Ken Graeber, right, made a significant donation to Nebraska Athletics and Associate AD Paul Meyers in honor of Tom Osborne and Charlie McBride.
Ken Graeber, right, made a significant donation to Nebraska Athletics and Associate AD Paul Meyers in honor of Tom Osborne and Charlie McBride.
By Randy York
In a recent lunch to celebrate a significant gift to the Nebraska Athletic Department, the donor was asked if he realized the potential benefits of his generosity. Ken Graeber curtailed the conversation immediately, explaining that he didn’t want or expect anything in return. All the former Blackshirt middle guard wanted was the certainty that his gift would continue to support the nation’s best walk-on program.
Tom Osborne, Graeber’s former head coach and now Nebraska’s Athletic Director Emeritus, was not surprised. Candor is one of the best qualities of an un-recruited walk-on who paid his own way to Lincoln from Minneapolis in the early 1980s and played on three teams that were legitimate national championship contenders in 1982, ’83 and ’84.
“That’s the way so many walk-ons are,” Osborne said. “They all learned early in college not to expect anything in return, even though they worked every bit as hard, if not harder, than our scholarship players. Sometimes, the most generous people we deal with are the walk-ons who have come up the hard way, and Ken certainly exemplifies that.”
Scholarship Honors Coaches Osborne, McBride
Graeber’s gift to his alma mater came straight from his heart. “I grew up a Christian and have given almost exclusively to Christian causes, but I felt compelled to make a gift to the walk-on program,” he said. “I gave to honor Coach Osborne, who I believe ran the program under a Christian framework, and Coach (Charlie) McBride. In my mind, those are two of the best coaches in the history of college football. They both treated every walk-on player who stepped foot on that field the same way they treated every scholarship player. There were no distinctions then, and I hope that philosophy continues forever. That is what makes Nebraska different from everyone else.”
Osborne agrees, and even though walk-ons cannot receive any financial benefit from the generosity of donors like Graeber, the money can go to support equipment, uniforms, locker room space and all the other extra expenses inherent in fielding dozens of extra players.
“Ken was one of those guys who just played hard all the time, whether it was practice or in a game,” Osborne said. “All he ever wanted was a chance, and fortunately, we were equipped to give him that chance. We really appreciated his efforts and his accountability. When your heart’s in the right place and you give great effort, he was able to do what all walk-ons strive to do – get better every single day.”
Walk-Ons Heart-and-Soul of the Osborne Era
Walk-ons were the heart-and-soul of Osborne-coached teams for a quarter century. “About 40 percent of our travel rosters were walk-ons over that period of time,” Osborne said. “Just about every player who traveled played, whether it was on offense, defense or special teams. If we couldn’t spend the extra money to provide practice opportunities for those walk-ons, we couldn’t have accommodated them.
“The No. 1 benefit of walk-ons is the depth you’re able to achieve on the team,” Osborne said. “That depth enabled us to practice differently than just about everybody else in the country. We were always able to have two offensive stations and two defensive stations going simultaneously because of No. 3 teams. A lot of those guys just kept getting better and better.”
That ascent happened quickly for Graeber, who grew up in Minnesota yearning to play for either Nebraska or Oklahoma. He chose the Huskers because of its sustainable culture for walk-ons, which he equated to the land of opportunity.
Graeber Sat Down and Wrote Osborne a Letter
“I had so much appreciation and respect for Coach Osborne I finally decided to write him a letter and ask if I could walk on,” Graeber said. “I had such admiration for two of the greatest programs in the country. Oklahoma recruited me to a degree, but didn’t offer. So I knew where I was going – to Nebraska, where Frank Solich was in charge of the walk-on program at that time.”
Graeber immersed himself in the culture and ended up earning three letters, including two where he was considered either the starter or a co-starter. “Walk-ons like Ken were major factors in establishing the culture of the team,” Osborne said. “The scholarship players would see the sacrifices the walk-ons were making just to get on the field, and their drive and effort were rather contagious. They really were the heart and soul of our teams in more ways than one.
“Recruiting is such an inexact science,” Osborne added. “Walk-ons earned their time on the field through their character, their attitude and above all else, their tenacity. They were willing to hang in there through their freshman and sophomore redshirt years to create an opportunity. I would say that Ken’s tenacity was pretty high. He might have been close to the very top. He really worked hard, and he really improved.”
Tenacity Paid Off in Business World, Too
Graeber, in fact, became the strongest player on the Blackshirts during his tenure. He could bench press 425 pounds and lift 850 pounds on the hip sled, yet still run a 4.82 40 as a 6-foot-2, 255-pound senior.
Ken Graeber worked just as hard in building an Omaha-based natural gas business with his partners (Encore Energy) as he did building his body and his playing time at Nebraska.
Osborne sees Graeber’s generosity as both a thank-you and an endorsement of a walk-on program that helps Nebraska overcome a statewide population of only 1.85 million people. “It’s a compliment when a walk-on, who came through the program and has succeeded in business just like he succeeded on the football field, makes a generous contribution to something he strongly believes in,” Osborne said.
Steve Graeber Following in Dad’s Footsteps
That isn’t the only contribution from a Mechanical Engineering graduate. Graeber earned a high GPA at the same time he played on teams that won 34 of 38 games, including Orange and Sugar Bowl wins over LSU that became bookends for the ’83 Huskers that came within inches of a national championship. We all remember how that one ended, 31-30, after a failed two-point conversion under a moon over Miami.
Hope in this Omaha household, however, springs eternal. Steve Graeber, a 6-foot-1, 255-pound defensive tackle, is Ken’s youngest son. A first-team Super State selection from Millard North’s Class A state championship team, Steve Graeber is also a member of Nebraska’s 2013 class of walk-ons.
