Nebraska football: 10 best seasons by a Husker running back
When talking about Nebraska football running backs that get overlooked, Keith Jones has to be at the top of the list. He’s in this list because the former I-back put together insane seasons before the Cornhuskers had achieved greatness.
Because the Huskers went 10-2 in 1987 and lost in the Fiesta Bowl, the season has sort of been lost to history. People might not also remember just how good Jones was at times in 1987 because his final numbers were not eye-popping.
What gets the running back on this list is the fact that he had some of the best single games in the history of the program while having one of the best single games in the program.
Jones finished the year with 1,232 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. Because he played in an offense that didn’t throw the ball much at all, he had just one catch for three yards.
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Still, 7.2 yards per carry is pretty darn impressive. When you consider that the man known as “End-zone Jones” had one game where he had 248 yards on the ground (eighth all time) and one where he had 240 yards (10th all time) it makes sense that his standout season makes the list.
That season got him drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the NFL draft. While he didn’t get much NFL experience there were a few games where he showed his stuff, finishing with over 100 yards in his pro career.