One long road: Zlab fulfills dream in final year

By Brian Rosenthal / Huskers.com

“I thought about quitting, but then I noticed who was watching.”

 

Really, dirt bikes aren’t that bad as a means of transportation, provided you’re well-bundled for those bitter cold Nebraska winter mornings.

Tanner Zlab owned a truck, sure enough, but to save money on gas, he’d hop on his bike, leave his rental house just outside of Wilber and begin his daily journey.

There’s Sam Hahn’s farm. There’s Highway 4. There’s Beatrice.

“I just cruised at about 55,” Zlab said, “because it’s not a very big dirt bike.”

After riding about 23 miles, he’d arrive at Southeast Community College, where Zlab took classes during the spring semester of 2013.

A 2012 graduate of Wilber-Clatonia High School, Zlab had already spent the fall semester at Doane College, where he’d played football as a true freshman.

While Zlab saw considerable time on the playing field, he missed the time he’d always spent in the farming field. His step-father was harvesting, and Zlab hated not being there, driving the grain truck.

So intense was this feeling that Zlab began to rethink his business major. He wanted to study agronomy instead, meaning he’d have to transfer to a school that had such a program. Nebraska made the most sense.

It also made sense to knock out some general courses at nearby SCC-Beatrice before beginning his sophomore year in Lincoln.

It was during this semester when Zlab remembers hanging out at a buddy’s place in Wilber for a small get-together.

“I remember sitting down with a kid I went to high school with, a couple of grades above me,” Zlab said. “We weren’t the closest of friends in high school. I remember sitting there, he goes, ‘Tanner, I’ll give you this – you were a good athlete in high school, but I don’t think you’re going to go anywhere in college.’

Zlab paused.

“I remember that. Plain as day.”

***

To anyone who’s ever thought of quitting, whether in sports, music, drama, careers or even relationships, please know and understand the Tanner Zlab story.

It’s a story the generally humble and stay-out-of-the-spotlight Zlab only agreed to share because he figured it could be an inspiration for others.

“If this helps people move forward,” Zlab said, “I’m open to it.”

Otherwise, Zlab isn’t keen on talking about himself, or how he refused to let the rejection emails and failed tryouts keep him from fulfilling his dream.

“My whole goal was to run out of the tunnel, hit the horseshoe and experience what it’s like running in front of that many fans,” Zlab said. “That was the ultimate goal.”

He’s met the goal, and now has set a secondary goal – to run down the field on a kickoff. Just once.

Hey, for all Zlab has done to become a walk-on to the Nebraska football team for just one season, that seems reasonable, no?

***

Zlab reaches down to his backpack, pulls out his laptop and opens it. He scrolls to a special folder he’s labeled “FOR KEEPS.”

He opens a file. It’s one of many emails he received – and saved – from Nebraska’s football staff.

Sent: Friday, January 13, 2012 4:17 PM

To: Tanner Zlab

Subject: RE: Tanner Zlab - Walk-on

Tanner:

I did speak with our staff. Right now you are not in the category of guys we would ask to walk-on.

We have some offers out to other prospects right now and are respecting their time frame to make a decision.

We have room for around 12-15 walk-ons in our class and are unfortunately going to have to turn down a lot of talented players.

If something changes going forward – I will definitely let you know.

 

 

“I was so pissed,” Zlab said. “I left my computer screen up after reading this and went straight to my room. I’m pretty sure my mom went and read the e-mail. I was livid.”

This was his senior year of high school, after Zlab had run for 1,400 yards as a running back and earned all-state honors as a linebacker for a second consecutive season.

“When we scouted them my junior season they were 7-0,” said Hahn, the Nebraska senior guard who played at rival Tri County. “It was pretty much, ‘Zlab right, Zlab left, Zlab up the middle, pass to Zlab.

“He was everything. On defense it seemed like he made every single tackle.”

Wilber-Clatonia had three Zlabs on its 2011 team – Tanner and his two younger brothers, Foster and Carter. Tanner, a senior, even played quarterback. He’d been playing on varsity since his freshman season but also initially played on junior varsity.

