Nebraska Cornhuskers football

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Nebraska Cornhuskers football
2024 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
First season1890; 134 years ago (1890)
Athletic directorTroy Dannen
Head coachMatt Rhule
2nd season, 5–7 (.417)
StadiumMemorial Stadium
(capacity: 85,458[1])
Field surfaceFieldTurf
LocationLincoln, Nebraska
NCAA divisionDivision I FBS
ConferenceBig Ten
Past conferencesWIUFA
(1892–1897)
Big Eight
(1907–1918; 1921–1995)
Big 12
(1996–2010)
All-time record917–424–40 (.678)
Bowl record26–27 (.491)
Claimed national titles5 (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997)
Unclaimed national titles7 (1915, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1993)
Conference titles46 (WIUFA: 3, Big Eight: 41, Big 12: 2)
Division titles10 (Big 12 North: 9, Big Ten Leaders: 1)
RivalriesSee § Rivalries
Colorado (rivalry)
Iowa (rivalry)
Oklahoma (rivalry)
Heisman winnersJohnny Rodgers – 1972
Mike Rozier – 1983
Eric Crouch – 2001
Consensus All-Americans54[2]
Current uniform
ColorsScarlet and cream[3]
   
Fight songHail Varsity
MascotHerbie Husker
Lil' Red
Marching bandCornhusker Marching Band
OutfitterAdidas
Websitehuskers.com

The Nebraska Cornhuskers football team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, representing the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the Big Ten Conference. Nebraska has played its home games at Memorial Stadium since 1923 and sold out every game at the venue since 1962.[4]

Nebraska is among the most storied programs in college football history and has the eighth-most all-time victories among FBS teams.[5] NU has won forty-six conference championships and five national championships, along with seven other national titles the school does not claim, and its 1971 and 1995 title-winning teams are considered among the best ever.[6][7] Nebraska's three Heisman Trophy winners – Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier, and Eric Crouch – join twenty-two other Cornhuskers in the College Football Hall of Fame.[8]

The program's first extended period of success came just after the turn of the century. Between 1900 and 1916, Nebraska had five undefeated seasons and completed a stretch of thirty-four consecutive games without a loss, still a program record.[9] Despite a span of twenty-one conference championships in thirty-three seasons, the Cornhuskers did not experience major national success until Bob Devaney was hired in 1962. In eleven seasons as head coach, Devaney won two national championships, eight conference titles, and coached twenty-two All-Americans, but perhaps his most lasting achievement was the hiring of Tom Osborne as offensive coordinator in 1969.[10] Osborne was named Devaney's successor in 1973, and over the next twenty-five years established himself as one of the best coaches in college football history with his trademark I-formation offense and revolutionary strength, conditioning, and nutrition programs.[11][12][13] Following Osborne's retirement in 1997, Nebraska cycled through five head coaches before hiring Matt Rhule in 2022.[14]

History[edit]

Main article: History of Nebraska Cornhuskers football

Seasons[edit]

Main article: List of Nebraska Cornhuskers football seasons

Conference affiliations[edit]

Head coaches[edit]

Tom Osborne coached Nebraska from 1973 to 1997, winning 255 games and three national championships
Main article: List of Nebraska Cornhuskers head football coaches

Nebraska has had thirty-one head coaches in the program's history, with five others coaching at least one game on a non-permanent basis. The program has been coached by Matt Rhule since 2023.

Six past Nebraska head coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame: Edward N. Robinson, Fielding H. Yost, Dana X. Bible, Biff Jones, Bob Devaney, and Tom Osborne. Osborne is the program's all-time leader in most major categories; his 0.836 career winning percentage is fifth-highest in major college football history.[16] Thirteen Nebraska coaches have won a conference championship at the school, and Devaney and Osborne combined to win five national titles.

