More Than a Job

'll never forget my first day as an athletic trainer for the Huskers back in 2011.

It felt a bit like 'first day of school,' you know?

Butterflies in the stomach.

Immense excitement.

Gratitude for the unbelievable opportunity before me.

Since it was my first day, I was hoping to get through it without any complications or issues.

But of course, that did not happen.

One of our wrestlers had a heat stroke from the unforgiving August weather. 

An event like this forces you to instantly get it right.

I tucked away any fear or trepidation I had previously been experiencing and did everything I could to protect this athlete. 

Fortunately, he made a full recovery an hour later.

Whatever doubts or uncertainty I may have had about this being my chosen profession were instantly put to rest.

Being an athletic trainer is my calling, and it's been the pleasure of my life to work with so many different wrestlers through the years that have entrusted me with their care.

Making the most of an opportunity

When I graduated from Coe College in 2011, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. My ultimate goal was to be an athletic trainer for a Division I wrestling program.

This was easier said than done.

At the time, there were around 76 DI wrestling programs in the country. Of those 76 programs, only eight or nine had graduate assistants on staff.

Worse yet, there were only two schools that had openings for graduate assistants.

Needless to say, the odds were not in my favor. 

Wrestling is where my heart has always been, and I knew if I could just get an interview, I could show them how much passion and knowledge I have for the sport and win them over.

The most difficult part would be landing an interview, especially for only two schools.

One of those two schools happened to be Nebraska. With a little bit of luck, and fate intervening, Nebraska called me in for an interview.

They offered me a graduate assistantship for the wrestling program in 2011, and I spent two years serving in that role.

In 2013, they offered me a full-time assistant athletic trainer position, which I was over the moon about and graciously accepted.

I've been working with the wrestlers at Nebraska for the past 12 years and have loved every second of it. Sometimes I have to pinch myself as I've gotten the chance to work with some of the best wrestlers in the country — and world — at such a prestigious program like Nebraska, but I was given an opportunity and made the most of it.

An imperfect puzzle

An analogy I like to use with wrestling is that it's a beautiful, imperfect puzzle. Each guy is their own puzzle piece to their individual career and the team's success.

My job is to take these imperfect puzzle pieces and make them fit together as best I can. 

What many people don't understand about wrestling is how much of a mental sport it is. If guys have issues they're dealing with in their personal lives and they carry that with them to the mat, they don't have a chance out there. 

Even the greatest wrestlers on the planet struggle with the mental component. One of the tremendous joys I've had in my career was when I worked with Jordan Burroughs in 2013.

Just 20 days before he was set to compete for a world title, Jordan was recovering from surgery after a broken ankle.

Jordan's one of the most decorated freestyle wrestlers in the history of the sport, but he had so much doubt in his mind about being ready to compete for a world title in such a short amount of time.

I had to help him get his mind right and remind him who he is and what he's capable of. 

When he's at his best, there's no one better.

He proved that, once again, by winning a world title that year in Budapest. Helping him through that rehab process was one of the most gratifying moments of my career.

It reiterated the fact that no matter who you are, at some point in time, you're going to be an imperfect puzzle piece.

It’s all about the relationships

Obviously, it's beyond a privilege for me to work with All-Americans and champions like Jordan, but I take just as much pride, if not more, in working with guys that don't have his platform.

Athletic training is all about relationship-building, so I'm emotionally attached to every single wrestler I have the opportunity to work with. 

When guys don't achieve their goals on the mat, they're crushed.

And I'm crushed along with them.

But what I always tell them is if we're on the same page going into a meet or tournament, and they feel as mentally and physically fit as they possibly can, that's all we can ask for.

The results that happen on the mat almost come secondary for me because I'm just so proud of them for all the work they're putting in to put themselves in a position to succeed.

I'm an extremely competitive person, and I love nothing more than to see victories for my team, but I'm even more passionate about being there as a shoulder for guys to lean on when things don't go their way, and their goals come up short.

Love what I do

I say to my wife all the time that I've never worked a day in my life. 

Starting as a grad assistant with this program in 2011 to being the assistant athletic trainer for the past ten years — it's never felt like a job to me.

That's a testament to all the amazing people I've gotten to know here in Lincoln.

The relationships I've built with coaches, wrestlers, and the Lincoln community is the reward for me in all of this. I don't need or seek recognition because that's not what it's about for me.

I'm eternally grateful to guys like Mikey Labriola and James Green who have used their platforms recently to show their appreciation for everything I do for the program, but the affirmation is unnecessary.

Like I said before, I love what I do and who I get to work with every day.

It's been an incredible past 12 years, and I know the best is yet to come for a sport, program, and university that mean everything in the world to me.

To conclude my story, I want to share a few words about my good friend, Tim Miers.

Unfortunately, Tim lost his battle with cancer a few months ago.

He was such a big fan and supporter of Nebraska wrestling. He was also my biggest advocate and always wanted to see me get more of the limelight for my contributions to the team.

I’m using that limelight now to shine some of it back on you, Tim, because I wouldn't be able to live out my dream job every day if it weren't for special people like you that have blessed and impacted my life.

Rest in peace, my friend.

Photo Credits: Nebraska Athletic Communications and University of Nebraska Photo Services