Up next in 10
Tristan Alvano joins the Husker Big Red Podcast for a question and answer session that covers getting his scholarship offer, Matt Rhule, Ed Foley, and much more.
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0:00
Hey, folks. Welcome back to another episode of the Husker Big Red podcast with Chris Peterson
0:06
of Husker Big Red dot com and joining me as always is my co host, Danny Gillette of the
0:10
great cornholio dot org and today we have a special guest 2023 Nebraska football sign
0:15
e Tristan Alvano. So hey, Tristan, how you doing today? I'm good. How are you? Doing
0:21
good, man. Doing good. Just get out of school or what do you got going on today? Yeah, I
0:26
just got out of school. Probably gonna hit the gym right after. So yeah, right on. Nice
0:32
Like to hear that. So Danny, how are you? You did today, man. Good. And Tristan, thank
0:37
you for responding to my random DM. I know it. I know it's out of the blue and I realized
0:41
that but we're just fans ourselves. So we just take our shots and hope we can get some
0:47
good guests on here. So I'm thrilled to have you on here. And thanks for thanks for taking
0:51
time out of your day to do this. Oh, yeah. No problem. Thank you. And so I guess I guess
0:58
I'll ask my first question and then we'll kind of rebound from there and rotate. I'll
1:04
rotate between Chris and myself. So my first question here was, you know, what was it like
1:12
You know, you had a big performance in the state championship game and then according
1:16
to reports, you got offered by Nebraska shortly thereafter, pretty much the morning after
1:22
What was it like that that high of, you know, performing so well in the state championship
1:27
game and then being offered by your home state team? Yeah, no, I think. Well, obviously
1:33
I had a I had a preferred walk on offer. I got that during like pretty much like pregame
1:40
of the Nebraska Minnesota game and I was down there. That was my first time down there
1:45
ever. And then just kind of went on, you know, had had some good contact with the coaches
1:53
and everything. And then obviously the state championship game right the day after at the
2:00
time, Coach Joseph was was internment coach. He called me the next morning. Yeah, just
2:09
he said that, you know, after that performance, he just he didn't want me to leave the state
2:13
that I just I got to be on scholarship. And so he kind of just upped his offer to a scholarship
2:20
and I was just blessed to have that. And just honestly, that was just a crazy, just crazy
2:28
night, crazy morning, too. It was just an unbelievable feeling. How good did that feel
2:34
just to, you know, have him call and, you know, say, hey, we want to make sure you don't
2:37
leave the state of Nebraska. It felt good. I mean, I'd been I'd been kind of overlooked
2:45
by the previous previous staff there. So I think just hearing it from hearing it from
2:51
his mouth while I mean, he was while he was in the head man at the wheel, I think it was
2:57
just it felt really good to hear. Just know that I was appreciated that, you know, they
3:02
saw that potential in me, you know. So so what's your take then on all of these, you
3:09
know, state players committing to the program? We have a huge group of in-state kids coming
3:15
in and you know, what's your take on that? I know that you mentioned that, you know
3:20
maybe you and some others got overlooked by the previous staff. What do you think about
3:24
all the in-state talent coming to the program? I think what we have with this class and all
3:30
the in-state guys is phenomenal. I think that I think the coach rule and the whole new staff
3:35
did an amazing job and one or two months they've been here not only assembling the whole
3:42
recruiting class, but really just keeping the in-state guys home. And I mean, I've seen
3:47
something I don't know the like official thing, but it's like this is the biggest this is
3:52
the most in-state scholarship guys Nebraska's had since like in the early 2000s or
3:58
something like that. I don't know the exact stat, but I saw that on Twitter at some time
4:03
and it's just it's just crazy. It just shows like I think we have a really good recruiting
4:07
class and a really good group of in-state kids and I'm just I'm excited to get started
4:11
with them. So what were like your first what were your first impressions or I guess what
4:17
was your first interaction with coach rule? It was my first interaction with him was over
4:23
the phone. I think it was Keith Williams one of the player personnel guys down there
4:32
texting me that night and introduced himself and he asked me if I got some time to talk
4:37
to talk to coach rule and and coach Foley actually was right there to the special teams
4:43
coordinator. So I got a really got to really talk to them for probably like 10 minutes
4:47
each. It was just good to get to know him. They seem like great guys over the phone and
