Steer the course

NEA Today, Nov 1998

Faster than it -takes his students to leave class when the bell rings, Nebraska teacher Todd Westover can wrestle a 500to 700-pound horned steer to the ground.

If it's a good day.

After school, the Central City High School history teacher heads home on the range-literally.

In his backyard arena, he practices the moves that have earned him five steer wrestling titles, including 1997 Nebraska State Rodeo Association Champion.

And those moves are mighty fast. His current best time is a speedy 3.2 seconds.

How do his students feel about the modern maverick?

"Some call me cowboy or redneck," Westover says. "But Central City is a pretty small town and probably a little more tolerant of my vices. A lot of the kids have been to the rodeo and know what I do."

Westover has been competing since the age of seven. "It was the first thing I wanted to do growing up," he declares.

A hectic schedule of teaching and coaching three teams keeps Westover from competing at the national level.

"That's okay," he says, "I get a bigger thrill out of getting kids excited about history."

And students learn something from Westover's bullish feats as well.

"I guess it's encouraging for them to see me compete on a professional level," he says. "They're 16 or 17 and see me out there steer wrestling `over the hill' at 35."

But Westover, who also skydives in his spare time, insists he's not a daredevil. "I just do the things I enjoy," he says.