Championships[edit]

National championships[edit]

Nebraska has won five consensus national championships.[17] The first of these came in 1970 under the leadership of head coach Bob Devaney and featured a unique quarterback rotation between Van Brownson and Jerry Tagge.[18] Nebraska entered the 1971 Orange Bowl ranked third nationally, but losses by No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Ohio State – along with a late game-winning touchdown rush by Tagge – gave NU its first consensus national championship. The Cornhuskers repeated as national champion the following season with Tagge as the full-time starter, a team that is often considered one of the best in college football history.[19] Nebraska was challenged just once all season, a 35–31 victory over No. 2 Oklahoma in Norman that was billed the "Game of the Century."[19] Dominant wins over Colorado and Alabama (the latter in the 1972 Orange Bowl) made NU the first and only national champion to defeat the teams that finished No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 in the final AP poll.[19]

Tom Osborne replaced Devaney in 1973, and despite several near-misses, did not win his first national title until over two decades into his tenure.[a] Nebraska's 1994 title-winning season, nearly derailed when star quarterback Tommie Frazier was sidelined with blood clots in September, was capped by a 24–17 victory over Miami in the Orange Bowl.[20] With Frazier at full strength the following season, NU repeated as national champion without being seriously challenged. Nebraska's 62–24 Fiesta Bowl victory over Florida was the largest margin of victory in a national title game until 2023; the team is often considered the best in college football history.[21][22] Osborne's final title came in 1997, two years later. The most significant moment of the season was a last-second, game-tying touchdown against Missouri that became known as the "Flea Kicker."[23] Top-ranked Nebraska won the game in overtime, but was jumped in both major polls by Michigan. Postseason blowouts of Texas A&M and Tennessee vaulted NU back ahead of the Wolverines in the Coaches Poll.

Nebraska has been awarded seven other national championships from NCAA-designated major selectors the school does not claim: 1915 (selected by the Billingsley Report), 1980 (FACT), 1981 (NCF), 1982 (Berryman QPRS), 1983 (Berryman QPRS, DeVold, Litkenhous, MGR, Poling System, FACT, Sagarin), 1984 (Litkenhous), and 1993 (NCF).[17]

Year Coach Record Bowl Result Final AP Final Coaches
1970 Bob Devaney 11–0–1 Orange W 17–12 vs. LSU No. 1 No. 3[b]
1971 13–0 Orange W 38–6 vs. Alabama No. 1 No. 1
1994 Tom Osborne 13–0 Orange W 24–17 vs. Miami (FL) No. 1 No. 1
1995 12–0 Fiesta W 62–24 vs. Florida No. 1 No. 1
1997 13–0 Orange W 42–17 vs. Tennessee No. 2 No. 1

Conference championships[edit]

Nebraska has won forty-six conference championships. The earliest of these came in the short-lived Western Interstate University Football Association, one of college football's first conferences, which NU participated in for six seasons with Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri.[24] The conference dissolved in 1897 and NU spent the next decade as an independent until the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association – which later became the Big Eight – was founded in 1907. Nebraska dominated the MVIAA in its early years, winning nine championships in twelve years before leaving the conference in 1919 to again play as an independent. NU rejoined in 1921 and won the conference twelve times before the outbreak of U.S. involvement World War II, but following Biff Jones's departure to become the athletic director at Army in 1941, NU went twenty-two seasons without a conference championship.

Devaney was hired in 1962 and quickly tured NU into a powerhouse, winning eight conference titles and two national titles during his eleven years as head coach. Osborne succeeded him in 1973 and won thirteen conference championships; the late-season meeting between Nebraska and Oklahoma often became a de-facto Big Eight championship game, as the two schools combined to win at least a share of the conference title thirty-three times during Devaney and Osborne's combined thirty-six-year tenure.[6] Osborne's final conference championship was a victory in the 1997 Big 12 Championship Game in the second year of its existence. Nebraska won the Big 12 again two years later, its most recent conference championship.

Co-championship seasons are italicized.

