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New Commit Rocco Spindler is N

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New Commit Rocco Spindler is N

Sipple on Rocco.

Steven Sipple: Nebraska coach Matt Rhule evidently makes excellent impression in dinner setting; he also hits HR with Ekeler hire​

On3 image
by:Steven Sipple•about 15 hours•
steven_sipple
Read In App
Matt Rhule, Nebraska
Matt Rhule, Nebraska - © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Things I know, and things I think I know: Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule seems like he could be an extraordinary salesman for a variety of entities, if he were so inclined.

Marc Spindler, however, cautions against attaching the word “salesman” to Rhule. That’s because “salesman” often — and usually unfairly — has negative connotations. I’ve been unfair at times in attaching negative connotations to the word.


“I’m just saying Matt Rhule is a very genuine individual that has a lot of energy,” says Spindler, 55, whose son, offensive lineman Rocco Spindler, chose to play for Nebraska on Sunday after a whirlwind transfer-portal courtship by a handful of programs.

“Rhule’s positivity and other characteristics are contagious and different from a salesman that’s full of B.S. and just tells you what you want to hear. He’s sincere, and I think that’s why his words resonate with a lot of players. He’s a guy I’d want to run through a wall for.

“If you get the parent to feel that way, especially one who was a football player, the kid ought to feel that way as well.”


Notre Dame transfer Rocco Spindler discusses decision to join Nebraska

Rhule impresses elder Spindler in dinner setting​

The elder Spindler, a former NFL defensive lineman, paints an intriguing picture of a dinner early last week at a Lincoln steakhouse. He and his wife and Rocco were there with Rhule and his wife. Donovan Raiola, Nebraska’s fourth-year offensive line coach, obviously was on hand.

“There were a bunch of people, and we broke bread like a big Italian family,” Marc Spindler says. “We’re Italian. We had a big meal. It told us a lot. It just kind of feels like it’s the way Rhule runs his team. It’s like a big family to him. He treats people like family.

“You understand that in families, sometimes you’ve got to be tough. Sometimes you’ve got to be caring. When you’re the Godfather of the family, that’s how you’ve got to be sometimes. You sometimes have to weigh on people and hold them accountable. But he’s a completely genuine and sincere individual.

“That’s who he is. He’s a good dude, man.”

The elder Spindler wants to make it clear that Rocco made the decision to attend Nebraska, with the parents lending support during the process.

“We just felt at home, felt welcome,” Marc said. “They’re down-to-earth people.”

Donovan Raiola makes favorable impression​

There’s no way Rocco Spindler chooses Nebraska if he would’ve had reservations about playing for Donovan Raiola.

“What I really liked is Donovan took the time to go over film of his guys and then go over film of Rocco,” the Spindler says. “He said, ‘We’ve got to work on this with you, and we’ve got to work on that right there.’ He was very specific. He said, ‘If we work on those two things, we’ll improve your draft status tremendously.’

“That’s what Rocco wants because the byproduct of fixing those things is going to help that line and help this team. The byproduct of all that helps Rocco get to the next level. It’s really a win-win situation. That’s how I saw it, anyway.”

Still another Raiola is important in this discussion.

“You got the quarterback coming back,” Spindler says of Dylan Raiola. “He’s got a lot of moxie and a lot of talent to go along with it. You got another offseason of Dylan developing and, you know, I think a better offensive line and weapons around him.

“It all makes sense to me.”

Marc Spindler has history with Dominic Raiola​

As one might expect, Marc Spindler is acquainted with Dylan’s father, Dominic Raiola. After Spindler’s playing days in the NFL ended in the late 1990s, he became an analyst for the Detroit Lions’ flagship radio broadcasts. Dominic Raiola played center for the Lions from 2001 to 2014.

“We were the flagship, and they were a pretty miserable football team,” Spindler said. “He’s a fiery dude, right? I’d talk ‘stuff’ about things that maybe weren’t specifically about him — maybe some were about him — but definitely about the entire team. They were just horrible.

“He called me out in the media a few times. When I was down at the team facility, I think he wanted to go after me a few times. He’s a passionate guy, and I’m a passionate guy, right? I was only saying what the reality was. It wasn’t personal, it was business.

“I do look forward to meeting him again because I just love the way his son plays football.”
 
