Who is the greatest running back in Nebraska football history? Ten spots are available for the honor and we salute the best that form a mix of old school and familiar faces from not very long ago.
Nebraska football is no stranger to quality running backs. In fact, one of the hot topics every offseason is which player at the position is going to break out and be The Man during the upcoming season.
Naturally, whenever you ask a Husker fan about the best backs to ever take a handoff, Nebraska’s Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier pops up. There’s a usual list of names that roll off the tongue, but after about four or five, a debate kicks in.
Which I-Backs didn’t quite have the legs to make our list?
You won’t find 1989 Super Bowl champion Doug DuBose’s name or two-time All-Big Eight selection Keith Jones, both NFL Draft picks.
Apologies to Jarvis Redwine or Cory “Porkchop” Ross, but even though there’s a spot in the Big Red record books for both of them, none of these ten spots bare their names.
Apologies to Jarvis Redwine or Cory “Porkchop” Ross, but even though there’s a spot on the Big Red record books for both of you, none of these ten spots bare your names and Bobby Reynolds? Not so much.
When defining the ten best backs that have ever played the game wearing scarlet and cream, a number of factors were taken into account. Not only how well they played as a member of the Nebraska football team overall, but their journey towards their final numbers and what their futures would hold.
With that in mind and without further adieu, let’s find out who the best of the best backs are that ever wore the cream shell with a block “N” on the side.
10. Roy Helu, Jr.
Helu may not jump out as a must-have name on the list, but he quietly made waves. A second-team All-Big 12 selection in 2009 by the coaches, Kansas City Star, Dallas Morning News and Rivals.com along with a 2010 second-team selection by the coaches and Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Helu did yeoman’s work for the Huskers.
His career spanned two head coaching regimes, starting under Bill Callahan and finishing up under Bo Pelini, but he’d heat up most under the second. Busting out for 1,000-plus yards in his final two years, he’d finish his career at Nebraska with 3,404 yards and 28 touchdowns with a 5.9 per
Busting out for 1,000-plus yards in his final two years, he’d finish his career at Nebraska with 3,404 yards and 28 touchdowns with a 5.9 per carry average.
Perhaps the most memorable game of his career came during his senior season against the Missouri Tigers. No. 14 Nebraska torched No. 7 Missouri thanks to a Helu performance during which the Danville, Calif. native appeared to have his hair on fire.
No. 14 Nebraska torched No. 7 Missouri thanks to a Helu performance during which the Danville, Calif. native appeared to have his hair on fire.
He’d rush for 11 percent of his career yardage alone that day tallying 307 yards on 28 carries including runs of 53, 66 and 73 yards that left the Tigers gassed. He finished his final season at Nebraska with 1,245 yards, 98 more than the previous year and on 32 fewer carries.
He finished his final season at Nebraska with 1,245 yards, 98 more than the previous year and on 32 fewer carries.
The effort against Missouri earned him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, Rivals.com National Player of the Week and Walter Camp National Player of the Week honors.
After being drafted in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Helu has enjoyed a five-year career in the pros playing for both the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders.
9. Rex Burkhead
All of the football cliches are there for Burkhead. Lunchpail, workout warrior, tough between the tackles, you name it. While he was busy racking up 3,329 yards and 30 touchdowns as a Husker, Burkhead had just as much of an impact off the field.
While he was busy racking up 3,329 yards and 30 touchdowns as a Husker, Burkhead had just as much of an impact off the field.
Without his assistance, it’s arguable that the Team Jack Foundation which brings in funding for pediatric brain cancer research wouldn’t have gained as much momentum as it has over the past several years. Burkhead’s friendship with a young man battling the disease named
Burkhead’s friendship with a young man battling the disease named Jack Hoffman captivated the Husker fanbase just as much as his workman-like style on the field.
Before too long, the entire team adopted Hoffman as a mascot as did the entirety of Husker Nation.
On the field, Burkhead made life difficult for opposing defenders. A 2011 First-Team All-Big Ten selection, he wasn’t the fastest guy, but he was a load to bring down averaging 5.2 yards per carry over the course of his career. His senior season was marred by injury, but he still managed to participate in eight games and tally 675 yards rushing with five touchdowns while catching 11 receptions for 92 yards and two scores.
His senior season was marred by injury, but he still managed to participate in eight games and tally 675 yards rushing with five touchdowns while catching 11 receptions for 92 yards and two scores.
Burkhead remains a fixture with the Team Jack organization today after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, an organization he’s remained with to this day.
Look for the Bengals’ No. 33 to continue representing his alma mater and himself as well as he did once he stepped into the Nebraska football facilities out of Plano, Tex. for the very first time.