Year Coach Overall Conf.
WIUFA (1892–1897)
1894 Frank Crawford 6–2 2–1
1895 Charles Thomas 6–3 2–1
1897 Edward N. Robinson 5–1 3–0
MVIAA (1907–1927)
1907 W. C. Cole 8–2 1–0
1910 7–1 2–0
1911 Ewald O. Stiehm 5–1–2 2–0–1
1912 7–1 2–0
1913 8–0 3–0
1914 7–0–1 3–0
1915 8–0 4–0
1916 E. J. Stewart 6–2 3–1
1917 5–2 2–0
1921 Fred Dawson 7–1 3–0
1922 7–1 5–0
1923 4–2–2 3–0–2
Big Six Conference (1928–1947)
1928 Ernest Bearg 7–1–1 4–0
1929 Dana X. Bible 4–1–3 3–0–2
1931 8–2 5–0
1932 7–1–1 5–0
1933 8–1 5–0
1935 6–2–1 4–0–1
1936 7–2 5–0
1937 Biff Jones 6–1–2 3–0–2
1940 8–2 5–0
Big Eight Conference (1960–1995)
1963 Bob Devaney 10–1 7–0
1964 9–2 6–1
1965 10–1 7–0
1966 9–2 6–1
1969 9–2 6–1
1970 11–0–1 7–0
1971 13–0 7–0
1972[c] 9–2–1 5–1–1
1975 Tom Osborne 10–2 6–1
1978 9–3 6–1
1981 9–3 7–0
1982 12–1 7–0
1983 12–1 7–0
1984 10–2 6–1
1988 11–2 7–0
1991 9–2–1 6–0–1
1992 9–3 6–1
1993 11–1 7–0
1994 13–0 7–0
1995 12–0 7–0
Big 12 Conference (1996–2010)
1997 Tom Osborne 13–0 8–0
1999 Frank Solich 12–1 7–1

Division championships[edit]

Nebraska won ten division championships. Nine of these were in the Big 12's North Division, which NU played in until its departure for the Big Ten in 2011. Nebraska won one division title across thirteen seasons in the Big Ten's Leaders Division and West Division; the conference disbanded its divisions prior to the 2024 season.[26]

Year Coach Overall Conf. Conf. championship game
Big 12 Conference (North Division) (1996–2010)
1996 Tom Osborne 11–2 8–0 L 37–27 vs. Texas
1997 13–0 8–0 W 54–15 vs. Texas A&M
1999 Frank Solich 12–1 7–1 W 22–6 vs. Texas
2000 10–2 6–2 Lost tiebreaker to Kansas State
2001 11–2 7–1 Lost tiebreaker to Colorado
2006 Bill Callahan 9–5 6–2 L 21–7 vs. Oklahoma
2008 Bo Pelini 9–4 5–3 Lost tiebreaker to Missouri
2009 10–4 6–2 L 13–12 vs. Texas
2010 10–4 6–2 L 23–20 vs. Oklahoma
Big Ten Conference (Legends Division) (2011–2013)
2012 Bo Pelini 10–4 7–1 L 70–31 vs. Wisconsin

Bowl games[edit]

Main article: List of Nebraska Cornhuskers bowl games

Nebraska has played in fifty-three bowl games, including an NCAA-record thirty-five straight from 1969 to 2003, with a record of 26–27.[27] Nebraska declined an invite to play in the second-ever Rose Bowl Game following the 1915 season and did not make its bowl debut until 1941. Twenty-one years later, Bob Devaney's first season ended with the first bowl victory in program history, a 36–34 victory over Miami in the 1962 Gotham Bowl.[27]

During Devaney's tenure, Nebraska began a stretch of thirty-five consecutive seasons with a bowl appearance, a streak that ended in 2004. The program regularly featured in the Orange Bowl due to the Big Eight's bowl affiliations, playing in the game seventeen times between 1954 and 1997, first against SEC opposition and later against the ACC.[27]

Memorial Stadium[edit]

Main article: Memorial Stadium (Lincoln)
Nebraska vs. USC at Memorial Stadium on September 15, 2007

Memorial Stadium, known as The Sea of Red, has been home of the Cornhuskers since 1923 and is the location of an ongoing NCAA-record 396-game sellout streak. The sellout streak dates back to 1962, Bob Devaney's first season at Nebraska.[28][29] The stadium becomes the "third-largest city in Nebraska" on game days, as its capacity exceeds that of every Nebraska town except for Omaha and Lincoln.[30]

The stadium has undergone a series of expansion since 1923, bringing the official capacity to 85,458.[1] The largest crowd in Memorial Stadium history occurred on September 20, 2014, a Nebraska win over Miami with an announced attendance of 91,585.[31]

Three statues sit outside of the stadium. The oldest, unveiled in 1997, depicts six Nebraska defenders tackling a ball carrier.[32] Creator Fred Hoppe said, "the monument displays the sense of pride that Nebraskans have for their football team." In 2006, Hoppe created a statue of Tom Osborne with his arm around quarterback Brook Berringer, which is located outside the Osborne Athletic Complex.[33] On August 30, 2013, a bronze statue of Bob Devaney was unveiled at the main entrance of the newly remodeled east stadium. Sculptor Joe Putjenter also created the Tunnel Walk gates inside the stadium.[34]

Before the construction of Memorial Stadium, Nebraska played its home games at Antelope Park and Nebraska Field.