“He’s a much better athlete than I was and very smart,” Ken said of Steve. “He can power clean 365 pounds, squat 510 and runs a 4.71 in the 40.” Like his dad, Steve is quiet and not boisterous. “He’s stronger right now than I ever was,” Ken said. “You don’t see that animalistic defensive lineman attitude displayed in his day-to-day life, but when he gets on the field, he plays like a madman. I tell him what Coach Osborne and Coach McBride told every walk-on who ever played at Nebraska – It all comes down to a matter of work and how much you put into it. If you use your God-given talent, you overcome a lot of things, but it’s still a matter of who works the hardest. Those are the ones who get to the finish line.”
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Rex Burkhead joined his little buddy, Jack Hoffman, at the White House.
The Biggest 15 Minutes in Team Jack History
Little Jack and His Family Go to Washington
By Randy York
Surely you saw 7-year-old Jack Hoffman staring up at President Barack Obama on Monday. It was a compelling photo for brain cancer awareness with the light dramatizing one of Jack’s scars from two major brain surgeries … an important reminder of why the Hoffmans were at the White House talking to the free world’s most important leader.
That scar became its own badge of courage that commemorated a day when Andy and Brianna Hoffman described an experience so dreamlike it simply could not have been more memorable. Today’s N-Sider gives you a closer look at the enduring memories from a surreal Monday that was chronicled on the front pages of Nebraska’s two largest newspapers, just like ABC News, ESPN and the Cincinnati Bengals Blog that ties Jack to his big brother-like buddy, Rex Burkhead.
Tuesday, I asked Andy and Bri for some reflection upon returning from the Nation’s Capital back to their hometown in Atkinson, Neb., where they love living and will forever frame their White House memories. When the Hoffmans were in the West Wing waiting room to see the President, Bri told her three children that they were about to experience something most people only dream about, so they should “look around and pay real close attention because this is the last time you will ever see this part of the White House again,” she said. A nice man, also waiting to see the President, heard the comment and politely corrected a mother he did not know. “Don’t say that,” he told Bri. “Any one of these three kids could be President someday.”
Obama Focused First on Jack, Then on Rex
Bri and Andy smiled, picking up the positive vibes and agreeing with that assessment. Even though the family would walk out the door and Andy would accommodate interviews with USA Today, NBC and CBS, among others, they cherished every second of their 15 illuminated minutes of White House fame. They were thrilled that President Obama used that precious time just like they envisioned and wanted him to use it – the vast majority focusing on Jack and everything left over acknowledging Rex’s role and the inspiration the two draw from each other.
“What a nice guy,” Andy said. “I really liked the way he honored Jack.”
“Saw you on ESPN,” the President told Jack. “Boy was that a nice run!”
The President thenasked Jack to introduce him to his parents, his two younger sisters and his special guest.
“I’ve got something for you, Jack,” Obama said, admitting that his white football with the Presidential White House Seal and a special message to Jack “isn’t nearly as cool” as having a signed football from his favorite team, but he wanted to give it to him anyway.
“Jack, we’re so proud of you!” the President said, repeating the same message he wrote on the white football before signing it himself.
President Knows Hard Knocks Coming Rex’s Way
PresidentObama also engaged with Burkhead, the honorary captain of college football’s 2012 Good Works Team.
“Cincinnati Bengals?” the President asked Burkhead. He asked Rex what was ahead for him. When Rex finished his answer, Obama changed to a serious tone, implying that he knows what comes next. He then confided the source of his information: Hard Knocks on HBO. Yes, it was truly another lighthearted moment.
The President seemed to grasp the essence of Team Jack. “You could tell he took the time to understand what the story is all about,” Andy said. PresidentObama then thanked Rex for everything that he had done for Jack. “It was a nice Presidential thank you for Rex, and that gesture was a very rewarding part of the visit,” Andy said.
When the Hoffmans thanked President Obama for raising awareness for pediatric brain cancer, the President seized the opportunity to discuss with the Hoffmans and Rex the new brain science initiative that he was working on. The President said he was committed to science and to brain research and went on to explain his new initiative.
This Bo-liever Didn’t See Bo, the White House Dog
Jack was hoping to see Bo, the First Family’s dog. “We didn’t get to see Bo, but we got his trading card in the gift bag,” Jack said.
“That was the quote of the day from Jack because he ended up getting some M&Ms and some coins and some pictures and the Bo card and a yo-yo,” Andy said. “Jack really enjoyed being able to read about Bo.”
We’re talking Bo the dog, not the other Bo, even though Coach Pelini is right at the top of Jack’s major hero list.
The Hoffmans gave the Obamas six Team Jack Tee-shirts. They were impressed with the President’s engagement with all three kids. “Jack was Jack. He was very calm,” Andy said. “Even though his little sisters became somewhat rambunctious, the President handled them well.”
Bri agreed. “The scene was somewhat surreal, but the President was awesome,” she said. “He’s charismatic, concerned, and I found him to be very warm. When we got up to leave, the president was shaking everyone’s hand.”
Instead of shaking her hand, Obama said: “Moms get hugs.” He then leaned forward and gave Bri a Presidential hug.
Presidential Advice: Thank Your Nebraska Senator
“I thought he was really nice and really genuine,” Bri said. “While we were there, I got the feeling that he really wants to help people, and I feel the same way now. I don’t know how the experience could have gone much better.”
On their way out the door, President Obama reminded the Hoffmans to thank Senator Deb Fischer because she helped enable the White House visit from the very beginning.
“We have thanked Deb, and we will thank her again,” Andy said, “even though it’s still hard for us to believe that all of this actually happened.”
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Jack Hoffman, 7, meets President Barack Obama in the Oval Office.
Little Jack and His Family Go to Washington
Who Else Showed Up at the White House?
