Tag Archive | ROB MCCARTNEY

Zach Potter and the Sea of Red

I’m going to let you in on a little secret..

the four main anchors at KETV are Harry Potter nerds.

Ok.. I’m probably the only NERD of the group. But both Bill and Andy know the stories after years of reading with their children, Rob is making his way through the JK Rowling stories right now.. and I’ve read them more times than I can count. I LOVE escaping into Rowling’s incredible world of magic, mayhem and muggles. Rowling lays out a scenario in the first book, symbolizing so much of what readers see in their hero throughout the series: Harry, the youngest seeker in a century, snags the coveted Golden Snitch in the opening Quidditch match of the season, winning the game for his team.

#NerdAlert.

Stick with me, folks! I’m heading somewhere with this!! Meet Nebraska’s Potter, who also made quite the name for himself as a young man on the field at Memorial Stadium.

#98 Zach Potter, Defensive End 2005-2008 (Photo courtesy Nebraska Athletics)

“Growing up in Nebraska, it helps you understand it, but at the same time, until you actually experience it, you walk out on that field and see 90,000 people every Saturday; it’s pretty special,” Potter recently told KETV photojournalist Tyler White. “The further you get from it, the further you are from playing, it’s that much more special to look back on those memories.”

Potter’s football memories have local roots; he is a Hall of Fame Creighton Prep graduate (inducted in 2014), where he where he helped the Junior Jays win a state football title, and vie for a state basketball title. The Lincoln Journal Star named Potter the co-Boys High School Athlete of the Year, and B’Nai B’rith’s Bert Rend Award as the state’s top male athlete.

Still, even the best of high school players don’t often make a name for themselves as true freshman in division one sports. Potter did.

Photo courtesy Nebraska Athletics

2005, Zach Potter played in all 12 games, arguably saving two of those games for the Huskers. Against Pittsburgh, Potter blocked an attempted filed goal and secured Nebraska’s 7-6 victory. Less than two months later, Potter blocked a Kansas State PAT, and Nebraska won 27-25. Potter grabbed the Golden Snitch for the Huskers, twice, in his first season on the field.

“My favorite playing memory,” said Potter. “Pretty fun to do, pretty exciting, big moments of the game.”

CLICK HERE to watch KETV’s Throwback Thursday feature on #98 Zach Potter! http://m.ketv.com/huskers/tbt-zach-potter/36144822

It was the start of an exciting four years for Potter, who also volunteered his time at local schools and facilities focused on kids, and excelled in the classroom. Potter was an Academic All-American and on the Honor Roll all four years.

Photo courtesy Nebraska Athletics

After graduation, he did what many athletes dream of, joining the National Football League in 2009.

“I enjoyed a nice 6-year career in the NFL, playing tight end for the Jets, the Jaguars, the Rams and the Texans,” said Potter.

Photo courtesy zimbio.com

And now, Potter has come full circle returning to where it all started, working as an Audio/Visual Integrator with CCS Presentation Systems in Omaha, Nebraska. Big Red Recipes recently reached out to Potter, asking him to contribute a favorite recipe for their cookbook collection from former Huskers. Each player that takes part gets to choose which charity will benefit. Just as he did in college, Potter once again thought of children he could help.

“My Dad’s been involved a lot [with the Ronald McDonald House], so I’ve taken part in some of the golf tournaments, kind of involved secondhand,” said Potter. “This was really my first chance to get into it and do it myself. It’s a great charity. They give back to many families who have children who need help here and gives a spot for their families to come to, to relax after a long day at the hospital.”

Thursday, October 15th, Zach Potter revealed another talent; cooking. Potter and a few assistants (including his beautiful wife and little girl!) made sweet potato casserole, meat balls, and bruschetta for the out-of-town families staying at the Ronald McDonald House, while their children receive medical treatment here in Omaha.

“Hopefully the guests here will enjoy it, and hopefully we don’t mess it up too much!” joked Potter. (Editor’s note: I didn’t get to try the feast.. but boy, it looked FANTASTIC.) “Myself, being here in Omaha, I wanted to be part of this and give back to a great fan base that obviously supported me through four years down in Lincoln.”

A quick history lesson.. not all of Potter’s years at Nebraska were ‘fun’. As I heard from his quarterback, Joe Ganz, these were also the seasons that saw an outcry from Husker nation after some rough losses and the firing of Head Coach Bill Callahan. Social media was also coming into play, allowing hundreds, if not thousands of fans, to connect directly with the players.