8. I.M. Hipp
Before Kenny Bell hauled in touchdowns for the Big Red, if you wanted to know where to look for a ‘fro, you’d best keep an eye out for Isaiah Moses Walter Hipp.
Originally a walk-on, the 1977 First-Team All-Big Eight running back knew the cardinal rule about how to get into the Nebraska football record books as a guy that totes the rock: Never let pesky defenders stand in your way from running, running and running some more. Hipp would do just that accumulating 2,940 yards and 21 touchdowns over the course of his collegiate career.
Hipp would do just that accumulating 2,940 yards and 21 touchdowns over the course of his collegiate career.
He would start out his tenure with back-to-back seasons breaking the 1,000-yard mark making him the first Husker running back to ever do that. Keep in mind he was splitting time at the No. 1 spot during his junior year with Richard Berns who also eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark.
As a sophomore, Hipp ran over, around and through the Indiana Hoosiers to break the school record for rushing yards in a game with 254. He would also tally 200 yards later that year against the Kansas Jayhawks.
A turf toe injury cut his final year short after only 128 carries, 585 yards and four touchdowns. Despite the unfortunate end to his senior year, Hipp managed an impressive 5.5 yards per carry by the time he hung up his cleats as a Cornhusker.
Hipp would be drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 1980 NFL Draft, though his time as a dirty bird would be short-lived as he was released due to player cutbacks.
Despite that, Hipp will always be one of the best walk-on stories in all of Nebraska athletics and we’ll never, ever forget that hair.
7. Ken Clark
A two-time All-Big Eight selection in 1988 and 1989, Clark would tally 3,037 yards and 29 touchdowns over his Nebraska football career. As a junior, he not only had his best season with 1,497 yards and 12 touchdowns, but he also set the Nebraska single-game rushing record for his class with 256 yards against Oklahoma State. That record stands as of this writing.
As a junior, he not only had his best season with 1,497 yards and 12 touchdowns, but he also set the Nebraska single-game rushing record for his class with 256 yards against Oklahoma State. That record stands as of this writing.
He wasn’t done impressing as a junior when the No. 7 Cornhuskers took down the No. 10 Cowboys. Clark ended that season with the fifth-best single-season rushing total in Nebraska history with 1,497 yards and 12 touchdowns on only 232 carries. That averages out to
That averages out to a quality 6.5 yards per tote of the football.
Not the only Omaha, Neb. native you’ll find on this list, the 5’11” 200-pounder who always ran angry finished his career with a solid dozen 100-yard rushing days, including five as during his final campaign in scarlet and cream.
He was selected in the eighth round of the 1990 NFL Draft (for you younger readers, yes, that was actually a thing once) by the Indianapolis Colts. During the 1991 season, he was the only back to play in all 16 of the Colts’ games.
Unfortunately, Clark passed due to a heart attack on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013.
Despite no longer being with us, his memory remains in the annals of Husker lore and he will forever be a part of what makes the University of Nebraska the family that it has become.
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.
5. Calvin Jones
Do you like a running back that can bust through a beefy offensive line, leave the opposition in the dust and knows how to celebrate when it was all said and done?
Well, it’s not legal to take off your helmet following an awesome run anymore, but if you answered “Yes” to all of those questions, Jones is your man.
Perhaps one of the finest models of consistency among Nebraska running backs and a 1989 USA Today High School All-American, Jones’ three years as a Husker were like clockwork. He started his freshman campaign with 900 yards and 14 touchdowns in 10 games.
As a hotshot quarterback named Tommie Frazier took his place under center in 1992, Jones busted through the 1,000-yard mark and tied his touchdown total from the previous year.
Finally, in 1993 before passing the torch to a seemingly endless line of quality Husker running backs, he would break the 1,000-yard barrier again and add 12 touchdowns to the scoreboard.
What’s even more impressive about his 1993 season totals is that he injured his knee in the first game of the season and sat out two contests as a result.
Quick with a stiff arm and never afraid to get in someone’s face, Jones was named a two-time consensus All-Big Eight selection and a Third-Team All-American by Football News during his junior year.
The first of two Omaha Central backs on this list (oops, may have given that second one away), Jones was selected in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Raiders.
He was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 2004 and remains a fan favorite for those who sat in the stands or watched thanks to rabbit ears in the early 1990s.
4. Ameer Abdullah
Records were made to be broken. Enter Ameer Abdullah. The Auburn Tigers wanted him as a defensive back, but the Nebraska Cornhuskers saw something special in the Homewood, Ala. native as a running back.
Did the scouting report ever pay off for the Huskers?
By the time he was a senior, Abdullah would garner a litany of awards including being named a Second-Team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, CBS, Scout.com, Athlon Sports, the Associated Press and SI.
The accolades weren’t what made him a household name, though.
