'Uncommon Men'
Head coach Mark Manning took some words of wisdom from Tony Dungy when attempting to premise the type of success he would like to see in the 2009-10 season. After back-to-back fourth-place finishes at the NCAA Championships and the program's first Big 12 title, developing a theme to match the expectations of the Nebraska wrestling program may not seem easy.
For Manning, it was as simple as two words:
'Uncommon Men' was boldly stated on his team's student-athlete packets on the first day of school.
"We want them to be uncommon and do uncommon work," Manning said. "That is for us to win a Big 12 championship and a national title. We have to wrestle above our seeds, stay aggressive and have our young kids grow up. We have to be uncommon performers, but first, we have to be uncommon men."
Dungy's book - 'Uncommon' - spotlights the process and values to achieve significance through athletics. It's a level Manning's teams have traditionally reached, including a 17-3-1 dual record in 2008-09.
However, there are further goals for the 2009-10 Huskers.
"We want to challenge our team," Manning said. "We have guys that have been uncommon, like Jordan Burroughs and Craig Brester. They are going to lead this team because they have done it and paved the way. We just need more of our team to step up to that level."
Burroughs was an undefeated (35-0) national champion at 157 pounds last year, while Brester also achieved All-America status with a runner-up finish at 197 pounds.
A total of four Huskers have experienced the NCAA Championships, as Nebraska also welcomes back senior Stephen Dwyer (174) and sophomore Tucker Lane (Hwt). The Huskers return a total of five starters and nine letterwinners to mesh with an incoming recruiting class that was ranked No. 3 in the country by Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine. If Manning can find a way to mold these 30 student-athletes into the type of team he has traditionally led at Nebraska, it may be enough to help the Huskers achieve uncommon things in a familiar place.
Omaha
On Sept. 24, 2005, the NCAA announced that the University of Nebraska would co-host the 2010 NCAA Championships at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. For the last four years, the Husker wrestling community has envisioned the type of success and importance the national meet could mean to the 99-year history of Nebraska wrestling.
"It's going to be a great stage," Manning said. "It is the world series of wrestling and we could really get the crowd behind us if we perform well. With it being in Omaha, we're going to have a lot more Big Red fans cheering us on. It's our job to give them something to cheer about."
While excited about the opportunity, the Huskers will keep an even keel on what comes first. Nebraska will be challenged by one of its most difficult first-semester schedules in recent history, as the Huskers open the season against Wisconsin on Nov. 15 at the NU Coliseum. Nebraska also visits Minnesota on the road and travels to the Las Vegas Invitational, before facing the rigors of the Big 12 Conference when the 2010 calendar year begins.
"We always want to perform well, whether it's in Albany, Iowa City, Minneapolis, St. Louis or Omaha," Manning said. "It's still the same tournament. I don't want our guys to approach this one any different. We can use it to our advantage, but the main thing is we have to stay focused on wrestling and performing our best."
Returning Leadership
Burroughs will lead the way for the Huskers after a spectacular national title run in 2008- 09. The expectations for one of the best wrestlers in NU history only continue to rise as Burroughs attempts to become the first Husker to win back-to-back national championships. The Sicklerville, N.J., native moved from 149 pounds to 157 pounds prior to the start of last season, but didn't miss a step in achieving a perfect 35-0 record, while also capturing tournament titles at the Las Vegas Invitational and National Duals.
Along with Burroughs, Nebraska presents one of the best senior duos in the country with 197-pounder Craig Brester. Brester may be the nation's most determined wrestler. A native of Howells, Neb., and a former walk-on, Brester has surpassed everyone's expectations. He is already a two-time All-American and a Big 12 champion, but the driving force for Brester is a 2-1 defeat in last year's NCAA Championship final, leaving a black mark on an otherwise fantastic season that saw him compile a 34-4 record.
Senior Stephen Dwyer was a 2008 All-American after he finished seventh at the national meet. Last season, Dwyer fell short of his goals when he went 2-2 at the NCAA Championships as the No. 7 seed. He moves up to 174 pounds for his senior season.