“I think the biggest thing now about social media is you get to see how crazy the fans are about Nebraska football,” said Potter. “You’ve got X number of followers on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter. You post one thing and people are just going nuts, asking questions, whether it’s good or bad. Advice for the players would be to not pay attention to the media. Put your head down, work hard. The results are going to come if you work hard.”

Potter told us despite the team not being where anyone wants them to be right now, he think Coach Riley and his staff will do a great job. He’s watching his former team, and hoping for the best.

You face hard times, you press on and you eventually come out of it. You look back on an adventure in your life, and the good stands out, not the bad.

“My favorite memory is still always going to be the friendships I created with the guys down there,” said Potter. “Obviously, we always wanted to win every, single game, but looking back now it’s those friendships you still have today you created back then.”

To end this, I’ll do what I do and tie it all together. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore tells Harry “it is our choices that show who we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Here’s a guy who had the physical makeup, had a gift for the game, and had opportunity. Zach Potter worked hard on and off the field, delivered under pressure, and even today, is trying to give back to the community who helped shape him. He’s also beginning a new phase of life as a daddy, welcoming his second child and first son the day our story aired on KETV.

Who knows.. we could be looking at another legendary Potter. Baby Beckett weighed in at 9 pounds, 9 ounces. No sign of any lightning bolts on his forehead, but word is, his black shirt is already on standby.

Photo courtesy zimbio.com

Click here to read Zach Potter’s full bio at Huskers.com!

Click here for more information on Big Red Recipes!

Click here for more information on Omaha’s Ronald McDonald House!

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LAST WEEK.. Class of 1990, Lt. Gregg Barrios!

NEXT WEEK.. Class of 2003, Curt Tomasevicz!

Father Knows Best

Oct7

It’s no small thing to be a collegiate athlete. It takes hard work, focus, and to a certain extent, some degree of innate physical ability and talent. One of my favorite quotes from my Superstar Co-Anchor Rob McCartney: ‘You can’t coach tall!’

(Side note.. Rob is a HUGE basketball fan and actually tried out for the Nebraska Cornhuskers as a walk-on ‘back in the day’. Additional side note.. I missed the part of his story where he said he didn’t make the team and for awhile, just told people Rob played basketball for Nebraska. Small mistake.)

A La Vista dad recognized early on in two of his children that his boys were gifted. He knows what athleticism looks like.. because he saw it in his own reflection in the locker room at Memorial Stadium.

Curtis Cotton, now a father and Papillion Police officer, is also a proud member of the Class of 1991 with the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team.

“I get that a lot,” Cotton said, when I asked him recently about being recognized as a Husker. “‘I remember you!’ That’s the first thing they say as soon as I tell them, ‘hi, I’m Officer Cotton.'”

CLICK HERE TO WATCH KETV’S THROWBACK THURSDAY HUSKER FEATURE ON #9 CURTIS COTTON!

It’s hard to see in this blurry image, but when Nebraska played Oklahoma in 1991, it was downright MISERABLE. Fans throughout the stadium wore ponchos and rain gear, rain pooled all over the turf and every players’ breath was visible in the cold, fall air. Still, THIS, was Cotton’s favorite game as a Husker.

“[It was] my senior year when we won a share of the Big Eight title,” said Cotton. “It was at home against Oklahoma. It was so cold and wet that day, but I don’t remember it after we sealed that win. It was a great time.”

Check out this video of the game thanks to ArenaTeam on YouTube. Players lifted Coach Tom Osborne onto their shoulders and carried him into the sea of fans rushing the field. ABC broadcasters kept the final score graphic up over a shot of Husker fans climbing and shaking the goal posts, trying to bring it down.

What a cool thing to watch, even via a grainy YouTube video. Kick up the volume, and it’s enough to give any Husker fan chills.

While those days are no doubt special to Cotton, his adrenaline rushes these days stem from a different vantage point.

“I think I get more nervous when I’m about to watch my kids perform,” said Cotton. “I get the butterflies in my stomach, my heart rate rises!”

Kenzo Cotton and KJ Cotton have both become something of high school legends in the Papillion-La Vista area. Kenzo became an 8-time state track and field champion, claiming the 200M title all four years he competed.

He chose the University of Arkansas, and just months ago, earned a national championship as part of the 4X100M relay team. Kenzo’s ultimate goal is to make the US Olympic team. (Click here to follow Kenzo Cotton’s athletic career on Twitter!)

Click here to watch Andy Kendeigh’s story with Kenzo and Curtis Cotton in May 2012!

