Sewell?s Journey Home Lands Him in Starting Lineup

By Erin Smith
The center on any football team is the unsung hero, the person who can take the blame when things do not go right, but rarely gets the credit when things happen the way they were designed.

Josh Sewell is just about the perfect person to fill that role on this season’s Nebraska football squad.

The senior has taken an unusual route to get to this point in his career and it is obvious he is not worried about getting the credit for accomplishments of the Nebraska team.

At first glance, people may think the 6-2, 300-pound center is just another Nebraska native who spent his entire life dreaming of wearing the red and white and parading down the tunnel on Saturdays. That is not at all the story of Sewell’s journey.

"I was born and raised in Visalia, California," Sewell said. "I went to Redwood High School, but I moved to Lincoln during high school."

He came to Lincoln in search of a football team that wanted to win as bad as he did. After being assured that Lincoln Christian was an up-and-coming program, he decided it would be his best bet.

"That was an eye-opening experience," Sewell said. "It didn’t go too well. The school was fine, but we went 0-9 and coming from a pretty good high school, I expected a lot out of my team and a lot out of myself."

With a devastating season behind him, Sewell transferred to Lincoln Southeast. He had to sit out the 1997 state championship run, but became a key player in the 1998 title.

With all of the transitions, few colleges really got the opportunity to see Sewell play. Several offers still came in from smaller schools and the Huskers recruited Sewell as a walk-on before he accepted a scholarship at Indiana State.

"After a lot of praying about it, I decided that was what God wanted for me at the time," Sewell said. "So I went to Indiana State and it was good, but the football wasn’t what I thought it would be. Before I got there they had had some pretty good years, but things kind of went downhill."

Sewell redshirted his first year in the Sycamore program and made an immediate impact in his second year, but felt that his commitment was greater than that of his teammates once again.

Do not take that the wrong way. Sewell has never thought he was better than his teammates, and he does not even hint at such a suggestion. He simply sets his sights high and refuses to stop short of achieving his goals.

With more prayer and larger telephone bills, Sewell and his parents decided it was time for another change.

This time he would make the trip back to Lincoln and become a walk-on at Nebraska. After moving up a division, Sewell was forced to sit out the 2001 season when his teammates got the opportunity to play for a national title in the Rose Bowl.

"That was real tough and a real humbling experience," he said. "Plus walking on was tough, after getting $1,500 a year to go toward paying for school. That wasn’t something I took lightly."

During his first season back in Lincoln he actually appreciated the opportunity to play on the scout team. He says that playing against the No. 1 defense every day made him a better player.

In 2002, the coaches moved Sewell to center when senior John Garrison did not have a backup. He only saw action in five games, but never complained or got frustrated with his situation.

Last spring, Sewell made an immediate impression on the new coaching staff, his fifth set of coaches in six years, and secured his position on the Nebraska offensive line. Despite this season’s success, you will not hear him taking credit.

"God has really blessed me," Sewell said. "God has given me all of these opportunities with football. There are so many things about Nebraska football that I love. There is no place like Nebraska, there really isn’t. The home games, the great coaches and the team, it’s all just been awesome."

Finally Sewell found his niche, the place where everyone cares about winning as much as he does and wants to accomplish great things with him.

"I think the most challenging thing is that I expect a lot out of myself," Sewell said. "As a team we want to go all the way to the top. We won’t settle for second best. There is a lot of pressure on us. We put it on ourselves. Other people try to put it on us, but no one is going to put as much pressure on us as we do."

Sewell came by his philosophy of hard work and high standards naturally. He says his father has been his greatest influence.

"I’ve learned a lot from my dad, especially my work ethic," he said. "He means a lot to me. He wasn’t a football player, but he has always supported and encouraged me. He has been the biggest influence on me."

Any parent would be proud. The Southeast graduate was named to the 2003 Brook Berringer Citizenship Team and selected as the Jake Young Memorial Scholarship winner for his outstanding work in the community.

"I don’t think it would matter where I am, it is awesome just to give back," Sewell said. "God has given me a gift and if I can give back, that is just awesome."

While Sewell has had to overcome a lot to become the starting center this season, he counts each opportunity as a blessing and a learning opportunity. Just walking onto the field is reward enough for him.

"You work hard all week and that is your reward," Sewell said, "to go out there and play for 60 minutes."