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More Sip and daddy Roc. Good thing he committed or those guys wouldn't have shit to write about. Facilities made a big impression.

Rocco Spindler chooses Nebraska because "he felt it was the best opportunity to develop and win," father says​

On3 image
by:Steven Sipple•02/02/25•
steven_sipple
Read In App
rocco spindler
Notre Dame guard Rocco Spindler. (Mike Miller, Blue & Gold)
One thing becomes crystal clear as you talk to Marc Spindler, the father of Rocco Spindler: The elder Spindler feels extremely comfortable with his son’s decision to transfer to Nebraska.

“What I’ll tell you is, with Rocco they’re getting a tough, gritty player with a lot of character and experience,” Marc Spindler told HuskerOnline on Sunday.


“And I can tell you he didn’t come there for a paycheck,” the father added. “I can tell you that right now. He just felt it was the best opportunity to develop personally and win. He wants to help the team and then get to the next level.”

Nebraska third-year coach Matt Rhule made an excellent impression on the family during a Tuesday dinner in Lincoln.

“I mean, you go sit with that guy, how are you not going to play for him, right?” the elder Spindler said.

Rocco Spindler, a 23-game starter at right guard for Notre Dame the last two seasons, committed to Nebraska on Sunday and will immediately join the team. “He has to pack his dog and drive out,” Marc said. Rocco also took visits to Indiana, Pittsburgh and Virginia, according to his father.

The younger Spindler becomes the 16th and final NU portal acquisition who will be on campus this semester. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

Nebraska’s spring season begins March 26.

Marc Spindler blown away by son’s visit​

Marc Spindler and his wife joined Rocco this past Tuesday for the visit to Nebraska.

“I wish someone would’ve recruited me there back in my day,” said the elder Spindler, 55, an NFL defensive lineman for five different teams in the 1990s after playing collegiately for Pitt. “I mean, I’m not just telling you what you want to hear.

“My wife says the same thing: I think the biggest challenge is getting people to walk through those doors.”

He was referring specifically to Nebraska’s new $165 million indoor training facility.

“I know a couple hundred million dollars is a lot of money, but to do it the way they did it — I think it should be a tourist attraction,” Marc Spindler said. “I’m dead serious. I can’t believe what I saw.”

Marc Spindler clearly has an appreciation for Nebraska’s football tradition.

“You think about Tom Osborne, you think about the Big Red Machine, you think about Dean Steinkuhler and Dave Rimington and Mike Rozier,” he said. “The problem is, people don’t understand the history of football. When you understand the history of football, and you’re going from one storied program (Notre Dame) to another one, it’s sort of amazing.

“You see what I mean? To me, that’s important.”

It’s been a whirlwind tour for Spindler​

Marc Spindler said the family first visited Indiana, then Nebraska, then drove to Pitt, then down to Virginia.

“Coach (Pat) Narduzzi, he’s a dynamic guy as well, and I thought they had a legitimate shot,” the father said of the Panthers. “When we got done with the visit, I’m like, ‘Are we going to Virginia tomorrow?’ And Rocco said, ‘I don’t think it’s necessary.’

“I thought he must want to come here (to Pitt). There’s a lot of pressure that goes with that, following his dad.”

His father encouraged Rocco to visit Virginia.

“So, we went down there, but all roads led to Nebraska,” Marc Spindler said. “It was a really good, solid visit from Donovan Raiola, to the facility, to coach Rhule. Everything that went along with it just made it seem like a really good fit for Rocco to get to the next level and, let’s face it, to win.”

He also felt wanted. Really wanted. That was important to him, his dad said.

Father feels Nebraska can win Big Ten​

The younger Spindler comes to Nebraska expecting to win the Big Ten, his father said.

“I mean, there were $1.5 million offers on the table but that was to go somewhere and maybe not win,” Marc said. “But when those bumps and bruises and losses start to mount, it doesn’t matter how much money you have; it’s about winning.

“The kid’s coming from a winning program and wants to win. Bottom line, it’s about checking boxes. Where can you get developed? Where’s the best fit? And, obviously, the money part you have to look at. You always hear, ‘So and so is transferring for the money.’

“When we put this plan together to go and visit these schools, money was the least determining factor for us, and that’s the facts. If you’re good enough, the money was going to be pretty much equal wherever you went, and basically it was equal. There were one or two places that were just ridiculous.

