He remembers the play vividly, as if it happened in slow motion, and every once in a while, he will relieve the highlight in his head.

We’re talking about the play that put the football-savvy but oft-injured JoJo Domann on the Nebraska football coaches’ radar last season.

Ohio State led Nebraska 16-7 in the second quarter and had the ball in Husker territory. Coaches positioned the Blackshirts in a disguised blitz and Domann, in his first career start, at outside linebacker, had to wait before pursuing quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

“Once the snap came, they slid the protection to the boundary,” Domann said, “and I’m (scot)-free, and I’m like, ‘Don’t throw it, don’t throw it, don’t throw it, don’t throw it.’ And the closer I get I’m like, ‘Oh my God, he’s not throwing it. Oh my God, he’s not throwing it Oh my God, he’s not throwing it.

“Boom!”

Boom is right. Domann leveled the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Haskins and stripped the football in the process.

“I climbed the ladder a little bit,” Domann said. “He’s definitely taller than me.”

Teammate Carlos Davis recovered the fumble that Domann forced, and Nebraska responded with a 64-yard touchdown drive to pull within 16-14.

Nebraska lost, 36-31, but Domann, who also had a pass breakup, collected a career-high seven tackles. And he made a name for himself.

“I think it was (that) game,” Domann said Wednesday, “when they were like, ‘All right, this man is going to make plays when his number’s called.’ ”

Just as he proved himself that day, Domann, a junior from Colorado Springs, Colorado, is trying to prove himself every day, every practice of spring football, no matter where coaches play him. For now, that’s been predominantly at outside linebacker.

Domann certainly looks the part, having redistributed weight on his 6-1, 230-pound frame.

Domann, who said he squatted as much as 645 pounds over the winter, made major gains in Zach Duval‘s off-season weight and conditioning program. Of course, it helps that he’s 100 percent healthy during an offseason for the first time since before his senior year of high school.

“It’s amazing,” Domann said. “It’s amazing to have my body back, to not have to worry about my actual movements and just being able to play football. It’s a blessing, for sure.

“I’m having fun again. I’m having a blast. I’m living my best life right now.”

Domann sat out the 2017 season and redshirted because of injury after playing in 2016 as a true freshman. Last August, during fall camp, he developed a stress fracture in his back that became so unbearable he sat four straight games after playing in the season opener against Colorado. He played safety in that game and had one tackle, on special teams.

He returned for an Oct. 13 game at Northwestern and played only on special teams. Going into the next game against Minnesota, coaches approached him about playing outside linebacker.

“I was like, ‘bet, anything to get on the field,” Domann said.

Dewitt said holding up against the run is the key, but Domann allows Chinander to “morph in and out” of different looks without changing personnel.

“Everything’s happening a lot quicker down there (at outside linebacker) and I’m kind of used to that being in the DB room,” Domann said, “because you have to guard guys who are quicker than you, faster than you.”

A major adjustment is getting used to the physical aspect of taking on tackles and guards and tight ends. To that end, Domann has focused on his diet and the weight room in the offseason.

“If you know anything about the Domann genes, you know it’s easy to put on weight,” he said. “Four meals a day, on top of the Domann genes, yeah. I’m just trying to make it the best weight I possibly can.”

His weight gain was a mere 10 pounds, “but my weight is completely different. I’m not sure the number matters as much as the type of weight it is. There’s always room to put on more muscle, especially down in the box.”

And that’s where Domann is, partly because of that memorable play last season.

“I’m just happy I got over that hump,” he said, “and was able to contribute toward the end of last season.”