Jensen Grateful To Fulfill Academic, Athletic Achievements At Nebraska

David Jensen enjoyed a successful high school wrestling career, going 62-6 over his final two seasons and finishing state runner-up as a senior. His older brother, Collin, had already been on the Nebraska wrestling team for a couple of years by the time David graduated from Mobridge-Pollock High School in Mobridge, South Dakota.
 
But David, also a Nebraska wrestler who will graduate with his degree in nutrition science on Saturday, didn't originally come to Lincoln to join his brother in the wrestling room.
 
"I wasn't a big time recruit or anything," Jensen said, "where I had a bunch of D-I schools on me."
 
Yes, some NCAA Division II schools recruited Jensen to wrestle. But none of them could fulfill his wish of attending a big-time university, something different from the small-town, small-school life, where he could meet new people and expand his horizons.
 
Jensen also knew he wanted to study some type of athletic training or medicine, maybe something in the health care field. He could focus on school and take a break from wrestling.
 
In short, Nebraska checked all of his boxes.
 
"I just knew they had really good academics," Jensen said, "especially with my brother being down there, I had been on the campus plenty of times."
 
Well, the no-wrestling thing lasted a couple of months. By November of his freshman year, Jensen had accepted coach Mark Manning's offer to join the team as a walk-on. Truth be told, the two had been discussing the possibility since earlier that summer.
 
Now that he's concluding his Nebraska career, Jensen fondly looks back at that moment.
 
"I always say it's one of the best decisions I ever made," Jensen said. "I've always loved wrestling, and just being able to compete again was something I really enjoyed. Also, just having that family experience again with all the guys.
 
"It's just something that's hard to explain. It's a great feeling having all those guys around cheering for you, rooting you on."
 
When he says "guys," Jensen isn't just referring to his teammates.
 
"The coaches are really looking out for you," Jensen said. "They're giving you lessons other than just about wrestling. They're helping you with life lessons. They're guiding you in every way that they can. That's a very valuable experience that a lot of people don't get."
 
Of course, doing well on the mat and excelling in the classroom helped Jensen enjoy his experience, too.


 
Jensen, a heavyweight, finished his senior season with a 17-6 regular season record and qualified for the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships. He was presented the Heart & Soul Award and was named to the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team at last week's Night at the Lied ceremony. He was also among four finalists for Student-Athlete of the Year, the top honor at the annual event that celebrate's Nebraska student-athletes' achievements in academics, athletics and community work.
 
A four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Jensen was named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll every semester he was on campus. 
 
Jensen said he knew in middle school and high school he was interested in the health care field but didn't know for certain he wanted to be a doctor until his sophomore year at Nebraska. He became intrigued with sport injuries and at times would quiz some teammates – but careful not to bug – more specifics about their injuries. He then discovered he didn't care if he was treating athletes specificly – he wanted to treat anyone.
 
So Jensen will attend medical school at the University of South Dakota, a school he said is strong in primary care and family care. Whether that's the route he takes in his career, he's not certain. He's thought about being a surgeon, too.
 
"When I do a lot of basic shadowing and a lot of firsthand experience watching and everything, that's when I'll probably see what I want to do more," Jensen said. "I've thought about it, but nothing is solidified or anything. I'm very open to seeing."
 
Dayton and Collin, his two older brothers, work for their father, Kyle, in the family's road construction business. That David is veering a different direction is of little surprise.
 
"Me and my dad are obviously really close, but I always love saying I was mama's boy," Jensen said. "I was always more interested in what my mom (Beth) was doing, and she was a nurse. I worked for my dad growing up, but I was definitely more interested in things going on in the hospital versus going to work for my dad."
  
Until Jensen leaves for Vermillion for medical school in July, he will stay at home in Mobridge and work for his father, driving a concrete truck – the one job Jensen discovered he actually did enjoy, once he turned 18.
 
Original summer plans included possible travel across the country with his girlfriend, or maybe even a trip to Rome, where Jensen wants to visit a former foreign exchange student his family once hosted.
 
Of course, the pandemic likely has nixed those plans, as it has a real graduation ceremony this weekend. Nebraska will have a virtual ceremony, and Jensen will watch with his family at home, and might still take some pictures in his cap and gown.
 
"It's a little downer," Jensen said, "but nothing I can personally do about it."
 
Besides, as big as graduating from college is, Jensen knows more ceremonies and celebrations lie ahead.
 
"I'm hoping my medical school graduation," Jensen said, "is the big one."
 
Reach Brian at brosenthal@huskers.com or follow him on Twitter @GBRosenthal.