2018 Gameday Program Senior Feature - Tanner Farmer

After a morning of football practice in full pads and helmets, athletes leave practice in the indoor football field of the Hawks Championship Center. One of the last to walk out is a 6-foot-4, 310-pound player. Tanner Farmer, a senior offensive lineman from Highland, Ill., is dripping wet. He gets a slice of watermelon and chats with a few other teammates before being approached for an interview.

He looks back with an expression of exhaustion and asks, “Does it have to be right now?”

After practicing for almost two hours under the sun in 90-degree heat, it’s understandable that Farmer was ready for a break. However, it didn’t take long for his mood to change, as he started to speak with pride about his time at Nebraska.

The Illinois native joined the Huskers in 2014 after leading Highland High School to an 11-1 record and a trip to the state quarterfinals. For his efforts, he earned first-team all-state honors in 2013. More impressive than his football resumé though, were his records in wrestling. Farmer was a two-time state champion at 285 pounds.

At Nebraska, Farmer continued to fulfill both passions. As a redshirt freshman, he competed for the Nebraska wrestling team and posted a 5-1 mark in open tournaments.

In 2016 and 2017, though, Farmer earned a starting spot on the football team, but kept practicing with the wrestling squad.

“Football is my first love, but wrestling was what really made me good in football, in my opinion,” Farmer said. “Growing up, I wasn’t always the best player on the teams I played on in the little league, so it wasn’t until I started wrestling that I started getting good at football. Being able to be a part of both [teams] was just so amazing, and I’m so happy that I did it.”

The two-sport athlete can list several aspects of wrestling that help him in football. Farmer highlights balance, quickness and how to use his hips and feet. The development of compact areas of his body improve his ability to block players, as does his tireless work in the weight room, where he is one of the strongest players on the team.

Farmer’s imposing presence is not only physical. The lineman is one of the offense’s leadership figures.

“If anybody needs help, there’s no being lazy and saying ‘no’,” Farmer said. “Before, I wasn’t always the guy that people called for help, and I’m really happy that they can come to me,. They can talk to me. If they need help they can ask me for help. I try to always be there.”

It wasn’t always like this though. Farmer had to learn how to be a leader throughout his time at Nebraska. On and off the field, he took simple actions that helped gain the trust – and friendships – of other players. He would take freshmen to the film room and teach them plays, put in extra time at practice to lead by example and even help teammates move into new homes.

Farmer’s leadership will be key for this new era in Husker football, with Scott Frost at the helm. And if Farmer has anything to say about it, success won’t take that long.

“I don’t want to win just the Big Ten Championship, I want to win the championship,” Farmer said in a press conference during fall camp. “That’s my goal. Is that a realistic goal? A lot of people say winning the national championship isn’t a realistic goal. Well, I’m not about realistic. I want it all. Go big or go home.”