“I would just say Nebraska was extremely, extremely competitive with everyone else that was out there.”
 
Took less money accd to Sipple.

As Sipple sees (and hears) it​

***It almost goes without saying – keeping in mind that hardly anything goes without saying in this market – but there’s no question Rocco Spindler left a significant amount of money on the table to play for Nebraska.

That means something, right?

It surely says something about where he thinks Nebraska is as a program.

Why he left. Sounds like the OL coach pissed him off.

***I haven’t gotten too far into why Spindler left Notre Dame. Until now.

“Why did Rocco leave?” said Marc Spindler, the player’s father. “Well, in business, you have the saying that you’ve got to trust the process. When you get to a point where you don’t trust the process anymore, you’ve got to think about it.

“Then, you know, there are certain individuals — that being the offensive line coach – who wants to maybe have his guys, his dudes be part of that, be the next guy up to bat instead of taking an entire returning starting offensive line into the next year,” the elder Spindler added.

***It should be noted Rocco Spindler battled late-season ankle issues, including a significant sprain in the CFP first-round game against Indiana.


“He couldn’t come back into the game,” the elder Spindler said. “That told me something – it told me it was serious – because he’s always willing to play hurt. Always has been willing to play hurt, since his pee-wee football days.”

Rocco Spindler came back and started against Georgia.

Then, in the Orange Bowl against Penn State, he got his foot caught in the turf and twisted his ankle. He came off the field and jogged on the sideline until he was ready to go back into the game.

“When he was ready, the offensive coach was like, ‘No, you stay over there. We’re just going to see what this other guy does,’” Marc Spindler recalls. “It was at that moment, he was like, ‘You know what, I’ve had enough of this, this is where it ends.

“There’s a good song out there by Bailey Zimmerman. It’s called “Where It Ends.” You go listen to the words of that song, and that’s how Rocco felt. You’ve got to have someone who loves you back the way you love them.”
 
Last edited:
Took a pay cut accd to Sipple.

As Sipple sees (and hears) it​

***It almost goes without saying – keeping in mind that hardly anything goes without saying in this market – but there’s no question Rocco Spindler left a significant amount of money on the table to play for Nebraska.

That means something, right?

It surely says something about where he thinks Nebraska is as a program.

Why he left. Sounds like the OL coach pissed him off.

***I haven’t gotten too far into why Spindler left Notre Dame. Until now.

“Why did Rocco leave?” said Marc Spindler, the player’s father. “Well, in business, you have the saying that you’ve got to trust the process. When you get to a point where you don’t trust the process anymore, you’ve got to think about it.

“Then, you know, there are certain individuals — that being the offensive line coach – who wants to maybe have his guys, his dudes be part of that, be the next guy up to bat instead of taking an entire returning starting offensive line into the next year,” the elder Spindler added.

***It should be noted Rocco Spindler battled late-season ankle issues, including a significant sprain in the CFP first-round game against Indiana.


“He couldn’t come back into the game,” the elder Spindler said. “That told me something – it told me it was serious – because he’s always willing to play hurt. Always has been willing to play hurt, since his pee-wee football days.”

Rocco Spindler came back and started against Georgia.

Then, in the Orange Bowl against Penn State, he got his foot caught in the turf and twisted his ankle. He came off the field and jogged on the sideline until he was ready to go back into the game.

“When he was ready, the offensive coach was like, ‘No, you stay over there. We’re just going to see what this other guy does,’” Marc Spindler recalls. “It was at that moment, he was like, ‘You know what, I’ve had enough of this, this is where it ends.

“There’s a good song out there by Bailey Zimmerman. It’s called “Where It Ends.” You go listen to the words of that song, and that’s how Rocco felt. You’ve got to have someone who loves you back the way you love them.”
My lord Sip, get over the Spindlers already, how many articles is he going to write on them..
 
Took a pay cut accd to Sipple.

As Sipple sees (and hears) it​

***It almost goes without saying – keeping in mind that hardly anything goes without saying in this market – but there’s no question Rocco Spindler left a significant amount of money on the table to play for Nebraska.

That means something, right?

It surely says something about where he thinks Nebraska is as a program.

Why he left. Sounds like the OL coach pissed him off.