Historical Close-Up of Two Husker Legends
By Randy York
Team Jack has been a part of the Nebraska football conversation for more than a year-and-a-half now. On Monday, April 29, 2013, that conversation went from one small step in Husker lore to one giant leap nationally and even internationally. What many national commentators were calling the biggest play of the year in sports became the biggest and most important 15 minutes in Team Jack history. Over the noon hour Monday, President Barack Obama hosted six loyal members of Team Jack – 7-year-old pediatric brain cancer patient Jack; his parents, Andy and Brianna; his two younger sisters, Ava, 5, and Reese, 2; and the coolest, calmest catalyst for bringing awareness to any disease … #22 Rex Burkhead, who made it to Washington D.C. so he could meet President Obama with his “second family”.
“Having Rex with us to meet the President was awesome … super-duper awesome,” Andy Hoffman said, using the same expression Jack used when he scored a 69-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of Nebraska’s Spring Game earlier this month. “Getting those 15 minutes with the President was a chance of a lifetime for all of us. This isn’t just a football-related conversation anymore. It’s a national conversation for all the kids across the country and around the world with pediatric brain cancer. We still don’t know why God chose us to help raise awareness for this horrific disease, but it’s a responsibility we accept.”
Somehow, mostly through national columns, network television analysis and countless TV and radio interviews with Andy defining a quarter-century of neglect in a uniquely positive way, Team Jack became famous. In fact, on Sunday, while the family was waiting to see the U.S. Constitution as D.C. tourists, one person standing right next to them in line, pulled out Jack’s memorable run on his smart phone and asked if the kid standing next to him in the red tee-shirt with “Believe” on it, was the same boy in the video. Andy and Bri’s smiles answered the question. “I knew it,” he said, explaining he was an Oklahoma fan who had watched that inspiring Spring Game touchdown run more than once.
In fact, when an emotional U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) met with Obama, one of the Hoffmans’ family friends didn’t even have to explain who Jack was because the President already had seen his TD video on YouTube, along with nearly 8 million others. “I can’t say enough about Senator Fischer’s resolution last week that was unanimously approved to designate Sept. 26, 2013 (Jack’s 8th birthday) as National Pediatric Brian Cancer Day,” Andy said, adding how surreal it can be when you’re standing next to the president of the United States and having a conversation.
“All of us want to fight this disease and beat it,” Andy said. “This is truly a bi-partisan cause and a bi-partisan effort, and it’s humbling to see a U.S. Senator and the President of the United States putting this disease on their shoulders and trying to find a better way to tackle it. Getting national attention and the awareness that goes with that attention is a great place to start. We thanked the President for our visit and let him know that it should help us start a truly national conversation about pediatric brain cancer.”
The President presented Jack with a football in the Oval Office. Dressed in khakis and wearing his favorite jersey, Jack looked up and connected with the President eye-to-eye. Obama looked down and told Jack how proud he was of him. Fully invested in the moment, Jack is engaged and involved. But just like his “big brother” – who will be introduced to his new NFL home in Cincinnati Tuesday – Jack also was quiet and appreciative. Study the classic photo at the top of this column. You’ll see how even a 7-year-old can communicate without saying a word.
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Ava Hoffman, 5, and Reese, 2, join brother Jack in Washington, D.C. Sunday.
Little Jack Talks to President Obama
Who Else Showed Up at the White House?
Historical Close-Up of Two Husker Legends
By Randy York
So what does a 7-year-old pediatric brain cancer patient do after thrilling 60,000 fans at Nebraska’s Spring Football Game, plus nearly 8 million YouTube viewers, with an inspiring 69-yard touchdown run? After throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Saturday’s nationally televised Nebraska-Michigan softball game in Lincoln, Jack flew to Washington D.C. with his dad, Andy, mom, Bri and sisters Ava 5, and Reese, 2.
On Sunday, the Hoffmans took in the sights of our Nation’s Capital in advance of a Monday noontime scheduled visit with President Barack Obama at the White House. “We were thrilled to get invited, and we hope it all comes off,” Andy Hoffman, Jack’s dad, said Sunday night.
“There is no advance agenda. I am here simply as Jack’s dad, and Bri is here as Jack’s mom,” Andy said. “Of course, we hope that the President wants to support a conversation about pediatric brain cancer, but no matter what might happen if we get to meet President Obama, we’re honored that he has followed Jack’s journey. We’re honored because Jack represents every kid who has gone through this horrific disease without any changes in the first-line protocol to treat his form of pediatric brain cancer in 25 years.”
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VOICES FROM HUSKER NATION
I am a Nebraska Alum (College of Law ‘93). It was just announced in our Sunday Press that the VanAndel Institute here in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is starting research on incurable pediatric brain cancer. We have followed the story of Jack Hoffman and pray daily for this young boy and his family. Following Jack brought extra meaning to what this research could mean, and I want to share this information with you and everyone interested in the beginning of this area of research. Thank you for all your stories and your updates concerning Jack. The Spring Game still brings tears to my eyes every time I see Jack’s run. I can’t even begin to imagine what this boy and his family go through on a daily basis. GBR. Tom Bont, Caledonia, Michigan
Jack meets the President today. He would trade all of his fame in a heartbeat for a healthy, normal, quiet childhood. Godspeed on your journey, Jack Hoffman. Chuck Sinclair, Kent, Ohio
It is alarming and mystifying to know that the line of treatment for pediatric brain cancer is the same as it was 25 years ago. Thank you, Jack, for bringing this disease to public attention. Thanks also to Jack’s parents for your tenacity and strength. God bless you all. Gwen Porter, Ceresco, Nebraska
We are shocked that the NFL Draft didn’t pick up Jack Hoffman. They missed a good one there. Val Riedel, Hadar, Nebraska
Sunny Russell is the president of NU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
By Randy York
The vast majority of Nebraska fans have never been to a rifle meet. Many probably don’t even know the Huskers compete in an Olympic sport so highly specialized that 96 percent of perfection is considered marginally competitive while 98 percent of perfection is NCAA record-setting territory. In that two-percentage point spread is greatness, and Nebraska has a junior Air Rifle, Small Bore shooting specialist from Stratford, Texas, who not only is taking aim at her sport, but also shooting higher for all 600-plus student-athletes at Nebraska.