"Stephen had a tremendous season last year, but he didn't wrestle his best at the NCAA Championships," Manning said. "He has a sour taste in his mouth and wants to go out with a bang in his last year."
One of the most surprising Huskers in 2008-09 was redshirt freshman Tucker Lane, who stepped in nicely in the heavyweight class and produced a 28-14 season en route to the NCAA Championships. Lane is one of the brightest hopes for the NU wrestling program.
"Tucker was learning on the fly and gained a lot of experience last season," Manning said. "Now he has to put it together and jump to another level. I feel pretty confident about Tucker because he had a great summer and got a lot better and got a lot more confident. Now he just has to go out and show it."
The four returning national qualifiers are proven performers for the 2009-10 Huskers. The challenge for Manning and the NU coaching staff is developing a talented class of newcomers and coaching returning student-athletes who have seen limited meet action.
"Every school in the country has potential," Manning said. "It's how we develop our young guys and bring them along to be solid performers. We have a lot of competition among our team that will help us rise up to those challenges we're going to face.
"We have some guys in the works. That's how this year is going to be. Those kids are going to determine how successful we are. We're going to be successful, but how successful? The jury is out."
The Huskers know big challenges lie ahead. Nebraska will take ownership in those challenges to see that the Husker wrestling program continues to match and exceed the expectations in its storied 99-year history.
A lot has already been accomplished, but at the same time, the 2009-10 Huskers have the opportunity to be "Uncommon Men."
Schedule Breakdown
Seven home duals and hosting the 2010 NCAA Championships highlight the Nebraska wrestling squad's 2009-10 schedule.
"Nebraska fans are in for a great season of wrestling," Manning said. "Since I've been here, this is the toughest first-semester schedule that we've had, while the Big 12 Conference is tough and is going to stay tough."
Nebraska will welcome four opponents to the NU Coliseum that finished in the top 20 at last season's NCAA Championships, including two top-10 opponents. The Huskers kick off their dual season on Nov. 15 against Wisconsin, which finished ninth, and battle seventh-place Missouri on Jan. 29. NU also faces Central Michigan (14th) on Dec. 19, and North Carolina State (19th) on Jan. 3. Other home contests include North Dakota State, Northern Colorado and Big 12 foe Oklahoma.
"Fans will have a chance to see some of the top wrestlers in the country, including numerous All-Americans and national champions," Manning said. "There are a lot of good young wrestlers just within our conference. It will be a great challenge for our team."
The Huskers wrap up their home dates by hosting the NCAA Championships for the first time in the program's 99-year history. The Omaha Sports Commission and Nebraska will join forces to put on the three-day tournament from March 18-20 at the Qwest Center in Omaha. NU will look to capitalize on the home-mat advantage to improve on its fourth-place finishes the last two seasons.
"Having the NCAA Tournament in Omaha is going to provide a great atmosphere and environment for our fans," Manning said. "All the Husker fans from around the state that come in and cheer on our team give us an emotional edge."
Manning also mentioned the large amount of work that happens behind the scenes at such a large event.
"We have great administrators here in the NU athletic department," he said. "I'm thankful for the people we have in place. They help make the tournament a success and allow me and my coaches to focus on our student-athletes. That makes a great difference with our team."
For its away competitions, Nebraska will continue its tradition of traveling to some of the best tournaments in the nation. The Huskers are scheduled to compete in the Kaufman-Brand Open (Nov. 21), the Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 4-5) and the NWCA National Duals (Jan 9-10), but also have several other challenging road dates on their schedule.
NU travels to the Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals on Nov. 28 for the first time ever, before visiting Minnesota on Dec. 13. The Huskers conclude the dual season with tough matchups at Oklahoma State and Iowa State on Feb. 12 and 21, and visit Norman on March 6 as Oklahoma hosts the 2010 Big 12 Championships. Other road foes include South Dakota State, Arizona State and Oregon State.