***I haven’t gotten too far into why Spindler left Notre Dame. Until now.

“Why did Rocco leave?” said Marc Spindler, the player’s father. “Well, in business, you have the saying that you’ve got to trust the process. When you get to a point where you don’t trust the process anymore, you’ve got to think about it.

“Then, you know, there are certain individuals — that being the offensive line coach – who wants to maybe have his guys, his dudes be part of that, be the next guy up to bat instead of taking an entire returning starting offensive line into the next year,” the elder Spindler added.

***It should be noted Rocco Spindler battled late-season ankle issues, including a significant sprain in the CFP first-round game against Indiana.


“He couldn’t come back into the game,” the elder Spindler said. “That told me something – it told me it was serious – because he’s always willing to play hurt. Always has been willing to play hurt, since his pee-wee football days.”

Rocco Spindler came back and started against Georgia.

Then, in the Orange Bowl against Penn State, he got his foot caught in the turf and twisted his ankle. He came off the field and jogged on the sideline until he was ready to go back into the game.

“When he was ready, the offensive coach was like, ‘No, you stay over there. We’re just going to see what this other guy does,’” Marc Spindler recalls. “It was at that moment, he was like, ‘You know what, I’ve had enough of this, this is where it ends.

“There’s a good song out there by Bailey Zimmerman. It’s called “Where It Ends.” You go listen to the words of that song, and that’s how Rocco felt. You’ve got to have someone who loves you back the way you love them.”
I doubt that he took a pay cut - he just didn't take the highest offer.
 
Took less money accd to Sipple.

As Sipple sees (and hears) it​

***It almost goes without saying – keeping in mind that hardly anything goes without saying in this market – but there’s no question Rocco Spindler left a significant amount of money on the table to play for Nebraska.

That means something, right?

It surely says something about where he thinks Nebraska is as a program.

Why he left. Sounds like the OL coach pissed him off.

***I haven’t gotten too far into why Spindler left Notre Dame. Until now.

“Why did Rocco leave?” said Marc Spindler, the player’s father. “Well, in business, you have the saying that you’ve got to trust the process. When you get to a point where you don’t trust the process anymore, you’ve got to think about it.

“Then, you know, there are certain individuals — that being the offensive line coach – who wants to maybe have his guys, his dudes be part of that, be the next guy up to bat instead of taking an entire returning starting offensive line into the next year,” the elder Spindler added.

***It should be noted Rocco Spindler battled late-season ankle issues, including a significant sprain in the CFP first-round game against Indiana.


“He couldn’t come back into the game,” the elder Spindler said. “That told me something – it told me it was serious – because he’s always willing to play hurt. Always has been willing to play hurt, since his pee-wee football days.”

Rocco Spindler came back and started against Georgia.

Then, in the Orange Bowl against Penn State, he got his foot caught in the turf and twisted his ankle. He came off the field and jogged on the sideline until he was ready to go back into the game.

“When he was ready, the offensive coach was like, ‘No, you stay over there. We’re just going to see what this other guy does,’” Marc Spindler recalls. “It was at that moment, he was like, ‘You know what, I’ve had enough of this, this is where it ends.

“There’s a good song out there by Bailey Zimmerman. It’s called “Where It Ends.” You go listen to the words of that song, and that’s how Rocco felt. You’ve got to have someone who loves you back the way you love them.”
Damn Sip put away the towel we don't need a ten part series on Rocco and his dad.
 
Sorry to clutter your board. Yes it's overkill, but I've seen a number of people question why he left ND. Otherwise, I wouldn't have posted it. Not every post is personalized.
Keep it up man you're good. I only made my comment because I thought Sip was going to drop his load when he was talking about Ekeler and Rocco and his dad on the podcast. 🤣
 
Sorry to clutter your board. Yes it's overkill, but I've seen a number of people question why he left ND. Otherwise, I wouldn't have posted it. Not every post is personalized.
I don’t mind reading them 😂 i didn’t mean it like that! Sips just wrote like 8 articles off 1 conversation with the father!
 
I don’t mind reading them 😂 i didn’t mean it like that! Sips just wrote like 8 articles off 1 conversation with the father!

Oh I agree. I even said as much here. Not much news to talk about.
More Sip and daddy Roc. Good thing he committed or those guys wouldn't have shit to write about. Facilities made a big impression.