Meet Sunny Russell, who this week was elected president of Nebraska’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). That means Russell looks at total student-athlete development in terms of lifetime success because she, in essence, leads the group that is considered “the voice” of all student-athlete experiences. Talk about a talented young lady who exemplifies the student-athlete experience.
“Sunny is one of those people who any coach would enjoy having on your team,” Nebraska Rifle Coach Stacy Underwood said. “She’s obviously very coachable and also has the personality that her teammates respect. She really embraces leadership and likes to help others. She looks at SAAC as one very important way she can pursue leadership while she’s still in college.”
Sunny lights up a room when she walks in. “Her name reflects her personality,” Underwood said. “She’s all sunshine and makes everyone’s day a little bit better. Everyone who has ever been around her knows it’s going to be good attitude and good vibes all the way around with her.”
Underwood also knows that Nebraska Athletics is loaded with capable leaders, but few match Russell’s skill sets. “Maybe it’s because her personality isn’t overbearing,” Underwood said. “She just seems to be a little bit more open to others. So much so that others feel they can communicate easily at any time. I think Sunny will be a great liaison between the athletes and the Athletic Department and everyone else she will communicate with in the Big Ten.
“Sunny just has that humble attitude,” Underwood added. “She doesn’t take life so seriously, but clearly understands when things have to be very serious. She communicates very well and interacts well and connects with all the student-athletes around her. They see her as a great advocate for them and as someone who will be on their side and represent them very well.”
Given Nebraska’s high level of success in academics, athletics and life skills, leadership is crucial. “Sunny sees the vision of Nebraska Athletics very clearly in terms of honoring tradition and making sure we have a top-notch program all the way around and making sure that our student-athletes are well taken care of,” Underwood said. “I’m confident that her perspective and her leadership will lead to some positive changes in different ways.”
Keith Zimmer, the associate athletic director who leads NU’s Life Skills program, is equally confident in SAAC’s new leader. “Sunny will thrive in the president’s role,” he said. “She’s an excellent facilitator. She’s inclusive, caring, genuine and committed to excellence in all that she does.”
Zimmer, however, points out that SAAC’s other three recently elected officers also will play pivotal roles. Ryan Grassel, a junior golfer from Chesterton, Ind., will serve as vice president of SAAC. Mattie Fowler, a sophomore infielder on Nebraska’s softball team from Tucson, Ariz., will be SAAC’s Big Ten representative from Nebraska. Jake Griess, a sophomore shot put/discus/hammer thrower on the Husker men’s track and field team, will lead SAAC’s community outreach efforts.
Interestingly, three of the four SAAC officers have siblings who also compete in college athletics. Russell’s brother, Rustin, is a member of the rifle team at Memphis. Grassel’s brother, Kyle, plays golf at the Colorado School of Mines, and Fowler’s sister, Kenzie, is a two-time senior All-America pitcher for the Arizona Wildcats.
We’ve all heard how leaders are people who see more than others see, see farther than others see and see before others see. If that’s true, then this SAAC team should get a head start because whenever they huddle up with family members this summer, they will be honing their leadership skills for the fall. “This is a solid group of leaders,” Zimmer said. “They will accomplish a lot of great things over the next year.”
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Jack Hoffman, a 7-year-old YouTube star, will throw Saturday’s first pitch.
World’s Largest Softball Tailgate
By Randy York
The N-Sider has its fair share of inquiring minds and Husker loyalists, but I’m betting few, if any, can translate this: WLST = GVICS. Give up? Here’s your answer: World’s Largest Softball Tailgate = Greatest Value In College Sports! How do I know? Nebraska Athletic Marketing tells me so. Honestly, those hard-working marketers can back up facts with specific truths that should be self-evident for any family smart enough to follow the Huskers to Bowlin Stadium on Saturday. It’s more important to bring a song in your heart than cash in your pocket. No. 16 Nebraska hosts No. 9 Michigan, which brings a nation-leading 22-game winning streak to Lincoln. Where else can a fan see a matchup like that for absolutely nothing? Yes, admission to the game is free Saturday, but not on Friday or on Sunday. The tailgate will run from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with first pitch at 1 p.m.
But wait. There’s more to help make Saturday a day of fun and opportunity. Hot dogs, chips and Pepsi are also free, while supplies last. Get there early so you can see one of the year’s biggest littlest national heroes – 7-year-old Jack Hoffman, who will throw the ceremonial first pitch after joining some Husker softball and football players in the autograph zone beginning about 11:40 a.m. Little Jack inspires many Nebraskans, including the Husker softball team, so the team invited Jack and the Hoffman family to be a part of this big day to show support for Jack’s brave fight and for increasing awareness of the disease itself.
Talk about timing. Jack’s name was discussed on the U.S. Senate Floor Thursday afternoon when Deb Fischer (R-Neb) emotionally introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate Sept. 26, 2013, as National Pediatric Brain Cancer Day. A friend of the Hoffman family, Fischer introduced the unanimously approved legislation in honor of Jack, an iconic 7-year-old with brain cancer. His 69-yard Spring Game touchdown 19 days ago has more than 7.7 million video views.
