No. 1 Focus: Enhance the Student-Athlete Experience

INNOVATION: Business Approach Blazes New Trails

COMMITMENT: Laptops for All NU Student-Athletes

VISION: Campus Complex Benefits Soccer, Tennis

STRENGTH: Revitalizing Revolutionary Reputation

INSPIRATION: Service Trip Experience of a Lifetime

LEADERSHIP: Nutrition Vital Asset for Performance

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Randy York N-Sider

Official Blog of the Huskers

Nebraska Athletics has a singular focus to provide nearly 600 student-athletes with the resources and support they need to be successful in three essential areas – academics, athletics and life.

The simplicity of that multi-faceted mission is built on complexities Nebraska has mastered to equip student-athletes with everything they need to succeed. “We’re very proud of our student-athletes, dedicated coaches and staff, and loyal supporters who recognize and realize the importance of providing the finest student-athlete experience in all of college athletics,” Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst said.

This year, NCAA legislation expanded the opportunities for Power Five Conference member institutions to do more for their student-athletes – a decision Nebraska advocated for, supported and wasted little time in implementing.

Enhancing the Student-Athlete Experience was a battle cry at Nebraska long before the Huskers gained the right to launch new opportunities and transition into the new world it helped dramatically to create.

Donor Generosity, Fan Support Maximize the Overall Experience

Achievement at the highest level is a driving force in recruiting great student-athletes and helping them in every way possible to optimize their skill sets. “Thanks to our donors’ generosity and our fans’ support, we’ve taken a leadership role in maximizing the Student-Athlete Experience,” Eichorst said. Nebraska’s goal is to provide unparalleled support while fortifying its national prominence in athletics, academics and life.

Nebraska was a pioneer NCAA institution in having an athletic training table and launching the first strength and conditioning program in college athletics. Nebraska is enhancing its inherent benefits and broadening the Student-Athlete Experience in such areas as athletic medicine, performance, research, analytics and nutrition.

For example, the Huskers are working diligently to broaden the scope of the Nebraska Athletic Performance Laboratory (NAPL), a world-leading research and education center designed to enhance the performance, safety, health and well-being of all student-athletes.

Epley, Arthur Collaborating Again on Pioneering Strength Strategy

Key contriutors to that cause are Boyd Epley (above left) and Mike Arthur (above middle). Epley is Nebraska's assistant athletic director for strength and conditioning with oversight responsibilities supporting Husker Power strength and conditioning. Arthur has worked 39 years for Nebraska Athletics and now serves as the department's director of strength and conditioning performance research. Pictured with both is Jack Gangwish (above right), a 2015 Nebraska football co-captain/defensive end who was the Huskers’ 2015 Lifter of the Year.

Nebraska must continue to lead and reinforce its pioneering expertise while serving 595 student-athletes with 70 different majors, while representing 43 states and 19 countries. Those student-athletes combined to achieve a 3.14 overall grade-point average this past year.

Freshman wide receiver Stanley Morgan Jr., a New Orleans native, uses his new laptop to study. "Nebraska was the right choice," he said.

Cornerstones for Recruiting the Best and Brightest Student-Athletes

For 50 years, Nebraska Athletics has built an impressive resume to reinforce its reputation and to recruit the best and brightest student-athletes in all 24 varsity sports. Nebraska continues to be a trailblazer with the following new enhancements:

1)Guaranteeing that all student-athletes will receive their scholarship based on the maximum full cost of attendance.

2)Beingthe first school in the nation to provide each student-athlete with an Apple MacBook Air laptop computer to enhance their learning opportunities.

3)Launching the first of its kind Post-Eligibility Opportunity (PEO) program that allows for each student-athlete, who has earned his or her degree and exhausted their eligibility, to receive financial support to support an internship, a study-abroad program or attend graduate school.

4) Offering enhanced resources and support in all academic, nutrition and performance-related areas.

Husker Student-Athletes Well Aware Nebraska is Broadening Its Approach

Husker student-athletes understand Nebraska’s leadership position in broadening the scope of every available segment related to the Student-Athlete Experience. Two freshmen, who were highly recruited in their respective sports, were overwhelmed when they received personal laptops shortly after moving to Lincoln.

