Then & Now: Craig Wortmann

Then & Now: Craig Wortmann

Compiled By Dave Brandon

(Photo Courtesy NU Media Relations)

Craig

Wortmann played at Nebraska from 1999-2001, and is one

of the more successful walk-ons in school history.

Wortmann began his career under Danny Nee, and continued

his progression with the hiring of Barry Collier. In

fact, Wortmann grew as a player so much that he

accomplished a rare feat for a walk-on in 2000-2001 as

he cracked the starting lineup.

Wortmann recently sat down with HHC as our latest Sunday

guest in the feature "Then & Now."

HHC: Craig,

thanks for joining us on HHC.

CW:

Not a problem. I’m really glad to find out about this

website.

HHC: You grew up in Hartington, Nebraska,

and attended Cedar Catholic High School, where you

helped lead your team to a 24-1 record your senior

season. Talk about what playing basketball at that level

was like, and did you find it hard to get recruited

because of the small town?

CW:

I think so, but just a little bit. There were offers

from the schools in the northeastern part of Nebraska,

obviously. But, to get out of that region was pretty

difficult, especially in getting noticed. You basically

had to do a lot of different things in the summer to get

any kind of attention.

But

playing at that level, it was great, and at our school

there was a lot of tradition from all of the players

before me. There was a bunch of stuff there that we

watched growing up that we all wanted to be a part of,

and I think that while we were there, we did some nice

things as well.

But

yeah, growing up together as a group and playing

together from the 4^th grade and on was fun.

So, it was nice being in a small school for that reason,

because you got to know your friends and people you were

playing with. I still have some of those friends to this

day.

HHC: You ended up going to Northeast

Community College out of high school, where you were

teammates and split minutes with former Husker Ross

Buckendahl. Talk about the competition at that level,

and did it prepare you at all for your arrival at

Nebraska?

CW:

I think so, because it helped me grow and mature quite a

bit. What I mean is that coming from a small school,

you’re the best player on your team, and you don’t

really find that level of competition all across the

board that we had at Northeast.

We had a

lot of fun there at Northeast, and a lot of us knew each

other from the small schools that we were playing

against in that area. I played against Ross in

basketball and football growing up, so we knew of each

other, but obviously got to know each other better,

which was great. But yeah, playing at Northeast really

helped me develop into a better player, as far as

finding a few things you were good at it, and realizing

your weaknesses, as well. That’s what really made you

better. 

HHC: How much did it mean to you and Ross

being teammates at both Northeast and Nebraska?

CW: I think it helped us get through some

of the first challenges of walking on, since we did that

at the same time. And, our decision to leave Northeast

to take that chance, it was nice having somebody to do

that with. We were even roommates at Northeast. So, we

talked about leaving and decided that we both wanted to

take that chance, to see what we could do. And, growing

through those stages helped us, because we had so much

history together – kind of like having a brother there

for you at all times. And then you also had a friend

there when things were good or bad – just always someone

there to share different things with. So, I think having

him there made it easier to adjust with all took place.

HHC: We've

talked to former Husker walk-on Jeremy Glenn from

Ogallala, and he's told us that former assistant coach

Jeff Smith sought him out to walk on upon arriving on

campus. How did this process work with you - did the

coaches know you’d be coming ahead of time, or did you

come to campus with just an outside chance?

CW:

It was more of me wanting to come. I had thought about

trying to walk on in high school, and it just wasn’t

working out, so I decided to go to Northeast before

taking the chance. So, I came, got all the paperwork,

and it took off from there. We had tryouts and actually

the first tryout that we had, I didn’t make it, and Ross

did. But, they called me back two or three days later

and told me they needed another player, so it started

from there. It was a week of let down, but after that,

it was nothing but good experiences.

HHC: Does the walk on process always work

that way, or does it vary from player to player and year

to year?

CW: We had an open tryout, and I went in

and talked to coach Nee before hand when I first got

onto campus. So, I knew what to do before I got started.

And, they always had a time where players got together

and play, so Ross and I tried to do that as much as we

could. And then we interacted with the coaches to see

when we’d have tryouts, and we had 8 or 10 player’s

total tryout. So, they took Ross off the bat, and me

later.

I don’t

know if that’s the standard process every year, because

it depends on what they have at that time. If they have

a lot of players and don’t need more, then I don’t think

there’s a huge need for it. I don’t know if they look

for players or not. Coach Collier may have at the

beginning, but now that he has his own recruits, I’m not

sure. I don’t know how its been done lately, but that’s

how it was done when I was there. 

HHC: Talk

about the average day in the life of a scout-team

member, as far as practice goes. What kind of things

would you do, and how did it differ from the scholarship

players?

CW: The average day was pretty much the

same for everyone. We had a pretty structured schedule,

with weights before or after practice, and then drills.

