Since Things are Slow

[Captain Kangaroo]

Hartung puts promising football career on hold to serve Mormon mission

By John Enrietto

Eagle Sports Editor

This has been a tough week for Nate Hartung - and Wednesday was his toughest day.

While Butler football teammates Adam Pritts and Josh Wachter signed national letters of intent to play in college, the 420-pound Hartung watched - and signed nothing.

"I'd been dreaming about this day since I was a freshman," Hartung said. "I couldn't wait for it to come. I couldn't wait to figure out where I was going.

"Not signing anywhere and not making the basketball playoffs - yeah, I've had better weeks."

Hartung played center for Butler and averaged more than 10 pancake blocks per game. And that was with no defensive lineman lining up directly across from him.

"I know I've never coached another kid like him," Butler coach Garry Cathell said. "And I know I never will again."

Syracuse, Temple, West Virginia, Kansas, Akron and Army all offered Hartung full scholarships. But when word got out that Hartung, born and raised a Mormon, was planning to serve a two-year mission beginning next fall, those schools backed off.

"It all started going the other way when a recruiting Web site did a story about Nate's plans to go on his mission," said Dick Hartung, his father. "That story went on the Internet Nov. 10. Right around then, those schools stopped pursuing him.

"Army had to withdraw its offer because a service academy isn't allowed to recruit a player over 400 pounds."

Hartung weighed as much as 450 pounds this season. He weighs about 420 now.

Numerous other major schools - Pitt and Penn State included - backed off because of Hartung's size.

"(Former Pitt coach) Walt Harris called me and expressed concern about Nate's heart. He wanted to know if anything was wrong with it," Cathell said. "There's nothing wrong with his heart and there never was.

"Every coach at Penn State loved the kid, except for the line coach. He thought he was too big," he added.

Hartung said he decided to serve his mission - expected of men ages 19 to 23 and recommended, but not required, by the Mormon church - months ago.

"It's a tradition in my family and I want to do it," he said. "I'm all about family. I'm proud of my family."

A Mormon mission sends young men away from home for two years, where they spends 60 hours a week doing ecclesiastical work, praying, studying and telling others about the Gospel.

Contact with loved ones is limited to letters and two phone calls per year. The missionaries live together frugally in private homes and apartments, rising at 6 a.m. each day to study and to pray for guidance.

They pay $400 per month while serving and can be sent anywhere in the world. There are 60,000 Mormon missionaries currently serving in 120 countries.

"Nate has five uncles on his mother's side and they all served missions," his father said. "Panama, Korea, Germany, Japan, California, he could go anywhere, but they always send you away from home.

"He's not being forced to go. It's a sacrifice he's choosing to make. Nate's the oldest of six brothers. He's setting a good example," he added.

Nate Hartung's mother, Linda Siebach Hartung, was born and raised a Mormon. His father converted to the Mormonism Aug. 25, 1982, while playing basketball in Australia. He was 25 at the time - too old to serve a mission.

Hartung's not worried about the precedent he might be setting as the big brother.

"I don't look it at that way," he said. "I'm doing what I think is right. They'll do what they think is right."

Hartung plans to begin his mission in September or October. He'll learn of his destination six weeks beforehand. And his football career isn't over.

"It's merely on the back-burner," his father said.

Other Mormon athletes have served missions, then resumed careers in their respective sports. That includes Pittsburgh Steelers nose guard Chris Hoke, who got a late start on his pro career after taking off two years at Brigham Young University to serve a mission in Brussels, Belgium.

When Hartung visited Notre Dame, then-coach Ty Willingham recommended he serve his mission, then start over in football.

"A kid has a five-year clock in terms of college football eligibility once he graduates high school," Dick Hartung said. "Only two things can prevent that clock from starting: church service and war service.

"When Nate comes back, he'll be 21 and will still have five years of eligibility."

Hartung hopes to be down to 350 pounds when his mission is over.

"Rest assured, schools will be keeping him on their radar," Cathell said. "If he's 21, in shape and weighing 350, he'll be playing big-time college football."

The only school willing to sign Hartung now and live with the mission was Temple.

"They're hurting on the offensive line and wanted me to play next year, then begin my mission," Hartung said. "But what if I had a good freshman year? They may have tried talking me out of leaving. I didn't feel comfortable with it."

Utah had interest in Hartung before then-coach Urban Meyer left for the University of Florida and took his staff with him.

Brigham Young, also a Mormon school, never stepped forward with an offer.

"That was a little disappointing," Dick Hartung admitted. "I mean, those are our people. But life goes on."

Nate Hartung received a bid to play in the Big 33 all-star game this summer. After that, life for him will go on without football.

For two years.

"Oh, I'll be playing in college," he said. "I'm not done. This (mission) just takes priority, that's all."

[ZipsFan52]

I'm from the area that this kid is from and i heard that he wasn't really all that good. A lot of people said that he didn't impress them. I also think if he does lose the weight then he will be a moster because if he can move good at 420 lbs. then he will be moving very good at 350. The major downfall is that this kid will be on his own pretty much i dont see him being able to lose the weight, but you never know. It's also pretty rediculous that he is gonna not go to college right now but he wants to go on a mormon trip. If wanted to go D1 bad enough then he would go.