Traditions[edit]

Tunnel Walk

Tunnel Walk

Since 1994, Nebraska's home games have opened with the "Tunnel Walk". Just before kickoff, Memorial Stadium plays "Sirius" as the Huskers take the field from the northwest tunnel. Immediately before the Tunnel Walk, half of Memorial Stadium yells "Husker" in unison, while the other half responds with "Power."[35]

Balloon release

At every home game since the 1930s,[36] fans have released red helium balloons when the Huskers score their first points. In 2012, a global helium shortage threatened the tradition, but the university allowed for a limited number of balloon releases throughout the season.[37] The tradition returned to normal the following year. In 2022, citing another global helium shortage, athletic director Trev Alberts put the tradition on hold for the year.[38]

Walk-on program

Nebraska has a long-standing walk-on program, designed to attract student-athletes who did not receive scholarship offers. NU accepted its first walk-on in the early 1960s, and Tom Osborne began an official program in 1973 after the NCAA reduced the number of scholarships schools could offer.[39] The size and stature of the program means that Nebraska's rosters are often unusually large; NU had 141 players on its 1996 Fiesta Bowl team, while opponent Florida had only ninety-four.[40] Osborne credited his walk-ons with providing flexibility to better scout future opponents.[41] Unlike some other schools, Nebraska's walk-ons have the same access to training facilities and academic counseling as those with scholarships. Six Nebraska walk-ons have become All-Americans and twenty-nine have played in the National Football League.[42]

Uniform history[edit]

Balloon release

Helmets

Nebraska's first helmet was red with a single white stripe, later changed to plain white with a black number on the side. From 1967 to 1969, the helmet featured a red, offset "NU" on each side. In 1970, this was changed to the now-familiar single "N", although a few "NU" helmets remained as late as 1971. The change was necessitated due to a shortage of "U" stickers, and when the program claimed its first national championship, the single N remained.[43] The helmet design has remained essentially unchanged since, with the exception of a facemask switch from grey to red in 1982.

Jerseys

See also: Blackshirts (American football)

The Huskers wore full shoulder stripes in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but these were gradually phased out as mesh and tearaway jerseys became popular. From 1980 to 1983, Nebraska's jerseys featured only a block "N" on the sleeves. In 1984, stripes and TV numbers were permanently re-added, although both have decreased in size as jersey sleeves have shortened.[44] A patch was added to the left shoulder to commemorate the 100th season of Nebraska football in 1989; it remained the following season and was altered to read "Nebraska Football: A Winning Tradition."[45] Players' last names first appeared on jerseys for road games and bowl games in the late 1970s, but home jerseys remained nameless except for seniors playing their final home game. In 1988, last names were permanently affixed to all jerseys.[44]

Nebraska's defense has been referred to as the "Blackshirts" since the 1960s, a reference to the black jerseys worn by starting defensive players during practice. Depictions of the Blackshirts often include a skull and crossbones. The tradition originated when Bob Devaney had the defense use contrasting jerseys to offset the red worn by the offense in practice.[46]

Pants

The team traditionally wears white pants at home and red on the road, although there have been exceptions. Nebraska first donned red pants with red jerseys for its 1986 contest with Oklahoma; the combination was unofficially retired after a late Nebraska loss.[47] Nebraska wore all-white uniforms for the first in the 1991 Florida Citrus Bowl, a 45–21 loss to Georgia Tech. NU used the white-on-white combination for its first three road games in 1992, but lost two of them, including an upset loss to Iowa State. The "surrender suits", as they became known, were not seen again for over a decade.[48] In 2007, the white-on-white combination was worn for Bill Callahan's final game as head coach, an embarrassing loss to Colorado. Nebraska again donned all-white in 2014 to contrast Fresno State's all-red uniforms. NU won 55–19 and wore white pants in three more road games that season.[49]

