Fueled by ‘unfinished business,’ John Bullock is now a critical piece on Nebraska’s defense

On Dec. 14, 2023, John Bullock announced his return to Nebraska for a sixth season with an Instagram post captioned “Unfinished business…”

It was big news for the Huskers, who hoped to build upon an impressive defensive turnaround last year. As the offseason has progressed, though, Bullock’s return has looked more important by the day.

Bullock was a former walk-on defensive back for his first four years in Lincoln. He moved to linebacker in 2023 shortly after Matt Rhule took over at NU. It didn’t take long for the former Creighton Prep standout to flourish in his new role.

Bullock appeared in every game with 10 starts last season, ranking fourth on the team with a career-high 50 tackles. Just as impressive as his production was his selection as one of Nebraska’s single-digit jersey numbers (5). His teammates voted him one of the Huskers’ top leaders and “toughest” players.

With the 2024 season just around the corner, Bullock is now the established veteran at inside linebacker.

“I think John has really become a more confident football player,” NU linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek said. “Obviously, he’s an older guy, and he’s been here for a long time. He knows the expectations of the defense and he knows the expectations of Coach (Tony) White and Coach Rhule. Just having an older, veteran guy out there really helps keep everything together.”

Bullock had several reasons to return to the Huskers

Returning for one more season wasn’t an automatic decision for Bullock initially.

He had already spent the previous five years playing college football. The four-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll selection also could have moved on after earning his degree in psychology in December.

But Bullock saw how close his team came to achieving some significant goals last season. That included clinching a bowl berth for the first time in his career. White staying at NU and a massive role awaiting him were also key factors in his decision.

In the end, Bullock decided to make his final campaign his best yet.

“I thought we had more in the tank last year that we just weren’t able to finish,” Bullock said. “Being able to accomplish the goals that we’re setting out this year – and I think all of the seniors kind of know what our goals are.

“I just kind of want those younger guys to look up to the older guys and just see how it should be done and what to expect, and what their goals should be, and what it takes to win.”

It also helps that Bullock finally feels like his feet are under him at linebacker. He admitted that the adjustment took time, leading to overthinking things on the field too often.

His trust and confidence continued to build each week, as did his body. After ending last season at 219 pounds, Bullock is up to 230 this fall.

As much as anything, though, the opportunity to play one more season with his little brother – Husker receiver Alex Bullock – was one that John simply couldn’t pass up.

“You only get this opportunity so many times in life, and not many people get to play with a brother,” he said. “Great opportunity and I’ll cherish this for the rest of my life.”

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