“Everyone is here to help you and make you the best you can be,” said women’s basketball player Jessica Shepard, a prep first-team All-American from Fremont, Neb. (pictured above with Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst).

“I came to Nebraska because it’s what I needed the most, and I already know that I made the right choice,” said Stanley Morgan Jr., a freshman wide receiver from New Orleans. Morgan entertained offers from five SEC schools, plus Clemson, Michigan State, Ohio State and UCLA. 

The Result: Better Students, Better Athletes, Better Role Models

Freedom Akinmoladun (above right) is a freshman redshirt defensive end from Grandview, Mo. He’s as certain about choosing Nebraska as Morgan is. “Thankfully, I’ve had great support,” Freedom said. “The resources available to me and my teammates are incredible. I understand why they say there is NO place like Nebraska.”

The same thought rings true for Freedom’s cousin, Dapo Akinmoladun (above left), a first-team All-America and Big Ten champion hurdler on Nebraska’s track and field team. Two months ago, the Nigeria natives shared their dreams about earning Nebraska scholarships. They were the leadoff speakers for 3,000 middle-school students attending a Sportsmanship 4 Life Pep Rally at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Mattie Fowler, a senior softball infielder from Tucson, Ariz., said the pride in Nebraska and the support within the community “motivates us to be better students in the classroom, better athletes on the field and better role models in the community.” Eric Engler, a sophomore wrestler from Beatrice, Neb., boils down his enthusiasm to a simple sentence. “Nebraska is the best place on earth,” he said.

In college athletics, that may not be an exaggeration. Who else provides student-athletes a Mac laptop to enhance learning, plus provides financial support for them to pursue an internship, a study abroad experience or the opportunity to attend grad school?

Nebraska’s 2015 NCAA Volleyball Championship celebration personifies a well-rounded team's success in academics, athletics and life.

Administrators Embrace Autonomy and Innovation with Integrity

Eichorst has been a visionary force in expanding the knowledge, the capability and the business and professional acumen of two longtime leaders who have helped lay the foundation for Nebraska’s constant pursuit of excellence in athletics, academics and life.

Dennis Leblanc (Executive Associate A.D./Academics) and Keith Zimmer (Senior Associate A.D./Life Skills) have served Nebraska Athletics for the past three decades. Both embrace NCAA autonomy that aligns well with Nebraska’s goal to create innovation with integrity.

Leblanc believes that Nebraska continually gains momentum in uniting student-athlete support. Nearly 600 student-athletes, for example, compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.147 across all sports in the latest summary. “Graduation remains our No. 1 goal, but the more we discuss the Student-Athlete Experience, the more important Post-Eligibility Opportunites become,” Leblanc said. "PEO is important throughout the department, from strength coaches to people in communications, marketing, academics, life skills and compliance."

Starting to Clarify More about Why We're Here and What We're Doing

"Everybody feels a part of where we're going with this," Leblanc said. "Everybody sees the big picture better. I believe we're starting to clarify more why we're here and what we're doing."

Nebraska's driving force in Life Skills has been – and always will be – to prepare every Husker student-athlete for life after sports and to help position them for long-term future success. “Our team pays careful attention to trends and societal issues," Zimmer said. "We work diligently to provide leading-edge resources to enhance the marketability of our student-athletes."

Speaking on behalf of current and alumni Husker student-athletes, "both groups are deeply appreciative of the support our administration provides and the generosity of our donors," Zimmer said. "Current and past student-athletes understand how we've combined our resources to create an unmatched Student-Athlete Experience at Nebraska.”

Waterfield: Nebraska's Emphasis Right Where It's Supposed to Be

“We are commited and unrelenting in our pursuit to provide the finest student-athlete experience in all of college athletics,” said Steve Waterfield, Nebraska’s Executive Associate Athletics Director who oversees performance and strategic research. “We put our emphasis where it’s supposed to be – on the student-athletes.”

Championships are also important goals for Nebraska Athletics, and Waterfield is excited about the Huskers' emphasis on performance, research and constant motivation to improve athletically. Epley and fellow Nebraska Athletic Performance Laboratory staffers are systematically developing programs to get better. "A big part of the Student-Athlete Experience is knowing how to compete," Epley said.