Rocco Spindler chooses Nebraska because "he felt it was the best opportunity to develop and win," father says​

On3 image
by:Steven Sipple•02/02/25•
steven_sipple
Read In App
rocco spindler
Notre Dame guard Rocco Spindler. (Mike Miller, Blue & Gold)
One thing becomes crystal clear as you talk to Marc Spindler, the father of Rocco Spindler: The elder Spindler feels extremely comfortable with his son’s decision to transfer to Nebraska.

“What I’ll tell you is, with Rocco they’re getting a tough, gritty player with a lot of character and experience,” Marc Spindler told HuskerOnline on Sunday.


“And I can tell you he didn’t come there for a paycheck,” the father added. “I can tell you that right now. He just felt it was the best opportunity to develop personally and win. He wants to help the team and then get to the next level.”

Nebraska third-year coach Matt Rhule made an excellent impression on the family during a Tuesday dinner in Lincoln.

“I mean, you go sit with that guy, how are you not going to play for him, right?” the elder Spindler said.

Rocco Spindler, a 23-game starter at right guard for Notre Dame the last two seasons, committed to Nebraska on Sunday and will immediately join the team. “He has to pack his dog and drive out,” Marc said. Rocco also took visits to Indiana, Pittsburgh and Virginia, according to his father.

The younger Spindler becomes the 16th and final NU portal acquisition who will be on campus this semester. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

Nebraska’s spring season begins March 26.

Marc Spindler blown away by son’s visit​

Marc Spindler and his wife joined Rocco this past Tuesday for the visit to Nebraska.

“I wish someone would’ve recruited me there back in my day,” said the elder Spindler, 55, an NFL defensive lineman for five different teams in the 1990s after playing collegiately for Pitt. “I mean, I’m not just telling you what you want to hear.

“My wife says the same thing: I think the biggest challenge is getting people to walk through those doors.”

He was referring specifically to Nebraska’s new $165 million indoor training facility.

“I know a couple hundred million dollars is a lot of money, but to do it the way they did it — I think it should be a tourist attraction,” Marc Spindler said. “I’m dead serious. I can’t believe what I saw.”

Marc Spindler clearly has an appreciation for Nebraska’s football tradition.

“You think about Tom Osborne, you think about the Big Red Machine, you think about Dean Steinkuhler and Dave Rimington and Mike Rozier,” he said. “The problem is, people don’t understand the history of football. When you understand the history of football, and you’re going from one storied program (Notre Dame) to another one, it’s sort of amazing.

“You see what I mean? To me, that’s important.”

It’s been a whirlwind tour for Spindler​

Marc Spindler said the family first visited Indiana, then Nebraska, then drove to Pitt, then down to Virginia.

“Coach (Pat) Narduzzi, he’s a dynamic guy as well, and I thought they had a legitimate shot,” the father said of the Panthers. “When we got done with the visit, I’m like, ‘Are we going to Virginia tomorrow?’ And Rocco said, ‘I don’t think it’s necessary.’

“I thought he must want to come here (to Pitt). There’s a lot of pressure that goes with that, following his dad.”

His father encouraged Rocco to visit Virginia.

“So, we went down there, but all roads led to Nebraska,” Marc Spindler said. “It was a really good, solid visit from Donovan Raiola, to the facility, to coach Rhule. Everything that went along with it just made it seem like a really good fit for Rocco to get to the next level and, let’s face it, to win.”

He also felt wanted. Really wanted. That was important to him, his dad said.

Father feels Nebraska can win Big Ten​

The younger Spindler comes to Nebraska expecting to win the Big Ten, his father said.

“I mean, there were $1.5 million offers on the table but that was to go somewhere and maybe not win,” Marc said. “But when those bumps and bruises and losses start to mount, it doesn’t matter how much money you have; it’s about winning.

“The kid’s coming from a winning program and wants to win. Bottom line, it’s about checking boxes. Where can you get developed? Where’s the best fit? And, obviously, the money part you have to look at. You always hear, ‘So and so is transferring for the money.’

“When we put this plan together to go and visit these schools, money was the least determining factor for us, and that’s the facts. If you’re good enough, the money was going to be pretty much equal wherever you went, and basically it was equal. There were one or two places that were just ridiculous.

“I would just say Nebraska was extremely, extremely competitive with everyone else that was out there.”
 
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