NFL: Hochstein keeps it even keel

Standing 6-feet-4 and weighing 305 pounds, Russ Hochstein is a rather imposing figure.

But the demeanor the 1996 Hartington Cedar Catholic graduate shows on the football field as an offensive lineman — one who can play anywhere on the line — for the New England Patriots was nowhere to be found Sunday as he signed autographs and visited with hundreds of fans at Prep-2-Pro Sports in the Sunset Plaza in Norfolk.

“I made the joke earlier that I'm glad people remember who I am because linemen don't always get the spotlight,” Hochstein said. “That's not really important to us because it's not what we're supposed to be. But it means a lot that they still remember me.”

For Nebraska fans, Hochstein is rather hard to forget.

A member of the Huskers' 1997 national championship team, Hochstein went on to become an All-Big 12 performer three times before graduating with a degree in business management in 2001. His NFL career has been highlighted by a pair of Super Bowl championships and another appearance in the Super Bowl after an undefeated regular season in 2007.

While he's gotten a few breaks along the way, Hochstein attributes his success to his work ethic and never-accept-failure attitude.

“I'm a competitor, and I hate losing,” he said. “Like anybody, when you're a competitor, you don't like being dictated to. Ultimately, that's probably what drives me the most — I don't like to be told I can't do something.”

That became evident right out of high school.

When he graduated from Cedar Catholic, Hochstein weighed only 230 pounds — far from large enough to play on a Division I offensive line. After a redshirt season in 1996, he earned playing time for NU's '97 national championship squad. By his senior year, he was a first-team All-Big 12 right guard.

But that didn't keep the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from releasing him during the 2002 season.

After the Patriots picked him up that season, Hochstein — who's now made 20 career starts — found himself in the starting lineup in Super Bowl XXVIII the next year following an injury to Damien Woody. And even though Hochstein helped pave the way for a Super Bowl title that year as part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack, he saw limited duty — making a few spot starts — the following season, another championship year for the Pats.

“Sports is as much psychological as it is physical. There's no athlete who hasn't experienced up-and-down moments. That's part of the game,” he said. “It's how you handle it and what you make of it that really defines who you are. Life ain't always easy — whether you're a football player or a plumber ... but sometimes you've just got to take the ups and the downs and run with it.”

By 2006, all of his action came in a reserve role. But Hochstein kept running with what life threw at him, eventually starting a career-high eight games during the 2007 season as the Patriots put together the first undefeated regular season since the Miami Dolphins finished perfect in 1972. While they fell short in a dramatic 17-14 loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, Hochstein's outlook hasn't changed a bit.

“It's just a constant drive to try to improve and be the best at what you do, and I've had a lot of help,” he said. “I've had some great coaching and a few lucky breaks. I don't deserve all the credit.”

Four months ago, he and his wife, Christine, welcomed their first child — a boy named Blaise Thomas. Ever since, Hochstein has found an added dimension to how he views life.

“It's awesome. There's nothing like being a dad — nothing more important,” Hochstein said. “He's someone that I'm responsible for, and he's far more important than anything I could ever do on the football field.”