Hahn remembers Tri County defeating Wilber-Clatonia in a JV game for the first time in years.

“That’s because Tanner broke his finger in the second quarter,” Hahn said with a smile.

Hahn and Zlab were rivals on the field but friends off it. They’d first met in fifth grade when Hahn, who was too big to play, remembers watching Zlab running back kickoffs for touchdowns and “pretty much dominating” the game.

“He’s had my respect for a long time,” Hahn said.

Tanner, Foster and Carter grew up under the strong guidance of their mother, Donna, a fifth-grade teacher at Wilber-Clatonia. Their father died of cancer when Tanner was 6.

With no father figure, Tanner struggled.

“I wasn’t the best kid in the world, to be honest,” he said. “I’m probably the complete opposite now of what I was growing up. I did not make it easy on her, to say the least.”

Slowly, gradually, he straightened his act. Football helped. So did his mother, who’s since remarried.

“Honestly, she’s one of the best women I’ve ever known,” Zlab said. “I’d put her up against any mother in this world. It wasn’t easy. She was stubborn, kept after me.”

***

Sent: Monday, March 25, 2013 11:44 AM

To: 'tzlab@xxx’

Cc: Jeff Jamrog; Jake Wesch; Aaryn Kearney; Austen Everson

Subject:

Dear Tanner:

Thanks for your email and interest in Nebraska. At the current time we are not adding players to our roster.

If you are interested in working out in front of our coaches - we will have a tryout on Monday, October 21st at 10am in the Hawks Championship Center.

The walk-on tradition here at the University of Nebraska is something that we take a great deal of pride in and work hard to maintain.  As a credit to our tradition, the level of interest in our walk-on program is extremely high, while the number of walk-ons we can accommodate is limited. 

However, students who are eligible through the NCAA and are enrolled at the university are welcome to participate in our tryout. Please bring a pair of cleats with you. You will perform a 40 yard dash, a pro agility, and perform position specific drills.  There will also be position specific drills for those who long snap, punt, or kick. 

In order to participate in the tryout, you must have ALL of the following:

1.      Be enrolled in 12 or more hours at UNL.

2.      Copy of physical in last 6 months.

3.      Proof of taking Sickle Cell Test.

Failure to complete all three requirements will result in being unable to participate in the tryout.

Thanks again for your interest in the University of Nebraska Football Program.

Let me know if you have any additional questions.

 

Zlab’s semester at SCC-Beatrice was complete, and he continued to work out over the summer, knowing an October walk-on tryout was in the offing.

“My goal was to be as big as I could possibly get,” Zlab said. “My thought process was if I can just become huge, there’s no way they could turn me down.”

In the meantime, Zlab and Hahn continued to hang out. They attended a concert together at the Gage County Fair. Hahn, who’d redshirted the previous season at North Dakota State but was transferring to Nebraska, brought a friend along that night to Beatrice.

His name was Sam Foltz.

“We hung out the whole night, and I got to know him,” Zlab said.

When Zlab began his sophomore year at Nebraska that fall, he entered the door of his soils class and saw a familiar face in the corner – always a welcome sight for a new kid from a small town on the first day of school on a big university campus.

“I smiled and pointed,” Zlab said, “and said ‘Hey! I know you!”

Zlab and Foltz sat next to each other in the back row of their soils class the entire semester. They became friends and workout partners. Foltz, himself a farm boy and a walk-on from small-town Nebraska, understood Zlab’s passion and recognized his work ethic and strong desire.

“He was just there for me, and gave me a heck of a lot of encouragement,” Zlab said. “And believe it or not, I’m actually the one who influenced Foltz to start growing his long hair.”

Zlab, Foltz and Hahn grew their long hair together – and finally cut it together, too.

Along the way, Foltz also became Zlab’s biggest advocate.

“Sam would always tell me, ‘Hey, my boy’s up again, 6 a.m., working out, lifting weights.’ It was a weekly occurrence,” said Kenny Wilhite, then a regional recruiting assistant, and now Nebraska’s director of high school relations.