The autograph zone will be open for two hours beginning at 10:20 a.m. and will feature members of Nebraska’s NCAA Sweet 16 women’s basketball team, the Huskers’ NCAA national champion women’s bowling team, plus the Nebraska soccer, volleyball, rifle, men’s basketball, football and softball teams, with each team taking turns signing for short periods of time. Fans will have the opportunity to check out the Husker Helicopter and the Nebraska Football Equipment Truck. They also will be able to take their photo with the Big Ten Softball Trophy. Door prizes that will be given away include day camps with some of our Husker coaches and gift cards from First National Bank. There also will be inflatable fun, balloon artists, face painters and more. Saturday is, after all, the World’s Largest Softball Tailgate. Put everything together and you have an AFE …an Absolutely Free Experience, turning the WLST into the GVICS … Greatest Value In College Sports. Who knows? Saturday’s game may even become a true NUSWOYW … National Upset Special Without Opening Your Wallet.
Softball/Twitter Softball/Facebook
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The NCAA ranks Mary Weatherholt No. 11 in singles and No. 4 in doubles.
Huskers Taught Barrefors the Art of Leadership
By Randy York
Twelve years ago, Carlos Asarta was a finalist for the Nebraska Student-Athlete of the Year Award. An accomplished swimmer from Spain, he served as president of Nebraska’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in 2000-01. Today, Asarta is a Ph.D. associate professor of Practice in UNL’s Department of Economics. As a faculty member who has taught more than 6,000 students over the past six years, Asarta is certain of one thing. “Mary Weatherholt,” he said, “is the most exceptional student-athlete I have ever had the pleasure to teach. She’s an intelligent, applied, involved, personable and polite student-athlete leader who deserves recognition for every accomplishment.”
Arriving at Nebraska as a 17-year-old freshman tennis star from Shawnee Mission, Kan., South High School, Weatherholt realized what she had to do to excel – be an expert in time management, balance various athletic, academic and life skills responsibilities, be a good team player, develop and hone her leadership skills and prove she could work hard and be competitive every day.
Weatherholt met those goals and earned the highest individual honor a Nebraska student-athlete can receive. She also became the first Husker in history to sweep the top academic honor as the Student-Athlete of the Year, plus win the Heart & Soul Award, the top annual honor bestowed in Life Skills. Less than a week after that double-barreled feat, Weatherholt led the Huskers to their first regular-season conference tennis title in 35 years. Sunday’s 4-0 win over Wisconsin enabled Nebraska (21-4 overall and 10-1 in the Big Ten) to share the league championship with No. 6-ranked Michigan. Weatherholt and fellow senior Patricia Veresova are No. 4 nationally in doubles with an 18-1 record. Weatherholt also ranks No. 11 nationally in singles with 22-1 record. That includes an 11-0 Big Ten mark that should allow a repeat conference player of the year honor.
Weatherholt Learns Five Valuable Lessons
One of Weatherholt’s favorite college professors was not surprised. In 2012, the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska (ASUN) named Asarta the Outstanding Educator of the Year for teaching classes with 60 or fewer students. Having spent most of his childhood moving around France and Spain, Asarta moved to America and went on to earn three degrees at UNL. He takes great pride in going the extra mile to learn his students’ names and to equip them with the tools they need to succeed.
Weatherholt is in Asarta’s “extraordinary” student category. He marvels at the perfect score she achieved on the Principles of Macroeconomics, a 200-level course designed to introduce students to macroeconomics and prepare them for further training. She also had a perfect attendance record and completed all optional homework assignments. She did equally well in another 200-level econ course, plus a 300-level course on theory that required courses in calculus and statistics. “Mary earned the only perfect score in her class and was in the top 2 percent of students overall,” Asarta said. “She is truly an outstanding student, and an equally outstanding athlete.”
As a freshman in 2009, Weatherholt was named the Big12 Conference Freshman of the Year in Tennis. In 2012, she was named the Big Ten Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Year. Weatherholt, 21, achieved a GPA of 3.87 while juggling priorities. She believes that intercollegiate athletics taught her five lessons that will be helpful throughout the rest of her life:
1) Athletics taught Weatherholt to respect authority. “Since your coaches are with you for years,” she said, I learned to trust and support their decisions and focus only on what I can control and what I can do to be the best player I can be for them and for my teammates.”
2) Athletics taught her that relationships are the most important ingredient in life. “They’re important for both success and joy, and forgiveness and humility are vital for close relationships to thrive,” she said. “At one point, one of my teammates and I didn’t get along, and it affected the whole team chemistry, dynamics and success. When we forgave each other and mended our relationship, it helped us to have the best season in school history and have more fun as a team than we’ve ever had.”
3) Athletics taught her that success goes beyond talent, smarts and ability. “It’s about attitude and effort and loving and caring for one another – in sports and in the real world,” she said. “A cohesive team cares about each other, has the same goals and is incomparably stronger as a group rather than just a bunch of individuals.”
4) Athletics taught her about overcoming adversity and hardships. “When I tore my knee my junior year, rehab was painful and not being able to compete was excruciating,” she said. “I learned how to have a positive attitude despite what was thrown my way. I learned how to be the best teammate off the court and how to motivate, inspire and help my teammates, even though I couldn’t play. The injury taught me how dependent I really am.”
5) Athletics taught her how important community is. “From coaches, teammates and other athletes to trainers, doctors and staff in Academics, Life Skills and Compliance, I had more care and support than I could have fathomed,” she said. “From security and training table workers to athletic directors, I felt like part of the Husker family. I’ve learned how valuable people are, and those connections run deep. They provide the backbone of life.”
Bottom line, Weatherholt learned that in athletics, “it really isn’t about me or what I’ve done or can do to help myself,” she said. “It’s about giving my best effort and having the best attitude I can have in all areas of my life, whether it’s to glorify God, represent the University, achieve team success or help as many people as possible. I am so grateful to be a student-athlete at Nebraska. It has formed me into the person I am.”