4:52
we just we just talked a small talk and then just talked about how like obviously my my
4:58
scholarship and stuff still stands and everything which is good to hear. You know, it was just
5:02
they're going to honor that and everything and so it was good to hear and then get me down for a couple visits before early signing day and they kept their word did that and
5:11
just meet them in person was great and just developed a really good relationship with
5:16
them over the next few weeks. What's the energy of this coaching staff like? I mean, we've
5:22
seen it all all over the place on Twitter coach rule with his, you know, emojis and
5:27
things like that. He's generating a lot of excitement around the program. What's it like
5:32
you know, when you're with him and with the coaching staff does that excitement kind of
5:35
translate over to you know, real life interactions and situations? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I don't
5:42
even know what his emojis mean, but I think they're whenever I see him on Twitter. I just I mean, I think they get all Husker Nation fired up and I think it's just I think it's
5:50
really good to see and I think there's definitely kind of a new vibe and energy down there even
5:57
I mean, I think even current players feel the same way like the practice the practices
6:03
and energy is just different now and I think there's kind of just kind of a new chapter
6:07
and in the football program and I think everyone's just really really starting to get going and
6:13
obviously I think the fans are the most fired up just best fan base in the country just
6:18
doing what they do and supporting us as always. Yeah, I know whenever Coach Rule puts out
6:24
his emojis. I'm like, you know, the National Treasure people trying to decipher, you know
6:28
what they mean and everything. So but I wanted to ask you Tristan, when is like the moment
6:34
that you made that decision? Like I'm going to be in Nebraska corn husker if you don't
6:39
mind sharing that with us. Yeah, no, I think well, okay. So I had a really good official
6:44
visit and I was that that kind of sold me on it. Just being able to spend that much
6:53
time with the staff that weekend and you know, seeing all the facilities and just just really
7:01
doing some thinking with my family. I mean, just just getting the chance to get down there with both my parents and they're just just known that they were happy and just really
7:09
enjoying it showed that you know, if they're happy then I'm going to be happy too. And
7:15
I mean, it's close to home. I mean, I'm 45 minutes about from my house. I mean, I can't
7:22
get any closer and just know that my parents can just drive to every game. It's great
7:29
I mean, I just yeah, it's it was the right place and I'm happy with my decision for sure
7:37
Now switching back to kind of the kicking aspect of things. Do you have any sort of
7:42
routine that you go through before a game or anything to help your leg kind of get warmed
7:48
up and also like yourself in the right frame of mind before a game
7:53
Yeah, I I'm really big in the mental piece of kicking. So I do a lot of I really work
7:59
on my meditation visualization for games. I think my program at Westside's done a really
8:07
good job of working on the mental piece and they've kind of instilled that in us. It's
8:13
just it's translated translated for me into soccer and football and just everything I
8:19
do really. So it's that's a huge piece. So I'll do that a couple times before game and
8:25
in terms of warm-ups. I mean, I try to warm up like the season. I try to warm up the same
8:29
way every time and I mean I did it the first game and really liked it and just stuck with
8:35
it the whole year long and I didn't change a thing for it. It was great. And yeah, I
8:42
mean, I don't have a crazy routine. I just I love love getting fired up some music and
8:47
just let all skin calm down by some meditation and just walked in and doing my job
8:57
So yeah, you were you were mentioned that you played soccer. I was curious. It's like
9:00
on the football field. Are you are you just a kicker or do you play, you know, any other
9:04
positions and also I guess expand on your soccer ground or soccer background a little
9:09
bit. What's it kind of your position in your history there? Yeah. So for football, I'm only kicker and then soccer. I'm a I'm a forward. I played
9:19
that my whole life. Started when I was probably six and then just stuck with it all my whole
9:29
life obviously and then freshman year. I tried football and just want to see what it was
9:34
like just, you know, my my parents and my family just kind of suggested. Yeah, I give
9:40
kicking a try and so I was just like, all right. Well, it's freshman year. Let's give it a try. Why not? Had some success doing that and then get hurt a little bit playing
9:52
