Dominic Raiola wasn't going to miss this opportunity. Not if he could help it.Â
When Nebraska began spring drills Monday, the former Husker center was on the sideline absorbing the action.
Specifically, he was watching the program's first-year offensive line coach — younger brother Donovan Raiola.Â
"It was special, man," Donovan said. "That's a guy I've looked up to my whole life. He's my idol. I'm lucky to have an idol like that, who's that close to me. It was awesome."Â
Dominic Raiola, now retired from the NFL and living with his family in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1999 helped lead a 12-1 Nebraska team with a then school-record 140 pancake (knockdown) blocks in 12 games, averaging 11.67 per game. In 2000, Raiola took his game to another level, capturing the inaugural Rimington Trophy after recording 145 pancakes (13.2 per game). The 10-2 Huskers allowed just 10 sacks all season.
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"He understands how this place is built, with offensive line play," said Donovan Raiola, a 39-game starter at center for Wisconsin between 2002 to 2005. "So it's always nice to have him with us."Â
Growing up in Honolulu, Donovan Raiola watched Nebraska football intently. After all, his older brother was making a name for himself while Donovan attended high school back in Hawaii. Â
"It was my favorite college football team," Donovan Raiola said. "We'd be cheering our asses off. I remember Dom's redshirt freshman year (in 1998). They played at Texas A&M and lost a tough game. It felt like it was the end of the world. Ever since then, I've always followed Nebraska football. Even though I went to Wisconsin, I always followed Nebraska. It was that special."Â
Especially important to him is the school's offensive line tradition.Â
"It's 2022, right?" he said. "So we're not trying to be who we're not. But it's good to understand how it was built with attitude and effort, with mental toughness, physical toughness and discipline. Those are some things we're working hard to instill."Â
Nebraska's offensive line endured significant struggles last season, which helps explain why fifth-year head coach Scott Frost hired Raiola as one of four new assistants on offense. One can't help but wonder if Raiola will need to be mindful of building his group's confidence.Â
"The biggest thing for me is getting them to believe in themselves," he said. "Don't worry about, 'What if this or what if that?' Just believe in what you're doing. It doesn't matter who you're playing against. Just believe in what you're doing, and everything will be OK.Â
"I'm just building them up in that way because they're great kids. They're willing to do whatever you ask of them. It's just a matter of constantly building them and building them, and also holding them to a standard and not letting that standard slip."
In finishing 3-9 last season, Nebraska used five starting lineups along the offensive line, eventually settling on (from left to right) Turner Corcoran, Nouredin Nouili, Cam Jurgens, Matt Sichterman and Bryce Benhart for the final five contests. Jurgens left school early for the NFL, and Sichterman has graduated.
All told, Nebraska started nine offensive linemen in 2021, eventually benching four at different points for ineffectiveness.
Enter Raiola, who comes to the Husker program after spending the past four seasons with the Chicago Bears as an assistant offensive line coach. He spent the 2017 season as the offensive line coach at Aurora University in Illinois and was an offensive graduate assistant at Notre Dame in 2015 and 2016, helping develop six offensive linemen who are now in the NFL. Before going to Notre Dame, he was an offensive intern at Hawaii in 2014.
In other words, he has very little recruiting experience. He loves that part of his job, though, and doesn't make it seem overly complicated.
"It's just being real with people, being honest with people," he said. "That's important. That's just what we're about."Â
Considering his NFL background, one might think he would use it as one of his primary recruiting pitches. But that's not necessarily the case.
"I'll mention it, but I think what's important is understanding that you're coming here to get a degree, right?" he said. "That's No. 1. No. 2: Are you willing to put everything on the line for the team? To help Nebraska win?"Â
Nebraska likely will need an untested lineman or two to emerge in 2022. One to watch is redshirt freshman Henry Lutovsksy, a 6-foot-6, 330-pound native of Crawfordsville, Iowa. While starring at Mount Pleasant High School, Lutovsky was regarded as the nation’s No. 13 guard by Rivals.Â
"Henry can be whatever he chooses to be," Raiola said. "It all depends how much work he wants to put in. But he's shown a lot, just like everybody in that group. There are a lot of good football players in that group. I'm excited to work with them."Â
Raiola appeared more comfortable Monday with the media than he had been during his first go-around with reporters back in December. At that point, he had been on the job for only a week. He's more settled now, obviously, and it helps that he liked what he saw from his group Monday.Â
"There are a lot of things to work out, but I love their attitude and I love their effort," he said. "That was the biggest thing I was looking at, to see that sort of stuff. So it was great."Â Â
He smiled broadly. Yeah, it was a good day. His brother's presence made it all the better.