Photo courtesy JPC Photography

Kurtis ‘KJ’ Cotton is now a junior at Papillion-La Vista High School, also competing in track and field and playing on the varsity football team. #9 (yes, wearing his dad’s number), has already made several highlight reels for the Monarchs this season with his speed and athleticism. No word yet where he’s looking at for college, or if he intends to play college football like his dad.

Click here to watch KJ Cotton’s touchdown run during Papio-LV’s FIRST game of the season!

Kenzo told us back in 2012 he wanted to be just like his dad. Curtis shared his parenting advice with us back then.

“I told him to try to stay humble,” he told KETV’s Andy Kendeigh. “Big dreams, that is what being young is all about. I remember those times when I dreamt the same way. Hopefully they can come true for him.”

Three years later, Curtis Cotton is not only thinking of the sons following in his footsteps, but of today’s Huskers in the midst of a 2-3 season.

“Keep fighting,” Cotton said. “[They] are going through a system change. They’re all trying to perform for their new coaches, if they are new coaches. They’re all trying to show they are worthy of being on the field. It’s difficult to watch when you know that they’re struggling and they’re giving the best that they can give out there on the field, but at the same time, you want to see them keep fighting through it. Man up, fight through it, get through it and don’t give up.”

Advice for anyone facing challenges, on or off the field. I guess what they say is true; father does know best.

***

WEEK FIVE.. CLASS OF 1970 JERRY MURTAUGH!

NEXT WEEK.. CLASS OF 2003 DR. JUDD DAVIES!

Hammer Time

May25

This weekend, my incredible volleyball skills will be on display in Papillion. And by incredible I mean TERRIBLE. Softball was always my game; I love all sports but I could never do much more than the solid bump from the backfield, occasionally breaking out a trademark move I’ve called THE HAMMER. Basically clenching both hands together above my head and smashing the ball as hard as I can to protect myself, endlessly embarrassing my husband in the process.

Good thing that this time around, I’m playing for four AMAZING people where effort triumphs over talent and skill.

Meet Kyle and Melissa Frans, and their sweet boys Tanner and Kraig. You know their hands are full when they have to hand off the camera to take dual pictures so everyone is included! Missy is my husband’s cousin, but close enough to be a sister to him and sister-in-law to me. She spoke at our wedding, and is our Evan’s godmother. Kyle is funny, kind and welcoming to friend and stranger alike, and just an awesome all-around guy!

Kyle has also battled Crohn’s Disease for 15 years. Officially, Crohn’s is described as a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. Simply put, Crohn’s is intense abdominal pain. Frequent hospital stays and surgeries. Inability to eat when or what you want.. often leading to weight fluctuation, diarrhea, bleeding, fatigue and other issues. This is a CHRONIC illness, it lasts for life. There is no standard treatment, and no cure.

Kyle, only in his early 30’s, has already made several trips to the Mayo Clinic and back. He’s undergone multiple surgeries. He’s faced countless trips to the ER. This couple has dealt with this challenge while working and taking care of two little boys. If you’ve ever gotten a big doctor’s bill in the mail, even WITH insurance, you know how quickly procedures can add up. Multiply that by the dozens, if not hundreds of tests, stays, and visits the Frans family has gone through.. and it’s hard to imagine what they are dealing with financially, let alone physically and emotionally.

THIS SATURDAY, their friends, loved ones, and more will join together to raise money to help and to show Missy and Kyle they are not alone. Organizer Joe Dolezal said it best on the event website: ‘Knowing Kyle and Melissa would, and do, go out of their way to help their friends, we’re going out of our way to help give them a little relief from all the costs that have been piling up over the years.’

CLICK HERE for more information about the CROHN’S SUCKS: FRANS FAMILY BENEFIT SAND VOLLEYBALL TOURNEY. $20 gets you at least four games of volleyball, a drink ticket, and a chance to bid on LOTS of great raffle items. Better yet, if you have a group of friends looking for a volleyball tournament.. or just a group of friends who want to hang out.. sign up your team! Visit the Facebook event link above or email FriendsofFrans@gmail.com. This will all take place SATURDAY MAY 30th at Sinnott’s Sand Bar in Papillion.

I’ve said before.. and posted right here on this blog.. I don’t know why things like Crohn’s happen to such good people. Not just Kyle, but my good friend and co-anchor Rob McCartney also suffers from this terrible disease. Rob often reaches out to other patients, especially kids, to compare stories about what they are going through, forming a support network in a club they never wanted to be part of. Nebraska native, now Phillies baseball player Jake Diekman went public with his battle with Ulcerative Colitis this year, promoting research through the sale of ‘Gut-It-Out’ t-shirts and gear nationwide. Guys like Jake, Rob and Kyle rise above their challenges; they fight, they stay positive, they inspire the rest of us to roll up our sleeves and do better.