From 1968 through 1994, Nebraska's pants had two stripes down each side. These were removed prior to the 1995 season, and the pants remained stripe-less until 2001. In 2002, Nebraska experimented with large side panels on its jersey and pants, and wore all-white in every road game. The changes were unpopular among fans, and Nebraska quickly reverted most changes, which included the permanent return of pant stripes.[44] When Scott Frost became head coach in 2018, pant stripes were again removed, as a tribute to the uniform style from Frost's playing career. Stripes returned to the pants in 2023 under Matt Rhule.[50]

Nebraska vs. Wisconsin at Memorial Stadium on September 29, 2012

Alternate uniforms

Nebraska wore throwback uniforms for the first time in 2009, to honor Memorial Stadium's 300th consecutive sellout.[51] In 2012, Nebraska and Wisconsin played in the first "Adidas Unrivaled" game; Both schools' uniforms featured block letters instead of front numbers and proved to be hugely unpopular.[52] The following year, Nebraska wore black jerseys with white stencil font numbers against UCLA.[53] In 2014, Nebraska wore an all-red uniform featuring black metallic stripes on the jersey and pants, and used a similar design for all-black and all-white uniforms over the next two years.[54]

In 2017, Nebraska wore throwback uniforms to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the school's 1997 national championship team. Unlike previous years, this design was well received.[55] Nebraska again wore throwback uniforms in 2018 to honor the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.[56] Nebraska wore Blackshirt-themed alternate uniforms in 2019, which featured a black jersey and a Blackshirts logo on both sleeves.[57] Frost suggested this iteration may be a permanent design, to be worn after Nebraska's defense plays particularly well.[58]

Adidas has been Nebraska's official shoe and uniform sponsor since 1996. In 2017, the school and sponsor agreed to a record-setting eleven-year, $128 million apparel deal.[59]

Rivalries[edit]

Colorado[edit]

Main article: Colorado–Nebraska football rivalry

The rivalry between Nebraska and Colorado, one-sided for much of its history, gained traction with Colorado's resurgence in the 1990s. The teams have met 71 times, with the series dating back to 1898, a 23–10 Nebraska win. The Cornhuskers lead the series 49–21–2. The rivalry began when Colorado joined the Big Eight in 1947; they played in the same conference as Nebraska until 2010. A bison head named Mr. Chip was presented to the winning team throughout the 1950s, but this exchange ended when Colorado misplaced the trophy in 1961.[60] The teams have not played annually since both programs exited the Big 12 in 2011.

Iowa[edit]

Main article: Iowa–Nebraska football rivalry
Nebraska vs. Iowa at Memorial Stadium on November 25, 2011

The Iowa–Nebraska rivalry debuted in 1891, a 22–0 Iowa win. Since 2011, the game is held annually the Friday after Thanksgiving. Also, the game was named the Heroes Game, and the winner keeps the Heroes Trophy. The teams have met 53 times, with the Cornhuskers leading the series 30–21–3.[citation needed]

Kansas[edit]

Main article: Kansas–Nebraska football rivalry

Nebraska and Kansas share a natural border rivalry and maintained the longest non-interrupted rivalry in college football history at 105 years. The teams have met 117 times, with the series dating back to 1892, a 12–0 Kansas win. The Cornhuskers lead the series 91–23–3, which includes 36 consecutive victories from 1969 to 2004. Since Nebraska's move to the Big Ten in 2011, the series has been dormant. No future games are scheduled.[citation needed]

Kansas State[edit]

Main article: Kansas State–Nebraska football rivalry

Nebraska and Kansas State were conference rivals from 1913 to 2010. With only 135 miles separating the schools, they were the nearest cross-border rivals in the Big Eight and Big 12 conferences. The teams have met 95 times, with the series dating back to 1911, a 59–0 Nebraska win. Nebraska leads the series 78–15–2, which includes 29 consecutive victories from 1969 to 1997. Since Nebraska's move to the Big Ten in 2011, the series has been dormant. No future games are scheduled.[citation needed]

The 1939 game was televised in Manhattan, Kansas, making it the second televised college football game. The 1992 contest was held in Tokyo as the Coca-Cola Classic.