The only breakdown of differences was a point in

practice when scout team guys would sometimes get

together and learn the plays of the opposition. But

after that, we’d get back together and play. So really,

we were all together, and you wouldn’t know the

difference between a walk-on and scholarship player.

HHC: Did you

ever have any idea that you would become a starter by

your senior year at Nebraska, and how much did that mean

to you?

CW:

As I first came in, I didn’t think so. In the program we

were in at that time, and the way things were, I kind of

thought scout team was the highest I’d get to, which was

okay by me, because I’d made it, and it was a goal I was

trying to do. It kind of helped me to relax, and to be

able to just sit back and learn from the older players.

When I

first got the idea that Coach Collier was going to start

me for that first game, I was a little nervous, but not

that much because of what I’d gone through the previous

two seasons. But, it meant the world to me at that time.

Just getting on the team was one transition, and then

getting to play was everything coming true that I’d

worked for up to that point. So, it was a fun time, as

far as the relationships we built and teams we had.

HHC: Talk a little bit about what it was

like playing under Danny Nee compared to Barry Collier,

as far as describing each as both a coach and man.

CW:

It was definitely two different personalities. There

were good and bad things on both sides. Coach Nee was

more laidback, but we were able to do different things

to bring out individual talents, which can hurt you

sometimes. Under Coach Collier, it was more of an effort

to bring out the team aspect, as far as more discipline,

which worked out well, too.

Coach

Collier was definitely more disciplined and a straight a

shooter. He’d tell you the way it was, and what you

needed to do to play. Coach Nee was more roundabout, and

maybe sometimes you didn’t get it. So, in that aspect it

was kind of nice, because I know there were a few times

that Coach Collier told me that, “you need to do this,”

and it helped a lot. I enjoyed both coaches very much.

HHC: We ask every player who played under

Danny Nee for a classic Danny Nee story or two to add to

our ongoing collection. What can you contribute?

CW:

What sticks out with me about Coach Nee was when we’d be

in Kansas City, and especially since I live here now.

But anyway, we’d always go to Houston’s, which is a

great restaurant and steakhouse here. So I guess that

just thinking back to the places he’d take us to eat, it

gave us a little culture. Some of our guys never had the

chance to go into those kinds of places and eat, so that

was something we did every time we came to Kansas City. 

HHC: What are your favorite memories of

your times at Nebraska, both on and off the court? Any

particular games stick out?

CW: Well, probably the favorite games to

play in were the home games of the Big 12. The crowds

there at the Devaney Center were great, as far as the

excitement. That’s just something that coming from a

small town, was enormous to be a part of. You just can’t

describe it until you’re inside of it.

Probably

what I remember most is that you would think that with

that large of a crowd, you’d get distracted. But, as you

got onto the court, everything went away, and it was 5

on 5 with coaches screaming at you. And I just always

remember thinking, “We’re sitting here in front of so

many people, but it seems like there’s only 12 people

out here trying to beat the other team.”

Off the

court, I think it was the friendships that we built,

because we had a lot of fun goofing around on road

trips. Then going to class, and just doing the normal

college things.  

If we

were closer, I think that some of us would still be

together and hanging out, but unfortunately, we’re all

dispersed and have gotten on with our lives.

HHC: Before we get to what you're doing today,

answer us an honest question. Who was better with the

ladies, yourself or Ross, because we hear he's quite the

bragger.

CW:

(Laughs) Ross… Well, I don’t know if I can say anything,

because I don’t want to get him into trouble since he’s

married now and so am I. (Laughs) I think we both just

had a lot of fun, because him and I were together for a

lot of years, and we were almost like brothers with the

things that we did together, as far as joking around.

But, I’d probably have to say that I’d have to be better

with the ladies than him. And, I would assume he’d

expect that answer from me.

HHC: (Laughs)

We thought so... Hey, what is Craig Wortmann up to these

days, both personally and professionally?

CW: Like I just mentioned, I recently was

married to my wife Wendy. She was a track athlete at

Doane, and we just built a house here in Olathe, just

outside of Kansas City. I work in KC for U.S. Bank in

the private banking area, and am enjoying it a lot. And,

besides that, I’m just trying to enjoy life right now

and play a little basketball on the side, along with a

little flag football. Just trying to have fun and enjoy

life.

HHC: Craig, thanks a lot for taking the

time to join us. Are you cool with taking reader e-mails

at

[email protected] if we set you up an

account?

CW:

Thanks for having me, and yeah, I’ll definitely take

some e-mails.  Keep up the great work with the site; I’m

glad that I know about it now.

***UPDATE***

As of

05/01/06 Craig Wortmann is now a sales representative

with Perceptive Software.<script type="text/javascript" language="javascript">