Meanwhile, Zlab had accomplished his goal of “becoming big as heck” for that first tryout. At 5-foot-9 ½, he was a solid 200 pounds of muscle and “squatting a ridiculous amount.” Hahn and Foltz attended to cheer him on and wish him well.

But by putting on so much mass and muscle, he sacrificed speed, and that ultimately hurt him come tryout time.

Zlab ran a 4.72 40-yard dash. Not molasses slow, but certainly nothing that would make him stand out.

“I was just a muscle-bound kid that came in and ran too slow,” Zlab said.

No emails. No phone calls.

Nothing.

***

 

 

From: Jeff Jamrog

Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2014 3:05 PM

To: Tanner

Subject: RE: Tanner Zlab

Tanner,

I have a meeting in the morning. Call me any time after 4pm tomorrow at 402-540-xxxx and we can talk.

Thanks,

Jeff

 

Zlab cut down on the heavy squats. He thinned out his legs, got a little faster. A year has passed, he’s a junior and prepared for a second walk-on tryout.

That’s when Ty Betka, a Superior native who was transferring from Drake, entered the picture.

 “I’m like, ‘Great, here’s another really fast kid I have to compete with,’ ” Zlab said. “They were basically pulling us two out to do stuff. In a way, it was kind of a one-on-one battle. We weren’t going for the same position, but they were testing us out against each other.”

Wilhite agreed that Betka and Zlab stood out the most. Each won his share of the one-on-one battles.

Zlab’s 40 time improved, too, but Betka, a receiver, was faster.

“I remember Kenny Bell and all the other football players up top watching, blown away from his 40-speed – ‘Oh, you need to get him in here right now!’ Yada, yada,’ ” Zlab said.

Within a few days, Betka had received an invite to join the team immediately. Zlab hadn’t heard anything, good or bad.

He emailed Jeff Jamrog, then director of operations, asking him what he could do to improve.

Jamrog responded, on a Sunday, telling Zlab to call him any time after 4 p.m. the next day.

Zlab called after 4 p.m. No answer. He left a voice mail, then walked across the street and sat on some benches in front of the College of Business Administration, where he had an accounting class.

He had some time to wait, just in case Jamrog called back before class.

Sure enough, Jamrog did.

“Hey Tanner, I was just sitting in here talking with someone. I’m pretty sure you know him. Sam Foltz?”

Zlab laughed. “Oh, yeah, I definitely know Sam.”

Jamrog said Foltz had told him Zlab was a hard-working kid, and Jamrog could tell from Zlab's emails he’s very committed and had worked his butt off.

Jamrog's question: Would Zlab be interested in joining the team in January of 2015?

“I hung up and let out a yell,” Zlab said. “I remember walking around the east side of CBA, still pumped, and I just let out a big yell. These two girls were walking by, got freaked out. I’m like, ‘If you two have any idea what just happened, you’d understand.’

“They just laughed and walked away.”

Zlab went to his accounting class. He doubts he paid much attention.

***

On Jan 16, 2015, at 10:28 AM, Tanner wrote:

Hey Kenny,

Here is my email address. Also my phone number if needed is 402-821-xxxx. I really hope you find that tape from the tryout. If you went directly to Coach Riley and told him my situation, do you think that would help? You have no idea how much I appreciate your help. If they need more information about me or anything please give me a call. For position wise, I'm game with anywhere they want to throw me. I think special teams is where I can make an impact early on. If this helps decide where to put me, back in high school senior year I rushed for over 1,400 yards and was an all state linebacker both junior and senior year.

Thanks for all your help,

Tanner Zlab

 

From: Kenny Wilhite

Sent: Friday, January 16, 2015 10:43 AM

To: Tanner

Subject: Re: Tanner Zlab

Tanner thanks again for stopping by and the email. I will make sure coach knows about you. Give me two weeks. As a former player here I know you could help us. 

 

Bo Pelini had been fired, and Jamrog, now head coach at Midland University, was no longer on staff, either. This time, upheaval was responsible for thwarting Zlab’s dream.