It was his uncanny ability to get five yards when there were two, his danger as a receiver out of the backfield and a rather impressive ability to pass block for a 5’9″ 195-pounder.
About that previously mentioned record, there was one that Abdullah was on the cusp of breaking and Husker fans whispered amongst themselves: Could he be the guy to topple Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier’s career rushing mark?
Well, he came close. After 813 carries, he managed 4,588 yards on the ground, only 192 yards short. Despite not breaking the record, Abdullah frequently helped the Huskers out of sticky situations.
In fact, without his heroics, Nebraska may have suffered one of its most embarrassing losses of all-time against McNeese State.
He would go on to be selected with the 54th overall pick by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Wherever his career takes him, it will be exciting to see just as it was a thrill to watch him in Memorial Stadium on Saturdays.
3. Ahman Green
You don’t even have to be a fan of Nebraska football to know about Green., but it does help you to appreciate his legacy.
As a freshman in 1995, he had to squeeze his way into the spotlight considering he had the likes of Tommie Frazier and Lawrence Phillips gobbling up rushing attempts.
Despite that and thanks in no small part to Phillips’ suspension, he would rush for over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns earning him First-Team All-Big Eight honors. His 7.7 yards per carry average ranked as the No. 1 mark in the league that year.
He played in one less game during the 1996 season resulting in a “dip” that saw him reach a “paltry” 916 yards and seven rushing scores. He would rebound with a vengeance during Nebraska’s most recent national title year running for 1,877 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Keep in mind that season also saw quarterback Scott Frost rush for 1,065 yards while fullback Joel Makovicka turned in 685 yards of his own.
After being named a 1997 Second-Team All-American, Green would be drafted in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, but he’d find his first true fame among the professional ranks in Green Bay.
From the time he ended up a Packer (2000) through 2004, he gained more yards from scrimmage (9,036) and rushing yards (6,848) than any other player in the league.
Nebraska fans are waiting for the next homegrown prospect like Green step onto the Memorial Stadium turf, but to be fair, No. 30 is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of back.
2. Mike Rozier
The only Nebraska running back to ever hoist the Heisman Trophy, Rozier shows up to the ceremony every year with the same style and flash that he brought to the football field.
A graduate of Coffeyville Junior College, Rozier spent three years with the Huskers baffling defenses while putting up 4,780 yards and 49 touchdowns over 35 games.
A member of the legendary 1983 “Scoring Explosion”, he’d combine with former quarterback Turner Gill along with the former No. 1 pick in the 1984 NFL Draft, Irving Fryar to decimate the opposition.
Together, the trio would hang 625 points (a 48-point average) on the teams that lined up across from them keeping Nebraska ranked No. 1 for the entire season until an ill-fated two-point conversion attempt in the Orange Bowl dropped a rotten lemon in the punch bowl.
Despite not taking home the national championship, Rozier not only bested his 1,600-plus yard junior season but busted the 2,000-yard mark turning in 2,148, averaging 7.9 yards per carry.
Many forget that the Heisman Trophy wasn’t the only piece of individual hardware Rozier would take home during his senior season.
He also won the Maxwell Award (the best all-around college player in the United States as determined by sports writers and other organizations) and the Walter Camp Award (given annually to the college football player of the year as determined by the Walter Camp Football Foundation).
Keep on stylin’, Big Mike.
1. Lawrence Phillips
A controversial number one pick? You bet, but despite Phillips‘ off-the-field problems, he was a one-of-a-kind athlete that no Husker fan had ever seen since Rozier and have yet to see again as of this writing.
In only 27 games, he would rush for 2,777 yards and 30 touchdowns. Keep in mind he played all of five games during the 1995 season during a very tumultuous time for both him and Nebraska football as a program.
It wasn’t just that he was able to average 6.2 yards per carry over his career including an insane 7.7 yards per tote in 1995, but how he went about it.
Phillips had a mentality of “I’m getting yardage, you’re just in the way.” He had tremendous vision beyond the line of scrimmage and once he got into the open field, it was up to some poor sucker to try to take the beast man down.
What properly defines Phillips as Nebraska’s best all-time back isn’t that he was the sixth overall of the 1996 NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams.
Despite his character issues and flaws, he was given chance after chance in the hopes that maybe he’d finally find a home where he could excel and be content.
He played for three NFL franchises (St. Louis, Miami and San Francisco) before eventually finding his way North to Canada. The only stay that lasted more than one year was his time with the Rams.
Next: Throwback Thursday – McNeese Learned to Fear Ameer Abdullah
If Phillips was able to get his demons under control, he’s likely another Nebraska Heisman Trophy winner and has a long career in the NFL.
Unfortunately, we’ll never know what could’ve been.