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Björn Barrefors accepts his NU Student-Athlete of the Year Award.
Barrefors, Weatherholt Earn Top Honors
By Randy York
Nebraska’s 2013 Male Student-Athlete of the Year is steeped in athletic and academic achievements. Björn Barrefors is a school record-setting decathlete who won a Big Ten Conference title the same year the league honored him as a Distinguished Scholar. He’s on the verge of becoming the first four-time Academic All-American at a school that tops the charts for the College Sports Information Directors of America’s prestigious honor. A Computer Science major with minors in Mathematics and Physics, Barrefors has achieved a 3.748 GPA at the same time he’s pole vaulted 16-8¾, long jumped 24-2 and high jumped 6-9. He’s also competitive in the sprints, hurdles, middle distance, distance, plus the shot put, discus and javelin.
That’s a load when you arrive in Lincoln, Nebraska, from Stockholm, Sweden, and feel fully prepared to show the world how athletic you are and how smart you are. But a funny thing happened on Barrefors’ way to the top individual honor a Husker student-athlete can achieve. He grew up. He learned why community outreach was important. And he completely redefined what he considered a leader. Even though he became a captain and a member of NU’s track and field Leadership Council, “I didn’t know how to lead in the beginning,” he said. “But luckily, there were plenty of good role models I could look up to and learn from.”
Osborne, Leblanc, Zimmer, Yu, Grimes Inspire
One was Tom Osborne, who always wants what’s best for the people around him and inspires others to feel the same way.
One was Dennis Leblanc, who keeps a laser-like focus on every student-athlete’s academic performance, especially when he’s one of Nebraska’s most decorated student-athletes ever.
One was Keith Zimmer, who encouraged community involvement so Björn could mingle with kids who didn’t have it as easy as he did.
One was Dr. Ying Lu, an associate professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department who taught Barrefors to pursue his major with the same gusto he gave Kris Grimes, his combined events coach for the decathlon.
“Nebraska has opened up doors I never even knew existed,” Barrefors said. “The major I chose coming in my freshman year has become more than just homework and tests. It’s become a part of my identity. I’ve always had the potential to be a top student, but until I came here, I rarely enjoyed school, so I didn’t put that much work into it.”
Problem-Solving Skills Help Make a Difference
Nebraska inspired Barrefors to optimize all of his skills, athletically, academically and socially. “In computer science, I found a way to make a difference in the world, using my problem-solving skills and cognitive thinking.”
Dr. Lu convinced Barrefors to do undergraduate research with her on cluster computing. When Björn learned from a recent study that the improvements in cluster computing could save the government up to $5 billion in energy, he knew the importance of graduate school this fall. “With the knowledge I have and the inspiration Dr. Lu provides, I can’t wait to begin helping with that research,” Barrefors said.
It’s a team-first deal, and Nebraska has nurtured the art of leadership for a student-athlete who arrived in Lincoln thinking otherwise. “I came from a very different culture, where the individual cares about himself,” Barrefors said. “Growing up, I was always someone that would take charge and lead in group projects. But coming to Nebraska, for the first time, I was called upon to lead a team.”
After a couple of tough conference losses, Barrefors learned to look at productivity through the eyes of a team instead of through his own lens. He joined the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to sharpen his leadership skills and found himself getting involved with the Lighthouse Community Center, where he hung out with kids and learned to appreciate people who didn’t come from a similar background.
Now It’s Time to Help Other Achieve Success
“At Nebraska, I’ve had the pleasure to meet so many inspiring people that have helped me become a better person,” Barrefors said. “Now, it’s my turn to help others reach the same success I have.”
Life Skills became refuge from his daily pressure-cooker. “Keith Zimmer is very humble and very empathetic,” he said. “He and his whole team are always there to help any student-athlete, whether it’s nailing an interview, searching for a job or just having somebody to talk to …. about anything. For me, and for any student-athlete at Nebraska, Life Skills workers are more than members of the athletic department. They’re friends. They’re mentors, and in a fast-paced world, when pressure to perform comes from everywhere, that skill is invaluable.”
Barrefors took Dr. Lu’s 310-level course on data structures and algorithms and took her 455-level course on distributed operating systems. “Björn is very active in my classes and often raises questions that demonstrate his capability in critical thinking,” Lu said. “He’s among the very few students who always actively participate in in-class problem-solving and shares his answers with classmates. It’s a pleasure to have a student with his problem-solving skills, his enthusiasm and diligence and such excellent interpersonal skills. He’s an asset to the work place. He’s already been admitted and awarded a research assistant position in our Holland Computing Center and will become a graduate student in our department this fall.”
Whatever individual mindset Barrefors brought with him from Sweden to Nebraska is now behind him. He’s proven to be a great leader with a team focus … and a future every bit as bright as a changed mind inside a changed man.
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Last Sunday night, Linda Olson received NU’s prestigious Trailblazer Award.
By Randy York
A week from today, the coordinator of Registration and Records at the University of Nebraska will spend her last day in the office. Linda Olson will end 35 years of working for the university and 25 years as the first and only athletic certification coordinator in Nebraska history. She is the very definition of an unsung hero … someone you never hear about, yet somebody who plays a big part in the very lifeline of Nebraska Athletics.
“The mantra on the wall for Nebraska Athletics is integrity, trust, respect, teamwork and loyalty, and Linda was all of that. She was the voice that every coach and athlete needed to hear regarding eligibility,” said Matt Martin, who has recruited dozens upon dozens of international student-athletes for the Nebraska track and field team. “A lot of people have become institutions around here … Tom Osborne, Bob Devaney, Al Papik, Gary Pepin, Francis Allen, George Sullivan, Don Bryant … those people spent a long time here and worked in the public eye, but for my money, this lady right here, is one of those institutions. I only wish the people of Nebraska could know what a big part she played and what a big impact she’s had on Nebraska Athletics.“
Dennis Leblanc, Nebraska’s longtime senior associate athletic director for Academics, feels the same way as Martin, who has translated global transcripts with Olson for 17 years. “I was the recruiting coordinator for track and field when I first met Linda,” Leblanc recalled. “I had a lot to learn about eligibility and calculating grade-point-averages and everything else. Linda is a very smart woman with great intuition. She’s a true professional and a real superstar for everyone she worked with and around. She has done an amazing job.”
