Brothers share love of family, wrestling

Last Sunday felt like old times for the Sanders brothers.

Rob took the floor for the Cornhuskers at 149 pounds, followed by Paul at 157 pounds. It was just like high school again, two brothers wrestling for the same team, sharing tips, watching their team win.

But one thing was missing: the voice of Bob Sanders, their father and high school wrestling coach.

That voice was 900 miles away in Utah in the family's hometown. That didn't stop Bob and his wife Leslie from watching their sons wrestle.

"The Husker Web site has video," Bob Sanders said. "So we watch that. The matches that aren't video have live stats, so we've been able to do it that way."

The journey to Nebraska has been a strange one for the Sanders brothers. Under the guidance of his father, Rob went 169-9 in his career at San Juan High School in Blanding, Utah.

"I wanted to wrestle in a division one school that was competitive for a national title," Rob said.

There were no schools in Utah that fit his needs, so Bob and Rob made a list of schools. Nebraska was high on the list and Rob was sold after a Lincoln visit.

The difference between Blanding and Lincoln is greater than the distance between the cities. Blanding's population is listed at 3,162 – Lincoln's is more than 225,000. Despite the size difference, it felt like home to Rob.

"I just liked Lincoln because it has the small community feel that my town had," Rob said.

Two years later Paul would join his brother at Nebraska. It was decision that had been made two years earlier.

"After I told (Paul) all the stories about wrestling, college life and stuff here, I knew that he wanted to come," Rob said.

Paul is at Nebraska because Rob's out there, Bob said.

"He's always looked up to his brother," Bob said of Paul.

The younger brother agreed with his dad.

"I think Robert was probably a big reason why I choose Nebraska," Paul said. "It was nice to have my brother out here in Nebraska."

Rob said he's close with his brother. They even live together.

During the holidays, the sons either travel to Utah or the parents travel to Nebraska.

"It was hard enough with Paul in high school and me being in Nebraska," Rob said.

The sons admit they wouldn't be at their current level without their father's help. Bob Sanders never forced the boys into wrestling, instead letting them choose their own paths.

"He didn't really put any pressure on us," Rob said. "He didn't really just sign us up for it. He never asked me if I wanted to start wrestling. I told him I wanted to start wrestling."

Once Rob and Paul said the words ‘I want to wrestle,' Bob became their biggest fan and coach.

"He was my coach pretty much since I started wrestling. He helped out a lot with the pee wee wrestling, with the middle school and the high school," Paul said.

Bob easily balanced being coach and being dad.

"We could separate him as a coach from him as our dad," Rob said. "We knew that it was him as a coach and not him as a dad nagging at us."

Granted, it'd be pretty hard to nag when your two sons went 325-20 in their wrestling careers. Their wrestling success is what makes the brothers similar, but they couldn't be more different.

Bob described Rob as more intense, becoming serious and focused before matches. Paul was the opposite with a laid back personality.

Bob added: "(But) when they step on the mat, there is no difference there."

Their Nebraska careers may play out similarly. Rob, a senior nutrition major, has spent four years working for his chance to represent Nebraska at the Big 12 Championships.

He's been able to make the best of the opportunity. Rob is 21-9 this year. If you guessed that impressed him, you'd be wrong.

"I'm not satisfied," Rob said. "I think I'm going in the right direction. If I continue improving on little things I think I'll be right there when it counts."

That doesn't surprise Rob's father.

"That's always been him," Bob said. "When he steps on the mat, he steps out to competition. He's going to give everything he's got. He gets mad at himself. Nobody is harder on him than himself."

After the sons moved to Nebraska, the Sanders family hasn't been able to spend a lot of time together.

"We don't have any kids at home," Bob said. "People talk about being an empty-nester and it's harder than I thought. It went from being around them every day, and now they are 900 miles away."

Paul said he thinks moving away was tough on his father. Bob coached the brothers and always watched their meets and tournaments.

Bob retired as a wrestling coach after Paul graduated but still teaches at the school. His teaching schedule has made it hard for him to get time off to see his sons wrestle.

Bob said he'd like to come out for senior night, but it looks unlikely. But he and his wife will head to the Big 12 Championships.

Rob likes knowing that his family will be there for his big moment.

"I think about it a little bit but not too much to where it really bogs me down," Rob said. "They came all this way, I should win, just kind of a way to say thank you to them for supporting us."

mikeschaefer@dailynebraskan.com