Tomasevicz Defines the Role of a Team Player

By Nate Rohr

By the time he was eight years old, Curt Tomasevicz knew what he wanted to do with his college years.

He arrived at his decision after a trip to Lincoln with his grandfather to visit Memorial Stadium for a Nebraska football game.

Watching the game, Tomasevicz was convinced he wanted to play for Nebraska.

"I thought ?Wouldn’t it be great to do that, just once,’" Tomasevicz said.

Tomasevicz has done that more than once in fact, and will leave NU as not only a valued member of the kickoff coverage unit and scout team, but also a distinguished student. Tomasevicz, an electrical engineering major, is a six-time Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll selection and is scheduled to graduate this December. He plans to continue his studies with the intent of earning his master’s degree.

Along with his classroom success, Tomasevicz has volunteered extensively, including serving as a speaker during School is Cool Week. For his work in the community, Tomasevicz was named to the 2003 Brook Berringer Citizenship Team. Tomasevicz said his volunteer work was influenced by his experiences as a youth.

"When I was a little kid, I looked up to these players," Tomasevicz said. "They meant so much to me. I figure if I can affect the life of a kid just a little bit, and do that with as many kids as possible, it makes me feel real good."

This season, Tomasevicz has seen the bulk of his game day duty on the kickoff coverage unit.

"We thought he’d be a good candidate to look at on kickoff coverage, and he’s done an excellent job," said NU assistant coach Jeff Jamrog, who handles Nebraska’s kickoff coverage teams.

The strength of Tomasevicz’s candidacy may have come from his work in the weight room. During post-winter conditioning, Tomasevicz tested fourth-best on the team with 2,450 points in the Performance Index. His finish was the best among linebackers, and he had the best vertical leap, jumping 38.5 inches.

"Testing has been a strength of mine," Tomasevicz said. "The testing helps you set standards for yourself. You try to get better each time, and it’s worked out well for me."

Tomasevicz also serves as a linebacker on the scout team, which runs the defense of the Huskers’ next opponent against the starting offense. Tomasevicz has moved to linebacker from fullback, where he spent his first couple years in the program after walking on before the 1999 season.

"I like playing linebacker a lot better," Tomasevicz said. "There’s a lot more reading and reacting. It’s not just ?here’s your assignment, go and block him.’ It’s just a lot more natural for me."

It was as a scout team fullback that Tomasevicz had the lesson of teamwork reinforced.

"There are times when you’re going against guys like Kyle Vanden Bosch, you feel that even with your best technique and everything you’ve been taught, he’s going to dominate you," Tomasevicz said. "But knowing that there are 10 other people on the field with you doing the exact same thing every play, it really becomes a team effort like you would have never imagined."