So amazing that Leblanc thought long and hard about what to give a quiet leader who worked so tirelessly and effectively for an athletic department that couldn’t claim her as an employee, but will forever claim her as an important colleague and a great friend. At a packed reception Thursday inside the Student Life Complex, Leblanc presented Olson with a ring that included the words “Academics” and “Athletics”.
Leblanc: Olson Connected Academics with Athletics
“Linda has probably done a better job than anybody connecting those two words,” Leblanc said. “We put Academics first and Athletics second, and that’s exactly what she taught us all. We had already recognized Linda Sunday night with the Trailblazer Award, but we also wanted to host a reception for faculty and staff. We all know how important her role was.”
A fan of the arts more than athletics, Olson was humbled to receive the Trailblazer Award named in honor of Dr. Barbara Hibner, a longtime member of the Nebraska Athletic Department and the inaugural recipient of the Trailblazer Award. Dr. Hibner died on March 7, 2007, and her legend lives on alongside such honored coaches as Terry Pettit, Rhonda Revelle and Carol Frost, plus an impressive list of donors and others who have enriched and enhanced Nebraska Athletics.
“I worked with Dr. Hibner for many years,” Olson said. “I was in the Registrar’s Office, and we had to add two full-time positions (Jayne Kapke and Lisa Dority) to do the job we needed to do. I am so proud of all the academic accomplishments achieved by our student-athletes. Even though I didn’t work with them directly, I marvel at the way they could handle all their schedules, assignments and requirements. They break down all the stereotypes some have about student-athletes.”
With a challenging job and a high level of her own pressure, Olson found a way to cope. She enjoys camping, family, birds, biking, reading and movies. “I enjoy going to theaters in Lincoln and Omaha,” she said. “That’s how I relieve my stress. I go to one football game a year and some volleyball. The sport I enjoy watching most is tennis.”
New Bike is Olson’s Retirement Present to Herself
To celebrate her retirement, Olson bought a new bike this week and plans to camp more often in Louisville, about halfway between Lincoln and Omaha. “I like to camp at Two Rivers State Park and Branched Oak Lake, too,” she said.
Revelle had some fun at Thursday’s reception, revealing how she once asked Olson for a shoe size and remembered a long pause on the phone when she said she wanted to send over a pair of adidas shoes. Olson called it a conflict of interest, and Gary Bargen was not surprised. Nebraska’s longtime associate athletic director for Compliance drove from Kansas City Thursday to communicate the benefits of retirement to a dedicated colleague following in his footsteps.
Having retired from the Nebraska Athletic Department himself 8½ months ago, Bargen assured Olson she would enjoy retirement. “Linda had a very heavy load at Nebraska, but she never complained,” Bargen said. “Her integrity and honesty were never questioned and will never be questioned. She won’t miss all the NCAA meetings and all the conference meetings she attended, but they will miss her because she was the one asking all the important questions and interpreting the feedback to come up with the right answers. She will be missed, but she leaves everything in great hands.”
Isn’t that what all true trailblazers do? Blaze the trail with innovative solutions to complex problems and then let the next generation reinforce what they’ve already solved?
Happy Retirement from the NU Athletic Department
Happy retirement, Linda, from all the student-athletes you helped certify for competition, plus their parents, their coaches and all the staff members who respect you and admire the job you’ve done so well for a quarter century. You have earned the opportunity to retire from work, but not from life.
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Bill Straub, left, went red-and-white to inspire his national champion team.
By Randy York
Bill Straub has seen it all, and Dr. Larry Widman has tried it all, and when Nebraska’s head bowling coach connects with a Husker sports psychiatrist, the result is a fourth NCAA national bowling championship and the first that can be traced to what both call orchestrated fun. Yes, a young Nebraska team with only one senior defeated Vanderbilt last Saturday night on national television. Kristina Mickelson is that steady senior from Bellevue, Neb., and Liz Kuhlkin is her super sophomore teammate from Schenectady, N.Y. In Straub’s mind, Kuhlkin is the nation’s best female collegiate bowler, statistically, mentally and by any other measure you might want to throw into the conversation.
But make no mistake. This Nebraska team – with four freshmen, three sophomores, two juniors and one senior – beat Vandy more emotionally than competitively. “We feel like we’re the most fundamentally sound team in the country, but no matter how good you are, you have to take emotional control at the most important time, and Larry certainly helped us do that,” Straub said of Widman, who was a state champion junior bowler at Omaha Westside High School before moving on to Washington University in St. Louis and then the University of Nebraska Medical Center. From there, he branched out from his psychiatric training to become a sports psychiatrist.
When the Huskers won the 16-team Mid-Winter Invitational in Jonesboro, Ark., last January, Widman congratulated Straub in the lobby of the North Stadium. Nebraska’s head coach said thanks, but he needed major help. The daily grind was wearing on his young team, and he needed some ideas on how to keep them emotionally inspired at the same time he was teaching them how to improve.
The Youngest, Most Lighthearted Tournament Team
“Bottom line and in black-and-white, Larry had a big impact on this team,” Straub said. “He talked to the kids about breathing and how to stay calm, and he took it from a perspective that the more lighthearted you are, the farther you are from distress. I think it paid off measurably. We were probably the youngest team in the NCAA Tournament, but we were also the most lighthearted, and that wasn’t just my observation.”