This Saturday, I’ll be with my Team Paparazzi softball squad, as our team trades gloves and bats for sand and volleyballs to support our superstar catcher and friend Missy Frans and her family. I would LOVE to see hundreds of people there to support them! Regardless, I have a favor to ask of all of you who are reading this.. please learn more about Crohn’s. It’s a terrible, terrible disease. More awareness, means a bigger push for answers, meaning more fundraising and hopefully, bring us one step closer to finding a cure. CLICK HERE to learn more about Crohn’s Disease at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America website. CLICK HERE to learn more about Jake’s story, and his work with the Gut-It-Out campaign.

And if you pray, please say a prayer for these guys, especially my friend Kyle. For a huge showing of support Saturday, for the financial boost the Frans family needs right now, and for a cure so one day this wonderful family of four can have a volleyball game for no other reason than to teach Kraig and Tanner THE HAMMER.

Loved ones have also established a GoFundMe account to help Kyle Frans and his family. CLICK HERE for more information.

Let It Snow

Feb12

A SNOW DAY.

KETV First News meteorologist Matt Serwe put it PERFECTLY when he tweeted:

“Post about any snow during the week, and every high schooler be like…”

Remember what it was like as a student, watching TV and listening to the radio nonstop just wishing you’d hear your school’s name as CLOSED for that one blissful day in the snow? Now, TENS OF THOUSANDS of high school and college students across Nebraska and Iowa can also check Twitter and Facebook for closings. This year, they are going above and beyond to not just watch, but PLEA for those days off. And MAN are they creative doing it.

To be clear, neither Matt, nor I, nor ANYONE here at KETV have any power in determining a day off from school. We wait for area superintendents just like everyone else. We are merely the messengers. But boy, we have been THOROUGHLY entertained by the requests coming into the newsroom.

THERE ARE THOSE WHO FLATTER AND BRIBE..

Emma Hasenjager : thanks for being my heroes…hopefully! @brandipetersen @BillRandby @jsutfin

Taylor Elizabeth: We need our heroes https://vine.co/v/OFDBMKFrpxi

Andrew ‏@senor_andy: @brandipetersen you’re basically every metro area students best friend when it snows

Jessi ‏@jesssidwell: Hey @brandipetersen!!! My buddy @i_got_dilEMMAS and I are pros in the snow and will GLADLY shovel your driveway in return for a snowday

SOME MAKE AN EMOTIONAL APPEAL..

@sydney__nelson: @brandipetersen seems pretty dangerous outside… #snowday??

@ptalm: @brandipetersen can school be called off tomorrow my wife left me

paradise ‏@jacobtroia: I’m blaming Brandi Petersen when I step out of my car; freeze, then break in half tomorrow morning

rachel winkler: would be a shame if I got frostbite tomorrow walking into school….. come on @brandipetersen

Emily-Rose ‏@emilyvlach: @brandipetersen “give me a snow day” please?

OTHERS TRY THE ‘NO SCHOOL OR ELSE’ TECHNIQUE..

Natalia: @brandipetersen if we have school tomorrow..

Andy Page: @brandipetersen @MattSerweKETV @BillRandbyKETV you are splitting apart friendships by not telling us

Colton John$on: If Blair doesn’t cancel school its @brandipetersen ‘s fault

Jack Shoemaker: @ThorTripp is once again my favorite Omaha area newscaster. You know what you didn’t do @brandipetersen.

A FEW TRY.. OK, I’M NOT SURE WHAT THIS IS..

Langston ‏@ptalm: I heard about this ritual where if we all make moaning noises towards Brandi Petersen she will summon the ice devil and cancel school

THERE ARE THOSE WHO TURN TO RELIGION..

Evan English: Prayin for a cold day like…

Will.i.am. ‏@willsynowiecki: We’re really gonna need you to pull through for us tonight @brandipetersen

estelle mckinney: Do u think Jesus would have the 12 Apostles go to school in the Plz remember wwjd @brandipetersen

AND MY FAVORITES.. WHO TRY TO ‘USE THE FORCE’..

Travis Schwartz: @brandipetersen when outside is like Hoth you should cancel

Nolan Harrington: How @brandipetersen wants me to go to school tomorrow

Hannah ‏@uhlhannah: Help me @brandipetersen you’re my only hope.

