IBlazeJv sees through spotlights to make grades
I By Nick Hodge
Staff Reporter
The spoil ight and media attention
of major college football over
whelms many players, but Nebraska
defensive back Mark Bla/.ck has
warned to keep publicity in perspec
tive.
Bla/ck’s ability to see through the
smoke screens of autograph and pic
ture seekers has enabled him to com
plete his college eligibility as one of
the most decorated Comhuskcr
scholar-athletes.
Bla/.ck, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound
senior, has a long list of accomplish
ments for his performance in the
classroom and as a safety for coach
Blazek
Blazekfs numbers}
Total tackles--40
Unassisted--19
p>ne tackle, 3-yard loss
1 om Osborne’s No. 6-ranked Husk
ers.
Blazck’s collegiate resume in
cludes:
3.957 grade point average in
social science education.
1988 National Football Founda
tion and Hall of Fame Post-Graduate
Scholarship worth $4,000.
1988 CBS-Toyota Leadership
Award.
• Two-time GTE/CoSIDA Aca
demic All-American
• Two-time Academic All-Bie
Eight b
• GTE/CoSIDA Academic All
District VII
• Two-time Honorable-Mention
All-Big Eight
' ESPN Studcnt-of-thc-Gamc
Award (Arizona Slate)
• Two-time CBS-Toyota Leader
ship Award (Oklahoma)
• Chosen to play in the 1989 Japan
Bowl all star game.
Blazck, a 1984 waik-on from
Raymond Central High School, said
his experience in the Army National
Guard helped him both financially
and mentally.
Alter playing reserve safely on
Nebraska’s 4-1 junior varsity team,
Bla/.ek sat out the 1985 fall semester
so lie could attend basic training.
Blazek said that because he was
born and raised in Valparaiso, which
is located approximately 20 miles
northwest of Lincoln, he had never
been away from home and on hisow n
until basic training.
‘‘I grew up there --1 had the disci
pline, I w orked hard - but the time off
gave me a new/ perspective,” Blazek
said. *'' 11 was good to get away awhile
and grow up a little. I realized how
much I liked it here.”
Blazek said he wanted to play
college football for at least one year,
but he didn’t think he could afford
four years of college w ilhoul a schol
arship. He said he talked to coaches
from Doane, Hastings and Northwest
Missouri State before deciding to
become a Husker.
After returning to school, Blazek
rejoined the team and participated in
1986 spring football. He emerged as a
backup in the Husker secondary.
Osborne awarded Blazek a schol
arship the next fall.
Blaxck lettered as a sophomore en
route to making 27 tackles and inter
cepting two passes.
Last year, he started at free safety
and led the secondary with 45 tackles
and three interceptions. His play
earned him the first of a long list of
post-season honors.
He injured his right hamstring late
last season. The injury lingered
throughout winter conditioning and
forced him to sit out of spring work
outs.
A healthy Tim Jackson won
Blaxck s free safely position during
spring practice. Blax.ck, who is still
hampered by the injury, has been
playing backup to Jackson and Reg
gie Cooper this season.
Blaxck said the injury has been
frustrating.
i really wanted to come in and
have a big senior year,” he said. “It’s
been a big adjustment having to come
in off the bench most of the season. I
can’t complain, because I’ve won
lots of awards. But I really expected
to have a big year and improve on last
year.”
Blaxck said he will have surgery
on his leg following the Jan. 16 Japan
Bowl. Unless his leg totally heals,
Blaxck said he would give up his
visions of playing professional foot
ball.
Despite the injury, Blaxck has
recorded 40 tackles and picked off
three passes this season. One of those
'He’s done an out
standing job here at
Ei Paso.'
-- Rogers
interceptions was a controversial 75
yardcr that he returned for a touch
down Sept. 10 in Nebraska’s 41-28
loss to UCLA.
Of all Blazck’s honors, he said one
of the biggest came when his Husker
teammates voted him one of four
team captains for this season, he said.
Blazck is the 33rd Nebraska
player to cam Academic All-Amer
ica honors and is the seventh Husker
to be named a two-time scholar-ath
lete.
Blazek, who received two B
pluses his freshman year to tarnish his
otherwise perfect grade point aver
age, said he realized early how im
portant grades are.
“It’s necessary to keep the pres
sure in perspective,” he said. “On
the weeks when you have a big game
and a test, you need to keep things in
perspective. You can ’t let it get to you
more than anything.”
Blazek said the time commit
ments of being successful both on and
off the field have not been easy.
“It’s been tough. It puls a liule
added pressure on you,” he said.
4 ‘There’s times when guys go out and
I say ‘No, I’ve got to write this pa
per.’”
By keeping school and football in
perspective, Blazek has been able to
successfully maintain both sets of
responsibilities.
‘‘I have to arrange my time and it
takes discipline,” he said.
Blazek, who w ill graduate in May,
said he would like to return to sports
someday. He said he is leaning to
wards law school and possibly be
coming a sports agent. He said he
could use his education to teach and
coach.
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