to play in the NFL if things go right for him.”

The 22-year-old — a junior by eligibility — said learning NU’s new defense has been relatively smooth for him in part because he’s taken it upon himself to help teach younger players. He also grinned when asked about his younger brother, Alex, a third-year Husker walk-on receiver whose name has come up throughout camp amid other scholarship injuries and absences at the position.

The siblings haven’t met much on the field with Alex on the edge and John in the middle. The older Bullock said the younger one has capitalized on a fresh start as much as anyone. Alex appeared in his first two Nebraska games on special teams last season.

“He’s always had the ability, it just takes someone to be able to see that,” John Bullock said. “I’ve always believed in him — he’s a great player, a great leader. He’s getting better every day, every year. He’s gotten better and better. He works harder than anybody that I know. He deserves it.”

So does John, who is encountering more linemen these days and will soon add to his career total of 22 games played. He’ll again be a regular on special teams, only now also making appearances against opposing offenses.

“I’ve always believed in myself,” Bullock said. “It didn’t take them putting me on the field to believe in myself — I’ve always had that belief. But them trusting in me and giving me that opportunity has kind of opened things a little bit for me. I’ve been able to really show what I can do, which is awesome.”​