AND WHEN THAT MOMENT COMES.. AND WE TELL EVERYONE THEIR SCHOOL IS CLOSED..

ktown ‏@krgrinvalds: “@brandipetersen: WESTSIDE CLOSED MONDAY FEB 2”

Bipolar Mike Riley‏@BipolarM_Riley: @brandipetersen will you marry me?

Brooke Gustafson: THERES NO SCHOOL. BRANDI CAME IN CLUTCH ONCE AGAIN

kates ‏@katie_fichter: thanks brandi love u

Stavros Piperis: No school tomorrow and High School Musical is on. Love you @brandipetersen

grant ‏@wish__GRANTed: @brandipetersen you are the real MVP

***

So much love–AND LAUGHS 🙂 Keep it coming, folks! Best wishes for students everywhere hoping for a cold, snowy winter.

And by the way, Bill has snow in this weekend’s forecast.

***

You can follow Brandi on twitter at @BrandiPetersen

Back To School

Jul16

And with a simple phrase, ‘back to school’, I can hear thousands of screams from children (and teachers) across the Omaha metro area…

But it’s almost time, folks!! In less than a month, your kiddos will be heading out the door, ready to start a new year of learning, friends and memories.

Wait… will they truly be ready?

For thousands of kids across the metro, the answer is no. No backpack, no new school supplies, no motivation to head to a place where they feel like they aren’t good enough or as prepared as all of the other kids.

CUE: The Seven Can Help Kids Back to School Backpack Drive.

drive

This is arguably the biggest fundraising/donation event we put together every year here at KETV. We work with nonprofits, corporations and businesses, schools, and THOUSANDS of donors, to provide as many backpacks and supplies as possible for area kids who need them. This year our goal is 14,000 stuffed backpacks.

WHY???

Before I became actively involved, it’s a question, I admit, I asked; why, when we could raise money and awareness to get kids food, or shelter, or countless other causes or plights, WHY BACKPACKS?

For me, here’s the reason why.

Last night, Rob and I listened to a story from KETV’s Tony Cornett about the expected trial in the murder case of Brandon Wallace. The alleged shooter: 15 years old. His alleged accessories? 13 to 17 years old. Rob and I watched each boy’s mug shot appear on our screen, and I just shook my head. They look so young. THEY ARE so young.

What the hell happened?!?!? What happens in any case where young people, teenagers and young men and women, turn to crime and violence?

There are no easy answers, but how about DREAMING BIGGER. HAVING GOALS. MAKING PLANS. Where does that start? At home. For some, in church. AND IN SCHOOL.

Could it be that simple? Get kids pointed in the right direction EARLY. Make them EXCITED about going to school, learning, finding structure and vision for their futures.

Although it was many, MANY, MANY moons ago, I can still remember the excitement of my mom getting our school supply lists, heading to the store, and choosing all of our supplies. I’d get home, lay all of my new gear on my bed, and organize it into my new backpack. It made me so excited to go to school.

Let’s get kids excited. Let’s HELP THEM find that right track and stay on it.

Yes, money is tight, for all of us it seems. But I hope the next time you are at the store you check out the school supply bins; a quarter for a notebook. 50-cents for a brand new pack of crayons. 5-bucks goes a long way, and if a couple thousand people each chip in, IMAGINE the huge amount that adds up to.

This year, our community partners are doing even more. The Salvation Army, who has been KETV’s Backpack Drive partner for years, is again offering a text donation option; if you don’t want to hassle with buying supplies and dropping them off, you can simply text “OMAHA” to 80888 to make a $10 donation, or go online. Again, I know $10 isn’t an option for everyone, but perhaps it’s your sacrifice of your 2 weekly trips to the coffee shop, or that lunch out. What you are giving up, could mean so very much to a little boy or girl in our city.

In addition, Methodist Health Systems is offering free health screenings this year when these families pick up their backpacks. Another HUGE impact for children who may not see a doctor and get checked out otherwise. Rob and I sat down with Methodist’s Katina Gordon recently to talk about this year’s efforts. Check out her blog about it here!

KETV and the Salvation Army will be at Nebraska Crossing Outlets July 26 from 10am-4pm, and July 27 11am-4pm, collecting donations and backpacks. For every backpack or $10 donation, Nebraska Crossing Outlets will match it with a backpack of their own!

Our team will also be out at the Methodist Women’s Hospital on Friday, August 1 collecting donations. If you need any other motivation, I hear Rob is signing autographs FOR FREE that day!!!

rob