Miami (FL)[edit]

Main article: Miami–Nebraska football rivalry

Nebraska's series with Miami is among the most significant "bowl rivalries" in college football. The teams have met twelve times, with the series dating back to 1951, a 19–7 Miami win. The series is tied, 6–6. No future game is yet scheduled.[citation needed]

The rivalry's most notable game is the 1984 Orange Bowl. Top-ranked Nebraska scored with seconds remaining to make the game 31–30, but NU head coach Tom Osborne opted to try for a two-point conversion instead of an extra point, even though a tie would have given Nebraska the national championship. Miami won the game and its first national title.[61]

Minnesota[edit]

Main article: Minnesota–Nebraska football rivalry

The $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the Minnesota–Nebraska game since 2014. The teams have met 61 times, dating back to 1900, a 20–12 Minnesota win. The Golden Gophers lead the series 35–25–2. Minnesota holds the trophy after defeating the Cornhuskers in 2023. The teams will meet next in 2025.[citation needed]

Missouri[edit]

Main article: Missouri–Nebraska football rivalry

The Victory Bell (also known as the Missouri–Nebraska Bell) has been awarded to the winner of the Missouri–Nebraska game since 1927. The teams have met 104 times, with the series dating back to 1892, a 1–0 NU win when Missouri forfeited to protest the presence of African-American George Flippin on Nebraska's roster.[62] The Cornhuskers lead the series 65–36–3. Nebraska holds the Victory Bell after defeating the Tigers in 2010. Since Nebraska's move to the Big Ten in 2011, the series has been dormant. No future games are scheduled.[citation needed]

Oklahoma[edit]

Main article: Nebraska–Oklahoma football rivalry

Nebraska and Oklahoma has long been considered one of the great college football rivalries. The teams have met 87 times dating back to 1912, a 13–9 Nebraska win. The Sooners lead the series 46–38–3. Since Nebraska's move to the Big Ten in 2011, the series was dormant until 2021 when Oklahoma beat Nebraska 23–16 in Norman. Future non-conference games are scheduled for 2029 and 2030. Notably, the 2021 game in Norman marked the 50th anniversary of Nebraska's 35–31 victory over Oklahoma in the "Game of the Century".[citation needed]

Nebraska dominated the series until 1942, going 16–3–3 in the first twenty-two meetings. The Sooners then won sixteen consecutive games, the longest streak in the series. Nebraska's 1959 win both ended the Cornhuskers' drought against the Sooners and snapped Oklahoma's 74-game conference win streak. Nebraska won the "Game of the Century" in 1971, of which Dave Kindred of The Courier-Journal wrote, "They can quit playing now, they have played the perfect game." Oklahoma won every matchup from 1972 to 1977, a streak that ended in 1978, when Nebraska upset No. 1 Oklahoma; less than two months later, OU won a rematch in the Orange Bowl. Nebraska controlled the 1990s, including a 69–7 win in 1997, the largest margin of victory in series history. When the Big 12 was formed in 1996, the schools no longer played annually, ending a stretch of 68 consecutive years they had met. The teams met for the last time as conference opponents in the 2010 Big 12 Championship Game, when Oklahoma defeated Nebraska 23–20.

The two programs combined to win 74 of 89 Big Eight championships, 41 by Nebraska and 33 by Oklahoma. The teams played eighteen times when both were ranked in the AP Poll top ten, and nine times when both were in the top five.

Wisconsin[edit]

Main article: Nebraska–Wisconsin football rivalry

The Freedom Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the Nebraska–Wisconsin game since 2014. The teams have met fifteen times, with the series dating back to 1901, an 18–0 Wisconsin win. The Badgers lead the series 12–4. Wisconsin holds the Freedom Trophy after defeating the Cornhuskers in 2023. The teams play annually and will meet next on November 23, 2024.[citation needed]

Honors and awards[edit]

Individual awards[edit]

Winners in bold.

Tommie Frazier won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award in 1995
Mike Rozier won the Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Award, and Maxwell Award in 1983

Heisman Trophy

Chuck Bednarik Award

Dick Butkus Award

Walter Camp Award

Ray Guy Award

Lott Trophy

Lombardi Award

Maxwell Award

Bronko Nagurski Trophy

Davey O'Brien Award

Outland Trophy

Dave Rimington Trophy

Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

Doak Walker Award

William V. Campbell Trophy

AP Player of the Year

College Football Hall of Fame[edit]

Bob Devaney

Twenty-six former Nebraska coaches and players have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.[63]