NU's New Tradition: A Husker Power Athlete of the Year for Each Sport

In 2015, Nebraska tested six programs in the NAPL in vertical jump, pro agility and 10-yard dash. The top 10 percent for each sport were invited to return and measure their strength in squats to determine each sport's Husker Power Athlete of the Year.

Epley is proud to announce the following 2015 Husker Power inaugural award winners who have worked hard in strength and conditioning in their respective sports: Ryan Boldt Baseball (pictured above); Kiki Stokes Softball; Nick Bartels Men’s Track & Field; Tristen Sharp Women’s Track & Field; Scott Elsass Men’s Tennis; and McKenna Maddox-Herr Women’s Tennis.

"These student-athletes have gone above and beyond to optimize their athletic potential," Epley said. "They are role models for their teams and set the standard for everyone to follow. Motivation is an important part of the chemistry for all teams, and we will be doing the same testing to evaluate every sport at Nebraska."

Nebraska's national champion volleyball team and recent bowl-winning football team will begin their Husker Power testing in March. "We know by experience how important it is to set a high bar in the workout room," Epley said. "A big part of the Student-Athlete Experience is helping every student-athlete and everyone around them get better every day."

Major Donor: NAPL Will Differentiate Nebraska in Recruiting

Four days before Nebraska’s team/staff flew to Northern California to watch Nebraska upset UCLA in the Foster Farms Bowl, Jerry Solomon, a significant donor to the National Athletic Performance Laboratory (NAPL), had lunch with Marc Boehm, Nebraska’s Executive Associate Athletics  Director who oversees Development, Ticketing and Events. Boehm presented Solomon (pictured above) with a framed picture of the NAPL court named in his honor.

Rhonda Revelle, the winningest coach in Nebraska Athletics history and the longest tenured Husker female coach, walked to Solomon’s table. “I just want to thank you for your generosity to the Athletic Department,” Revelle told Solomon. “Our team has used the NAPL facility a lot, and we feel like it’s a real difference-maker for our team. We can’t thank you enough.”

Solomon, 89, held Revelle’s hand and said: “Giving money’s easy. You’re the one who did the hard part.” Appreciating Solomon’s humility, Revelle praised Nebraska administrators for “their wonderful job and making sure that student-athletes are the direct recipients of these amazing resources,” she said. “We’re excited to work again with Boyd Epley inside the NAPL. We get to see how strong we are, how efficient we are and then get a plan of attack so our student-athletes can grow and maximize their talents.”

Revelle Welcomes Back NU's Performance and Strength Index

Revelle also praised the return of Nebraska’s famed performance and strength index and acknowledged how Stokes, a senior outfielder from Olathe, Kan., received the highest overall total score to win the Husker Power Athete of the Year Award for Softball. “Every student-athlete, regardless of sport, can see the index and equate it to the numbers,” Revelle said. “That helps our student-athletes become even more driven than they already are.”

Solomon reinforced Revelle’s statement. “The NAPL is going to make a big difference in our athletes’ strength and speed, and it’s going to make a big difference in our recruiting, too,” he said. “This is a perfect way for donors to do something positive that helps student-athletes get stronger and train safer. The NAPL directly relates to their health, and that’s an important part of their mission to be here.”

Best Student-Athlete Experience a Byproduct of Best Fans   

Sometimes, athletics is pure joy. Sometimes, it’s heartbreaking. Unmatched experiences help young student-athletes learn lessons that, regardless of sport, can’t be taught in a classroom. Nebraska is an educational institution that prepares student-athletes to work hard, develop careers, give back to the community and succeed at the highest level.

Student-athletes who experience both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat learn how to accomplish great things. They also learn how to weather the storm because athletics often mimics life. That’s another reason why it’s important to create the best Student-Athlete Experience in America, supported by the world’s best collegiate fans. There is no Student-Athlete Experience like Nebraska's!

Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part Huskers.com series on The Student-Athlete Experience. The first N-Sider explained how Nebraska Athletics is blazing new trails in blending Development with Ticketing into one department that strives to make the experience of giving and receiving seamless for donors, season ticketholders and fans.

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