“I’m pretty devastated at this time,” he said.

Zlab lost motivation. He didn’t work out as hard, or as often. Just barely enough.

January rolled around, and Zlab figured he had nothing to lose by going to the Nebraska coaches’ offices at Memorial Stadium and telling the new staff his story.

He walked in, and Zlab laid eyes on Wilhite. More importantly, Wilhite recognized Zlab.

Relief.

“He put me under his wing, said he’d talk to the staff,” Zlab said, "see what he could do."

Well, the new staff wanted to see Zlab in person before agreeing to add him. So Zlab went through yet a third tryout.

“This time, I honestly performed really well,” Zlab said, noting his 40-yard dash was in the upper-4.5 range. “I felt like I was by far the top performer there.”

A few days later, Zlab received word that the new staff wouldn’t be adding Zlab that spring. In fact, it wouldn’t be adding anybody. The new coaches wanted to get to know the current players before adding to the roster.

“Right then and there I was so pissed off. So pissed off,” Zlab said. “At this point, I’m just really fed up with everything. I’ve been busting my butt for the longest time. I thought I had my ‘in’ – again – and it didn’t happen.”

***

From: Ryan Gunderson

Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 7:40 PM

To: Tanner

Subject: Re: Tanner Zlab

You just need to know that a lot of these spots are to help on scout teams, it would take a lot of work to get on the field.  Not to say you wouldn't get an opportunity, it's just hard.

 

On Jun 24, 2015, at 7:38 PM, Tanner wrote:

Awesome! Throw me in there anywhere! I just need an opportunity. I am 5'10" and 195 lbs. I've been keeping up with my weights and have still been keeping up with things since the last tryout.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Tanner

 

Subject: Re: Tanner Zlab

Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2015 00:32:25

Tanner, 

We may have a need for a walk-on DB, I will stay in touch, how big are you right now?

Ryan

“I thought he had given up on it a couple of times,” said Hahn, who’d now been roommates with Zlab, and still is. “People were like, ‘Is he still trying?’ I didn’t know what to say, because I didn’t know if it was ever going to happen.”

Neither did Zlab, who was entering his senior year of college. He’d put in so much effort, become so emotionally drained, that he began looking for other ways to use his time.

“I’ve come to the point in my life to where if I want to do something, I’m just going to do it and have fun with it,” Zlab said. “There’s no reason to not live it up and go do things you want to do.”

Like, say, for instance, fly a plane.

Zlab had an interest, so he went to Beatrice and took lessons. He doesn’t have his full pilot’s license yet, but he can take solo flights in the area in small Cessnas. He’d fly over the Hahn farm, snap a picture and send it to his roommate.

He’d also send pictures from the air to Foltz, who, according to Zlab, one day wanted to return home and crop dust.

They also talked about riding bulls together. “Just let me know when we’re going to go!” was always the response from Foltz.

Zlab also plays the tuba in the Wilber Alumni Polka Band at Czech Days each August. He’s considered becoming an EMT.

As part of one of his business classes, Zlab was instructed to come up with a start-up plan for a business of his choice. He couldn’t think of one.

“I was sitting there with my mom one time, and she was having a glass of wine and mentioned something about it’d be cool to have a vineyard in the backyard,” Zlab said. “And it just clicked.”

His business plan has grown and grown. Zlab worked at a vineyard last summer and is now going to different wineries in the area to figure out varieties he wants to put in the ground. He's planning his vineyard on some land on his step-father's farm.

“He’s just always doing something,” said Hahn, recalling the time he, Zlab and Foltz cut up a deer in the garage.

Made for good jerky.

***

From: Christopher Brasfield

Sent: Monday, January 25, 2016 10:12 AM

To: Tanner

Subject: You've been cleared!

You have been cleared to join the team for workouts.  Stop by my office today to make sure I have all of your contact information.

Thanks,

Chris Brasfield

 

Zlab remained in contact with Ryan Gunderson, the Huskers’ new director of player personnel.