The NCAA Tournament director for the last 10 years told Straub he had never seen a Nebraska team so loose and lighthearted. A national television audience saw the same thing. The Huskers were as poised as collegiate athletes can be when the bright lights come on and the ESPN cameras bring live action into American homes and business establishments.
“Our performance,” Straub said, “was in direct correlation to the way Larry helped us prepare for the biggest pressure points.”
When the pressure surfaced, Nebraska’s fun meter went from the 7 Widman originally worked with to an 8, 9 and borderline10. “The goal all along was orchestrated fun, and I have to say, it worked. It really worked,” Straub said. “The whole team benefited, but we had two girls, in particular, whose performance really reflected the lightheartedness we were able to build up by strategy and design.”
Sophomore Ruiz, Junior Ling Major Benefactors of Fun
One major benefactor was Andrea Ruiz, a sophomore from Bogota, Colombia. “That girl is mature beyond her years,” Straub said. “I don’t mean that she’s the glue that keeps things together. I’m talking about her ability to be lighthearted. She connected to that strategy immediately, and she had all the vibes that helped everyone else. She’s competed internationally, and she came here to get better. It’s been a win for us and a win for her.”
The second major benefactor from orchestrated fun is Yan Ling, a junior from Auckland, Singapore. “She’s the girl that may have done the best and became our most reliable bowler on national television,” Straub said. “She’s like a middle infielder who’s not going to hit home runs and get a lot of RBI, but she’s steady, and she performed way, way, way beyond anything she’s ever done for us in the past. I think she may have benefited most from the orchestrated fun. She really turned the corner on the way she’s handled pressure.”
Ling’s performance was not coincidental. “I have a long history of being too nervous in tournaments, even when I was in high school in Singapore,” she said. “Dr. Widman was the first one who really helped me to calm down, and it was more than just deep breathing. When the television lights came on and it got really bright, all my training helped me stay loose and comfortable. I was able to have fun before we came on the air, while we were competing and afterwards. The whole experience was so fun for me.”
She Loves Her Team Role: Come in and Save the Day
It was fun because Ling has learned how to handle her hopes and tackle her fears. “I have always thought of myself as someone who can come in and turn things around,” she said. “I’ve done it so many times. I just have that confidence that when Coach Straub needs me, I have to perform. He’s always telling me that I’m the hero who can come in and save the day. That’s his analogy, and I have fun with it. I usually go in when we get into a slump, and I try to pull us out of that slump. It was so much fun. I watched the replay on ESPN, and we were definitely the team having the most fun while we were bowling, in between shots and when TV would break for a commercial.”
For Widman, orchestrated fun was the result of interviewing Nebraska’s bowlers and coaches separately and then finding ways to remove the barriers that would prevent the Huskers from winning the national championship. Both groups wanted a young team to be more cohesive and have more fun. “They wanted to take their fun meter from the 7 they were experiencing to that 8 and 9 level,” Widman said. “They all agreed on what they needed to do and how they wanted to do it. They wanted to deal with anxiety, stay together as a team, remain calm under fire and make fun a strategy.”
Widman knew he was dealing with a special group of elite bowlers the first time he met with them. “I studied their record and their ability to handle adversity and come from behind in a big tournament,” he said. “I just needed them to believe in their greatness. That’s my job – to help them understand why they’re already great and then eliminate the barriers and maximize their confidence. When they believe it, they can achieve it.”
Widman: Fun is a Simple Choice and a Simple Strategy
Just like happiness is a choice, “fun is also a choice,” Widman said. “The more we talked about it, the more this team realized that it could make a conscious decision to control the amount of fun they can have. It was a simple choice and a simple strategy. They knew they all played a role in bringing the troops up to an 8 or a 9 on the fun meter.”
Straub was more than willing to do his part. He wore a rather outrageous red-and-white short-sleeved shirt to match the confidence his team had wearing designed shirts. “I think this whole lighthearted approach took some pressure off Liz, who’s our anchor in the No. 5 spot,” Straub said. “It helped her not to feel so burdened with the weight of the world on her shoulders.”
Widman believes Straub’s experience and influence was dramatically showcased in that national championship game. “Without superior coaching and superior athletes, my role would be inconsequential,” he said. “I thank Coach from the bottom of my heart for recruiting such talented-athletes to work with.”
Biggest Question: What Will Huskers Do for an Encore?
I asked Straub the question I wanted to ask him last Saturday night while watching the Huskers have a world of fun on national television: Is the shirt you picked out for the ESPN cameras designed to lighten the load for the team? “We do practice harder than any team in the country,” he said. “Sometimes, it gets like boot camp because I’m ridiculously strong on fundamentals.”
He is also, perhaps, ridiculously bullish on strategy to ease the drudgery. “Periodically, I have to act a little funny just to show the girls that it’s not all business,” Straub said. “It’s stronger than funny. It’s nutty just to be comical. I want them to wonder ‘What’s up with Coach?’ It takes their mind off the pressure. There can be a lighter side to all this. So, yes, I did decide to be a little goofy myself.”
It not only matched Straub’s personality, but worked like a fingertip-controlled bowling ball hooking its way into five consecutive strikes from five different bowlers in Nebraska’s last two matches of a national championship season. Straub, assistant coach Paul Klempa and every Husker bowler left Canton, Mich., with a 10 on the fun meter planted in their minds, plus an important question we all want to ask: What will the Nebraska women’s bowling team do in 2014 for an encore?
Whatever it is, this much is certain. Dr. Larry Widman will be ready and able to assist. “I feel very blessed to work with a very talented group of coaches and student-athletes,” he said. “It’s a privilege to have been asked to play a role in helping a team reach such a lofty goal, and I look forward to helping them in any way necessary, so they can win it again next year.”
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