Football/Men's Track and Field 2020

Sam Francis was a two-sport star with legendary accomplishments. He was an All-American, Heisman Trophy runner-up and No. 1 NFL Draft Pick on the football field and an NCAA Champion and Olympian in track and field. A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Francis put together arguably the greatest individual athletic year in school history during the 1936-37 season. His remarkable run began in August, when he placed fourth in the shot put at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, becoming the first Husker athlete in any sport to place at the Olympics. In the fall, Francis was a first-team All-American for the No. 9 Nebraska football team – the first top-10 team in school history – and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting. He was then selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1937 NFL Draft, which was held in December of 1936. Francis capped his remarkable run by winning the 1937 NCAA shot put title. Overall, Francis was a two-time All-American in the shot put and a four-time Big Six champion in the event. In addition to his individual accolades, Francis was a member of two football and four track and field conference championship teams in his three seasons, and he helped both the football and track and field teams to a top-10 national finish. He went on to play four seasons in the NFL and also served as Kansas State’s head football coach in 1947 after a stint in the Army during World War II. Francis’ No. 38 football jersey is retired, and he graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in education in 1938. Francis passed away on April 23, 2002, at the age of 88.

Football, 2023

Tommie Frazier is widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks – and winners – in the history of college football. Named one of the 10 Greatest College Football Players of the 20th Century, Frazier led Nebraska to four Big Eight titles, with the Huskers going undefeated in the regular season and playing for the national title in each of his final three seasons. Frazier posted a 33-3 record as Nebraska’s starting quarterback, culminating with back-to-back perfect national championship seasons in 1994 and 1995. A three-time national championship game Most Valuable Player, Frazier burst onto the scene in 1992, when he became the first true freshman to ever start at quarterback for Nebraska. He was the Big Eight Freshman/Newcomer of the Year in 1992 and the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year in 1995. Frazier was the runner-up for the 1995 Heisman Trophy in addition to being named the national player of the year by two media outlets. He finished his career – including bowl games – with 4,003 passing yards and 2,290 rushing yards. Frazier accounted for 6,293 yards of total offense with 85 total touchdowns. A Bradenton, Florida, native, Frazier was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013, and his No. 15 jersey was retired by Nebraska in 1996. Frazier earned his degree in communication studies from the University of Nebraska in 1996.

Men's Golf, 2015

Steve Friesen excelled on the course and in the classroom for the Nebraska men's golf program. He was recognized for his achievements in both areas when he was named the recipient of the 1999 Ben Hogan Award, presented annually to collegiate golf's top scholar-athlete. On the course, he was a 1999 All-American and a three-time All-Big 12 selection. The only three-time all-conference honoree in program history, Friesen was a two-time, first-team All-Big 12 selection. He posted Nebraska's lowest round (69) and lowest overall score (288) at the 1998 NCAA Championship. His play helped the Huskers to their first back-to-back NCAA Championship appearances in school history, including the program's best finish (14th) in 1999. In the classroom, Friesen was a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree. The first Husker golfer to earn an academic all-district award, Friesen is the only Husker to earn multiple academic all-district honors. Friesen earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Nebraska in 2000 with a major in biological sciences.

Women's Track and Field, 2019

Carol Frost was a world-class athlete and one of the first female varsity coaches at Nebraska. She was also the first woman from Nebraska and the first Husker female student-athlete to compete in the Olympics, throwing the discus at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Frost achieved her Olympic dream despite competing during an era when women did not have equal access to training facilities. Frost trained for the Olympics while pursuing a double major in math and physical education at Nebraska, but she had no track and field team with which to train. Although she attended Nebraska before women's athletics had earned varsity status, Frost's accomplishments were so great that she was presented with an honorary letter in 2004. Frost won a gold medal in the discus at the 1967 Pan American Games – the same year she graduated from Nebraska – and she was a four-time U.S. champion in the event from 1966 to 1970. Frost, who also earned a master's degree from Nebraska, returned to Lincoln as the Huskers' second women's cross country and track and field head coach in 1976 and coached both teams for four seasons. She led Nebraska to the first indoor and outdoor conference titles in Nebraska women's track and field history and posted three top-10 national finishes. Frost recruited Merlene Ottey, a 14-time national champion at Nebraska who set female track and field records by competing in seven Olympics and winning nine Olympic medals. Frost's efforts helped set the stage for Nebraska to win indoor national championships in 1982, 1983 and 1984. After leaving Nebraska, Frost remained active in athletics both as a competitor and coach. She assisted her husband, Larry, in coaching Wood River High School, where she coached her sons Steve and Scott and coached in the high school ranks for 30 years. Larry and Scott both played football at Nebraska, with Scott returning to Lincoln in December of 2017 as the Huskers' head football coach. Carol also continued to compete in track and field, setting one American Masters division age-group record in the shot put, three age-group records in the discus and one world age-group record in the javelin. In recognition of her outstanding contribution to women's athletics, Frost was presented with the 2004 Nebraska Trailblazer Award.