Early that summer, of 2015, Gunderson said coaches would be having another tryout around the time school started. Well, not until October did that tryout actually occur, but Zlab was ready.

Again.

A fourth tryout.

“I come into the mindset with this one that I’ll just see what happens, bust my butt, whatever," Zlab said. "I know the drill.”

Again, Zlab thought he crushed all the drills, thought he was the top performer. He again talked to the coaches, thanked them. Again, Hahn and Foltz were there in support, just as they had been for all of his tryouts.

This tryout was Monday of fall break. On Tuesday, Zlab was in line at Wal-Mart when his phone began to buzz.

He saw an Oregon area code, but didn't immediately piece together the fact Nebraska’s new coaching staff came from Oregon State.

Zlab answered anyway. It was Chris Brasfield, at the time Nebraska's director of high school relations, who told him they wanted to bring him in Friday to test again at his position so coaches could see him up close.

Yes, a fifth tryout.

That Thursday night, Zlab was laying on his couch, watching television. Around 8:30 p.m., the same Oregon number popped up on his buzzing phone.

It’s Brasfield. There’d be no need to come on Friday. Secondary coach Brian Stewart had attended the Monday workout and seen all he needed of Zlab.

Stewart was impressed. Zlab, at long last, could join the team in January.

“It says a lot about him as a person, his character,” Wilhite said. “Some kids would just say, ‘OK, I’m not good enough.’ He always thought he was good enough to have some role on this team. He was persistent about it. The kid has a heart of a lion. I admire the kid. That’s why I always pushed to get him on the roster.

“He exemplifies what Nebraska high school kids are. They’re tough, they’re hard-nosed, they’re hard-working. Most of them are from farm communities and they farm growing up. It instills hard work in them from day one.”

Five years, four tryouts, three schools and two coaching staffs later, Zlab had made the Nebraska football team as a walk-on for his fifth and final year of college.

What did Zlab do to celebrate?

“To be honest,” he said, “I went and had a beer.”

***

Zlab played in the Red-White Spring Game in April. He played decent, he said. Made some tackles. Had fun.

But he couldn’t wait for the real thing come fall.

“I kept thinking I wanted to get Foltz on the sideline and I couldn’t wait for that first game when we could take a picture in our uniforms together,” Zlab said. “He’s like, ‘Dude, I can’t wait for that day either.’ "

Foltz, after all, did a “significant amount of rallying” to both coaching staffs, Hahn said, in support of bringing on Zlab.

“Sam was very proud of him for that and would be for everything he’s doing right now,” Hahn said. “When he got to see him play in the Spring Game, that was awesome.”

Foltz, Hahn and Zlab took their picture together, in their Husker jerseys, in July, at the 5K run as part of the Uplifting Athletes event at Memorial Stadium.

It’s the last picture the three of them took together. Foltz, 23, died in a car accident in Wisconsin a week later.

“I guess we did get our picture,” Zlab said, “but the whole original goal was to get one on the sideline. That would’ve been cool … all that long time I’m telling him I’m going to get a pic on the sideline with our jerseys, but … “

Zlab, who has a 3.762 GPA, will graduate in December with a double major in agronomy, and fisheries and wildlife.

He’s not played in a game. It’s his first and only season on the team, and he understands coaches must invest in younger players. And he's met his goal of running out of the tunnel and touching the horseshoe.

"Honestly," Zlab said, "everything that’s happened since is icing on the cake.”

Of course, that hasn’t stopped Zlab from putting a word in the ear of special teams coach Bruce Read now and then.

“I’m like, ‘Hey, coach, if it’s a home game and we’re up by a ton, it’d mean a ton to me if you threw me in for one kickoff.’

"We’ll see if that happens.”

In concluding his interview Zlab, never forgetting the impact Foltz had in helping Zlab fulfill his dream, shows the background photo on his cell phone.

It’s a quotation Zlab continues to live by.

“I thought about quitting, but then I noticed who was watching.”

Reach Brian at brosenthal@huskers.com or follow him on Twitter @GBRosenthal.