soccer and then sophomore year comes around. I get I'm about half a season because I was
9:59
coming off of that injury and just it just wasn't as wasn't as strong as I wanted to
10:06
in the junior year. I kind of had a breakout year. I feel like and just kind of kind of came out of nowhere. I think really good season was for see him all stay and we lost
10:14
in the state final 73. So that was that was really heartbreaking loss and then in the
10:20
postseason, I just start working on going out to camps and everything and that's how
10:25
I kind of got my recognition and ranking by Cole's kicking and then just kept working
10:30
at it and really just really just fell in love with the grind and I mean, I've I was
10:35
a soccer guy and I've always wanted to play college soccer, but I fell in love with kicking
10:39
and that's where my passion is now and I love it and I think I've made the right decision
10:42
for myself. Was there a moment where you where you realized, okay, maybe I can take this
10:50
this kicking thing to the next level and be a college football player a big time college
10:55
football player at that was there a moment or you know a situation where the light bulb
10:58
kind of popped off in your head and you thought maybe you can make you know a career out of
11:03
this. Yeah, I think after kind of that light bulb moment like you're talking about I think
11:09
that was after probably the first game of my junior year against our rivals Crate and Prep
11:14
I hit I had three field goals that night and I was that was the first first three attempts
11:21
on first three times for us that season and just just knowing that after the game here
11:29
for my some coaches like a I don't know a couple weeks later that Northern Illinois
11:37
was interested in me and they they'd watch the game because one of our coaches sons was
11:44
went out and is playing for him right now D-line, but just knowing that you know, they
11:50
they're interested in me and they will be staying in contact with them. Just that was
11:54
kind of the first school that was interested in me. And so just just knowing that I I mean
11:59
that I had a school that was maybe wanted me to kick for him at one point like that
12:03
was that was really cool because I was just at that point. I was just a soccer player
12:07
you know, just just playing football, you know, I wasn't really trying to go play college
12:11
football and that kind of I don't know kind of flip the switch made for me and just maybe
12:17
realize like, okay, maybe I have a future in this, you know, let's let's keep working
12:21
and see what happens. So I just have a simple question, you know, we all know that you're
12:27
very accurate with your kicks. Obviously, you know, you made all the kicks in the state championship game. But what's like your what's your distance? Where do you feel comfortable
12:34
from, you know, on the field at this point? I obviously I made a I made a 57 yarder this year in the first round of playoffs, but I
12:44
honestly feel like I'm I'm good from I think I'm good for 60 in game. I just with all the
12:52
adrenaline and everything like I just like I tell our offensive coaches just, you know
12:57
try to get to the try to get to the 30. No, it was 6040 get to 43 yard line. Sorry, math
13:05
was x enough there. Yeah, I get to the 43 yard line. And I know we got we shot a field
13:11
goal. And that's, again, West Side is really they're good about them to field goals. You
13:17
know, they don't. I mean, obviously, they could do go for some four downs and I don't blame them. But just, you know, they're they love to send us out there and they trust the
13:25
whole unit, which is great as a kicker. Just know you have a high school that does that
13:30
So yeah, just get to 43. Do you have any goals, maybe short term or long term if you want
13:38
to say that you have as you kind of embark on your college career
13:44
Well, I think just I want to I want to be a finalist at least or maybe even when the
13:55
thing who knows, but I want to win the Blue Cross Award. I mean, that's the like the almost
14:02
like the national kicker of the year. Like that's that'd be quite the honor and just
14:06
probably the almost like the cherry on top of a college career. I mean, one guy a year
14:13
wins that. So just knowing that you were the guy that year is just that'd be special. And
14:19
then I think just a really just great memory that I'd love to make in the time of her and
14:26
my time in Nebraska would be in the game winner at home or away. It doesn't matter. But I
14:31
just want to hit a game win field goal. I just I think having a celebration with the
14:36
team and just knowing and just just see the fans go go crazy. I think that'd be I mean
14:42
obviously I ended my high school career with the game winner. So I want to kind of get
14:47
another attempt to do that in college. I think that'd be that'd be special. Well, if you can kick from 57, then my guess is that you'll have a shot at some point