Name Pos. Years at NU Inducted
Dana X. Bible Coach 1929–36 1951
Ed Weir T 1923–25 1951
Fielding H. Yost Coach 1898 1951
George Sauer FB 1931–33 1954
Biff Jones Coach 1937–41 1954
Edward N. Robinson Coach 1896–97 1955
Guy Chamberlin E 1913–15 1962
Clarence Swanson E 1918–20 1973
Sam Francis FB 1934–36 1977
Bob Devaney Coach 1962–72 1981
Bobby Reynolds HB 1950–52 1984
Forrest Behm T 1938–40 1988
Wayne Meylan MG 1965–67 1991
Bob Brown OT 1961–63 1993
Rich Glover MG 1970–72 1995
Dave Rimington C 1979–82 1997
Tom Osborne Coach 1973–97 1999
Johnny Rodgers WB 1970–72 2000
Mike Rozier IB 1981–83 2006
Grant Wistrom DE 1994–97 2009
Will Shields G 1989–92 2011
Tommie Frazier QB 1992–95 2013
Trev Alberts LB 1990–93 2015
Aaron Taylor G 1994–97 2018
Eric Crouch QB 1998–2001 2020
Zach Wiegert OT 1991-94 2022

Retired numbers and jerseys[edit]

Nebraska has retired the number of three players and the jersey of twenty-two others.[64] The first of these was Tom Novak, the only four-time first-team all-conference selection in NU history, whose No. 60 was permanently retired shortly after the end of his playing career in 1949.[d][65] Johnny Rodgers became the second player to have his number retired after winning the 1972 Heisman Trophy – though Rodgers allowed his No. 20 to be worn by his son Terry (and several others, most recently in 2008), the university considers it "permanently retired."[66] Rich Glover's jersey was retired at the same time as Rodgers's, but his No. 79 remained in circulation. Over the next several decades Nebraska retired the jersey of each of its major award winners, typically during the offseason following the end of their collegiate career.[66]

Bob Brown, the first All-American coached by Bob Devaney at NU, had his No. 64 permanently retired in 2004.[e][66] In 2017, the school recognized eight of its early College Football Hall of Fame inductees by retiring their jerseys – including Guy Chamberlin, whose career predated the use of numbers on jerseys – in a ceremony celebrating the 125th anniversary of the N Club, an organization of past letterwinners.[65] The name and number of each honoree is displayed at Memorial Stadium, directly below the North Stadium press box.

No. Player Pos. Career Retired
Retired numbers
20 Johnny Rodgers WB 1970–1972 1972
60 Tom Novak C 1946–1949 1949
64 Bob Brown OT 1961–1963 2004
Retired jerseys
1 Clarence Swanson E 1918–1921 2017
7 Eric Crouch QB 1998–2001 2002
12 Bobby Reynolds HB 1950–1952 2017
15 Tommie Frazier QB 1992–1995 1996
25 George Sauer FB 1931–1933 2017
30 Mike Rozier IB 1981–1983 1983
33 Forrest Behm OT 1938–1940 2017
34 Trev Alberts LB 1990–1993 1994
35 Ed Weir OT 1923–1925 2017
38 Sam Francis FB 1934–1936 2017
50 Dave Rimington C 1979–1982 1982
54 Dominic Raiola C 1998–2000 2002
66 Wayne Meylan MG 1965–1967 2017
67 Aaron Taylor G 1994–1997 1998
71 Dean Steinkuhler G 1980–1983 1983
72 Zach Wiegert OT 1991–1993 1995
75 Larry Jacobson DT 1969–1971 1994
Will Shields G 1989–1992 1994
79 Rich Glover MG 1970–1972 1972
93 Ndamukong Suh DT 2005–2009 2010
98 Grant Wistrom DE 1994–1997 1998
Guy Chamberlin HB / E 1913–1915 2017

All-Americans[edit]

Main article: List of Nebraska Cornhuskers football All-Americans

Academic All-Americans

Main article: Nebraska Cornhuskers academic honors and awards

Nebraska leads the nation in Academic All-America selections, both in football and across all sports. Nebraska boasts seventy CoSIDA First-Team and 108 overall Academic All-America selections, both tops in the nation. The list includes fifteen Huskers that have been named first team Academic All-Americans twice in their careers. The Huskers also lead the nation with a total of 330 Academic All-Americans across all sports.[67]

Nebraska has four players that have been selected as a First Team Academic All-American by entities other than CoSIDA: Don Fricke (1960), Pat Clare (1960), Jim Osberg (1965), and Tony Jeter (1965).

