Dr. Robert Zatechka currently serves as a physician and anesthesiologist at OrthoNebraska Hospital in Omaha, and he co-hosts the weekly "Husker Doc Talk" podcast during the football season. A four-year starter at Nebraska as an offensive tackle, Zatechka anchored an offensive line that produced an overall record of 42-6-1 from 1991-94. At Nebraska, Zatechka posted a perfect 4.0 GPA in the classroom while captaining the 1994 Cornhuskers to an undefeated national championship season. The Lansing, Michigan, native signed with the New York Giants in 1995 and played in 47 games for the franchise from 1995-97 before embarking full-time on his medical career.
Nebraska boasts the most NFF National Scholar-Athletes all-time. What does it mean to be part of such a storied student-athlete tradition?
Both in representing Nebraska, as well as the NFF, it's an incredibly humbling honor! Nebraskans tend to pride themselves on having a blue collar mentality with a dedication to hard work and the Campbell Trophy definitely exemplifies that.
What is special about Husker football and what was your most memorable collegiate game?
I grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and there is an incredible bond between the team and its home state fans. My most memorable game was the 1994 home game against Colorado. This was Nebraska's 200th straight sellout and the win propelled us into the No. 1 ranking.
You were a former teammate of current Nebraska coach Scott Frost. Is Coach Frost moving the program in the right direction and what are your expectation for the coming season?
I truly think Nebraska has the right man for the job in Coach Frost. More than anything I appreciate the fact that he's rebuilding a program on a foundation of high effort, work, and maintaining home state ties with an extensive walk-on program, many of who are local athletes.
What are the challenges of being an anesthesiologist during the pandemic and what have you learned most about yourself?
It's definitely proved challenging for everyone in healthcare. On the plus side, I work at an incredible institution (OrthoNebraska Hospital in Omaha) and the staff there has worked with a complete sense of teamwork in regards to providing protective equipment for the staff as well as maintaining a high degree of compassion in their patient care. More than anything, the way I've been affected has been in the combination of pride and humility that comes from working with great people.
Because of the pandemic, the upcoming football season could be anything but typical. What are you looking forward to most and what role does football play in getting our country back to normal?
I think football definitely plays a role in returning to normalcy but, also in the opportunities and experiences it provides for the players. The dedication, sacrifice, ability to be part of an experience bigger than myself, and achievement from playing is something I will always cherish.
Tell us more about your podcast, "Husker Doc Talk".
This is a (in-season) podcast I do with Travis Justice (local sports broadcaster) that covers a little of all sports but, mostly college football. Travis and I have done some type of media production (radio, TV call-in show, etc) since about 2001. The great thing about podcasts are that there isn't a time constraint and we can record at any time. We have a bit of a unique format in that I'm obviously a huge Nebraska fan and Travis is a die-hard Hawkeye. A side note of interest is that our title sponsor is NFF/College Hall of Fame inductee Dave Rimington and the Boomer Esiason Foundation, truly a great group to be partnered with.
QUICK HITS –
Guilty pleasure TV show?
Ozark on Netflix
Favorite junk food?
Tortilla chips dipped in that awful plastic-like nacho cheese that comes in a jar.
Last book you read?
"Better" by Atul Gawande
Unique skills or hobbies?
Die hard DIY guy around the house. Sometimes I can actually manage to fix things. Sometimes.
Campbell Trophy Q&A Background:
Click here for more information on The William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, which has been presented every year since 1990 to the nation's top scholar-athlete from the college gridiron. In 2019, Mazda became the sponsor of the Trophy, launching their Power of Potential Platform with ESPN. The trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association, which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football.
Today's Q&A represents the second in a series of Q&A sessions with former winners of the Campbell Trophy.
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