14:57
Hopefully. Yeah, you know, I was just gonna say, I mean, obviously, you know, the last few years
15:03
Nebraska's, you know, struggled a little bit with kicking, but it's had a pretty strong, you know, tradition like Alex Henry and, and some of those guys, like, did you kind of
15:10
grow up like watching those guys at all? Were you like, would just say you were a Nebraska
15:14
football fan? Or just you kind of picked up the game like later in life? Oh, yeah, I grew up. I grew up a Husker fan, for sure. I mean, I've been going to games for
15:24
four years, my grandpa's had season tickets since for almost probably almost four years now
15:30
And I think just I mean, back then when I was a little kid, I would not watch
15:37
kickers as closely as I do now, just because I wasn't one back then. Now I'm certainly
15:43
in a game, I watch them, watch them closely. But back then, I mean, yes, I'm from the likes of
15:49
Drew Brown to Barrett Pickering or Connor Culp, you know, I mean, I was I was always watching
15:56
watching the guys for sure. And, and, yeah, I mean, now it turns out, my, my junior year
16:05
my, my holder was Colby Brown, and he's the son of Chris Brown, who's obviously a Husker legend
16:11
and I think what 12 year career in the NFL. So I mean, I got the chance to work with him
16:15
throughout my career. And that's an insane resource to have as a high school kid in Omaha
16:21
So just I'm very fortunate to have him and that that whole family's great. And I mean, just
16:28
yeah, it's just, just special. So I kind of want to go off the grid a little bit here and kind of shift gears. Who's your
16:37
favorite NFL team? Who are you root for on Sundays, if anybody
16:42
I'm a Packers fan. Obviously, we had a tough end of the year and didn't make the playoffs
16:47
but we won't talk about that. Who's your favorite player? Oh, Aaron Rodgers. Easy, but I mean, I don't know if that's, I don't know his future there
16:59
I mean, he's definitely had a good run. I mean, there's no complaints about that. I'm a Patriots
17:03
fan. So I witnessed the Tom Brady run and now I'm kind of witnessing a Mac Jones run sort of
17:10
but it's not going so hard. So we'll see. But Chris, you got anything else you want to ask him
17:17
Well, hey, I'm glad you're a Packers fan. I'm a Packers fan too. So hopefully, you know, you can
17:22
emulate Mason Crosby most of his career anyway. He's been a pretty good, pretty good kicker over
17:26
the years. I don't know. We'll see. I did have another question, but I got kind of distracted
17:34
there. But I guess one thing here I wanted to ask you, you know, as with a lot of out-of-state
17:39
recruits and obviously, you know, you're an in-state recruit in Nebraska, you know, and Nebraska is obviously a little bit different, you know, than other places. So how do you kind of
17:48
you know, tell the newer kids about Nebraska or like, you know, what they need to know about
17:52
Nebraska, like places to eat or like things to do or what about, you know, what about Nebraska is
17:58
like interesting that you try to tell these guys about, if anything? Well, I mean, growing up in
18:03
Omaha, I mean, that's the biggest city in the state. But everyone who, like whenever you go
18:10
to a state or everyone that comes here, it's like, well, what is there to do here? Well, I tell them
18:14
let's sneak up to the CWS, which is a huge attraction. And even if you don't like baseball
18:18
like, I mean, it's a great environment. And just, I mean, it's just, it's cool to see that. And then
18:24
we got Henry Doorly Zoo. And then obviously, like the sports here are huge. I mean, you got
18:32
minor league soccer and baseball teams, obviously, you got Nebraska, and then you got Creighton and
18:38
UNO. I mean, there's just a lot of things to do here. And then in Lincoln, I mean, I feel like a
18:43
lot of people think it's just some small town with a school, but I really, I think it's more
18:50
than that. Haymarket's just such a cool area. And it's just a great community that's growing
18:56
And there's a lot of things to do and food's great. And yeah, I mean, I just, I think it's
19:04
more than just a school, you know. There's a ton of in-state talent coming up in 2024
19:13
Caleb Benning, David Hall, Pi from, you know, those guys, like, have you reached out to them
19:20
at all? Are you connected with them in any way? Or do you know of them? Like, do you have any
19:26
advice for them? Yeah, I mean, I've been talking to some of the, some recruits. I mean, obviously
19:34
all the guys at Westside are my teammates. So, I'm trying to work them as much and trying to
19:38
promote them to some of the Nebraska coaches as much as I can. And then, you know, I think just
19:46
I'll say when I was going through the process and any commit or any player at one of those schools
19:54