In the NFL[edit]

Ndamukong Suh was drafted second overall by the Detroit Lions in 2010
See also: List of Nebraska Cornhuskers in the NFL Draft

Nebraska has had 368 former players drafted into the National Football League, including thirty-four first-round picks, two players selected first overall (Sam Francis in 1937 and Irving Fryar in 1984), and one player selected with the last pick of the draft (Stan Hegener in 1971).

Guy Chamberlin, Nebraska's first consensus All-American, signed with the Decautur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) in 1920 and a year later, scored the game-winning touchdown in the controversial "Staley Swindle" game.[68] Chamberlin went on to win four more APFA/NFL championships as a player and coach and still has the highest winning percentage of any coach in NFL history (0.784, among coaches with at least fifty wins).[69]

Former Nebraska I-back Roger Craig became the first player in NFL history to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl in 1985. The following season, he became the first player with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single NFL season, and in 1988 he was named Offensive Player of the Year.[70] Craig and fullback Tom Rathman, another former Cornhusker, played five seasons together on a high-powered San Francisco 49ers offense, winning two more Super Bowls.

Vince Ferragamo, Nebraska's quarterback in 1975 and 1976, started Super Bowl XIV for the Los Angeles Rams, the only former Cornhusker to start at quarterback in a Super Bowl.[71] Zac Taylor, another former Nebraska quarterback, was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.[71] NU was represented by at least one player in each Super Bowl from 1993 until 2019, the longest active streak of any school at the time it was snapped.[f][72]

Pro Football Hall of Fame[edit]

Guy Chamberlin was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965

Five former Nebraska players have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Name Pos. Career Inducted
Link Lyman[73] OT 1918–1919, 1921 1964
Guy Chamberlin[69] E 1913–1915 1965
Bob Brown[74] OT 1961–1963 2004
Will Shields[75] G 1989–1992 2015
Mick Tingelhoff[76] C 1959–1961 2015

Future opponents[edit]

The Big Ten Conference added four new member schools prior to the 2024 season and disbanded the division system it had used in some form since 2011.[77] Nebraska annually faces one protected rivalry in this scheduling format, Iowa. The remaining eight conference games rotate amongst the remaining sixteen teams.[78]

Year Non-conference opponents[79][80] Home conference opponents[81] Away conference opponents
2024 UTEP, Colorado, Northern Iowa Illinois, Rutgers, UCLA, Wisconsin Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Purdue, USC
2025 Akron, Cincinnati (at Lucas Oil Stadium), Houston Christian Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, USC Maryland, Minnesota, Penn State, UCLA
2026 Ohio, Tennessee, North Dakota Indiana, Maryland, Ohio State, Washington Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Oregon, Rutgers
2027 Northern Illinois, at Tennessee Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon, Purdue, Rutgers Northwestern, Ohio State, Washington, Wisconsin
2028 UTEP, South Dakota State, Arizona Northwestern, Penn State, UCLA, Wisconsin Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Purdue, USC
2029 at Oklahoma TBA TBA
2030 South Dakota State, Oklahoma
2031 at Arizona
2032 Cincinnati
2033 TBA
2034 Oklahoma State
2035 at Oklahoma State

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Osborne's teams were awarded national titles by NCAA-designated major selectors in 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, and 1993, but the school does not claim any of these
  2. ^ Until 1974, the final Coaches Poll was published at the conclusion of the regular season
  3. ^ Claimed by both Nebraska and Oklahoma. In early 1973, Oklahoma voluntarily forfeited eight of its wins from the previous season when it was discovered the Sooners had used players who were ineligible under NCAA rules, which gave second-place Nebraska the conference title. Decades later, Oklahoma reversed course and recognized these wins[25]
  4. ^ Novak also wore No. 68 and No. 61 during his career, which are not retired
  5. ^ Brown's No. 64 was worn by many players prior to its retirement, most recently offensive lineman Kurt Mann, who switched to No. 50 when No. 64 was taken out of circulation
  6. ^ This includes Zaire Anderson as Nebraska's representative in Super Bowl 50, though Anderson was on Denver's practice squad when the game was played

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External links[edit]

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