Had everything gone according to plan, Tim Weak would be prepping Nebraska’s offense to face Northwestern this Saturday.
The Omaha, Neb., native was a fan of the Cornhuskers throughout his childhood, reflecting the Big Red house in which he was raised. Weak’s father attended dental school at Nebraska, and his parents lived in Lincoln for their first four years of marriage.
“If you’re from Nebraska, every kid dreams of playing there,” Weak said. “That’s all you know. Plus, the time when I grew up in ’95 and ’96, Nebraska was winning national championships.”
It was a dream come true for Weak when he accepted an offer from the Cornhuskers to be a preferred walk-on – until that dream was suddenly denied. Two hours after Weak accepted, Nebraska told Weak it no longer had a spot for him.
“That was kind of a God thing for me, where that door closed and coming here is where I was supposed to be,” Weak said. “It really was the best thing that’s ever happened to me even though at first it was a bummer. But I wouldn’t change anything.”
Now a junior cornerback at NU, Weak is looking forward to returning to Lincoln. He attended many Nebraska games as a kid and played in three high school state championships at Memorial Stadium during his time at Millard North High School, the same school former Cornhuskers star and Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch attended.
“I got to play on there three times on my high school career, so that was a really neat experience,” Weak said. “Certainly it wasn’t filled like it will be this Saturday, but it will be really weird going back there.”
As NU’s only representative from the Cornhusker State, Weak has taken some ribbing from his teammates this week. Weak said teammates have told him that “the only good thing to come out of Nebraska is the Weak family.”
Much of Weak’s family will be in attendance on Saturday, including his parents, cousins and his sister, Katy, who plays piccolo in the Nebraska band.
“My dad will be wearing Northwestern stuff for sure,” Weak said. “My mom made a half Nebraska, half Northwestern shirt because she’s got to support my sister and the band. My parents will cheer for the band during halftime, and then … for Northwestern for the game.”
Though Weak does not make many appearances on the field, he is active off of it as a member of Athletes in Action, an evangelical Christian ministry.
“Every time I step on this practice field or get in the weight room, it’s for God and His glory,” Weak said. “I don’t play a lot, so I don’t get to take a knee in the end zone after scoring a touchdown and give praise to God, but just for the opportunities that He’s given me here, I get to praise Him.”
Weak’s faith has created bonds between him and fellow Christian athletes, wide receivers Mike Jensen and Demetrius Fields.
“I met (Weak) in the lounge in Slivka my freshman year, I was watching church and he was walking through,” Fields said. “That’s kind of definitive of our relationship, both Christian athletes.”
Weak, or “Tweak” as his friends call him, is the lone member of the Cats who is married, a trait that Jensen said “fits him perfectly.” The ceremony was a NU affair, as former players Zeke Markshausen and Amado Villarreal were groomsmen while Andrew Brewer, James Nussbaum and Jensen also attended.
“I have to remember that he’s married sometimes because I text him, asking him stuff,” Fields said. “He’ll get back like an hour and a half later, and I’m like, ‘Oh I forgot, you are doing your marital business.’ I don’t know exactly what that is, other commitments.”
Before Weak got married this July, he asked his friends not to treat him differently just because he was the only one with a wife.
“He just was talking about before he actually got married how he didn’t want us to leave him out of the loop,” Fields said. “Don’t forget about him just because he’s got time commitments with his wife.”