would reach out to me, I think it meant a lot. So, I think me being able to do that for
20:01
some of the recruits going through the process, I think that would help them out. And I think
20:05
they'd appreciate it because I know I would for sure. And so, yeah, definitely going to keep
20:11
recruiting for us. I know we have a great class in the 23 and got to start working on 24s and 25s
20:19
for sure. There's a lot of talent coming up for sure. So, I'm going to be excited to see who
20:24
you know, the program can land from in-state. Oh man, yeah. There's so much talent around
20:32
the whole state and those classes. I mean, the amount of youth we got, it's just a
20:38
just a pack of talents and phenomenal. And especially at Westside too, man
20:42
we got a lot of guys that can play. And so, we got to lock those guys up and keep them at home
20:48
I wanted to ask you, how cool is Coach Ed Foley? He seems pretty cool from his Twitter
20:53
interactions, like a cool guy to hang out with. How have you got to interact with him a whole lot
20:57
Man, Coach Foley's awesome. I think it's funny. Obviously, he's a commit too. And one of my
21:05
teammates, Jalen Lloyd, he was just like, man, Tristan, you're a kicker, but you might be one of
21:11
the luckiest guys you get to work with Coach Foley every day because he's just such a cool guy. And I
21:15
mean, he's right. Coach Foley's awesome. I mean, he knows he's been doing this for a while. So
21:21
he just knows everything about every place and can work up a conversation about just
21:30
any school or anything you want to talk about. He's just a great talker and just, I don't know
21:35
you just feel really comfortable talking to him. And I mean, just overall a great guy
21:43
I know you've only got to work with him for a couple of months, but what have you learned
21:49
from Coach Foley? Is there anything that he's really taught you that's really stuck out so far
21:54
I just think he's a really genuine guy. He's a big player's first guy. So, he's always going to
22:01
work with you and just make sure you're taken care of over himself, honestly, at some points
22:11
I haven't got the chance to work with him yet in a coaching setting, so I'm excited for that
22:18
opportunity. But just talking with him in person or over the phone, when he's been recruiting me
22:23
or up at Westside or whatever, or even over for dinner that one time he was over, I think he's
22:29
just a great guy. Yeah, he can really talk to anyone. I wanted to ask you, you know, kickers
22:36
everybody focuses on the PATs and the field goals and stuff, which are obviously important. But
22:40
another thing is being kind of a kickoff specialist and handling those kind of duties. And that can
22:46
be important for field position and that type of stuff, too. So, how do you kind of train
22:50
yourself for that as a kicker? And how would you kind of evaluate yourself as a kickoff specialist
22:58
Obviously, it's either for sure field goals and kickoffs are two different things. But I think
23:03
just, I mean, in high school, I know that me being able to start with me being able to hit
23:11
a touchback and make my defense start at the other team's 20, I mean, that's huge. Like knowing
23:20
that every opposing offense has to go 80 yards to score touchdown, like that's a big deal. And
23:25
especially in high school football, like that's tough. In college, same way, going 75 yards. I
23:30
mean, that's, I just, it's important. And I think it's underappreciated. And I think the defense
23:36
really helps, I think it really helps out the defense. I think they really appreciate it. And
23:42
yeah, and then just, I think it all starts with, you know, putting points on the board and, you
23:48
know, whether it's a touchdown field goal or whatever, you know, just getting those points
23:53
And then you got to, as a kicker, if you hit a field goal, you got to come back, come back right
23:57
around and hit a kickoff and set your defense up for success. And that starts by hitting touchbacks
24:03
for sure. Complimentary football, man. We need more of that at Nebraska in the future
24:10
Yes, sir. Absolutely. Well, all right, Tristan, well, I think we'll wrap it up there. I really want to thank you again
24:16
for joining us today. And then I guess before you go, is there anything else you want to add or
24:21
anything you want to say to all the Nebraska football fans out there? I don't got much
24:26
just go big red, go big red works. Yeah, that's perfect, man. And for everybody out there
24:32
make sure you guys, you know, get into the comment section, you know, like this video and
24:36
hit that subscribe button to the Husker big red YouTube channel. And we will see you guys around
24:40
Thanks again to Tristan. We can't wait to see you hitting some field goals at a Memorial stadium in
24:44
the future. So as always go big red, go big red, sir
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