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Nebraska Football: 10 Best Running Backs of All-Time

By Brandon Cavanaugh

Jan 24, 2015; Mobile, AL, USA; North squad running back Ameer Abdullah of Nebraska (28) runs past the tackle attempt of South squad defensive end Trey Flowers of Arkansas (86) in the first quarter of the Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2015; Mobile, AL, USA; North squad running back Ameer Abdullah of Nebraska (28) runs past the tackle attempt of South squad defensive end Trey Flowers of Arkansas (86) in the first quarter of the Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports /
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6. Derek Brown

A 1988 USA Today High School All-American, Brown was plucked out from Banning, Calif. to be the next in a long line of powerful Big Red backs. Wouldn’t you know it? Tom Osborne and company had a bit of a knack for picking these guys out.

Admittedly, Brown was probably an easy selection considering he set the Orange County single-season rushing record, surpassing the 3,000-yard mark.

He only stuck around for three years, a move that surprised Osborne himself after Brown not only shared the spotlight as the No. 1 back but battled through a separated shoulder during his final year as a Cornhusker.

That said, his presence was still felt.

After putting up only 375 yards on the ground as a freshman, Brown found himself exploding out of the gate like many Husker running backs before him running for 1,313 yards and 14 touchdowns during his sophomore season and 1,011 yards as junior while sharing carries with Calvin Jones.

He would be selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 1993 draft and spent four seasons with the Saints before signing on to be a part of Vince McMahon’s XFL experiment as a member of the San Francisco Demons in 2001. Bet you weren’t expecting that coming into this, were you?

While Brown might not have the immediate name recognition that some of the other players on this list do, he had the speed, tenacity and resolve to easily be named one of the best of all-time.

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