Bid on Vintage Autographed 1962 Helmets, Signed Program Covers

Looking for that perfect holiday gift for mom or dad or grandma or grandpa ... or both? Huskers.com is offering something that longtime Husker fans will cherish forever ... vintage 1962 Nebraska football helmets signed by Husker players, coaches and staff who returned to Lincoln this fall to celebrate Nebraska's NCAA record 300th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium.

The first game in the ongoing record sellout streak was against Missouri on Nov. 3, 1962. On September 26th this season, Nebraska players wore throwback uniforms for the 300th sellout game against Louisiana Lafayette. The NU Athletic Department honored the former players, coaches and staff who were part of that game with a special reunion celebration that weekend. Reunion participants consider these helmets treasured possessions, and now four helmets just like them have been made available to Big Red fans on Huskers.com.

Two of the four helmets are being auctioned off this week. Bidding for each helmet begins at $300 with minimum incremental bids of $25. Bidding will end for one helmet at 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 24. Bidding for other helmet will end at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Program Covers Signed by Co-Captains, Claridge, Osborne

Thanks to the generosity of HuskerPedia.com, historic program covers from 1962 also are being auctioned off on Huskers.com to commemorate each of Nebraska's seven home games this season. The games represent sellout Nos. 298 through 304 in an ongoing NCAA record of consecutive football sellouts.

The programs are glossy sheet replicas of the Nebraska-Missouri game program from Nov. 3, 1962 -- the first sellout in the record streak. They are signed by 1962 captains Bill "Thunder" Thornton and Dwain Carlson. Dennis Claridge and Tom Osborne also signed the programs. Claridge was the quarterback on Bob Devaney's first Nebraska team, and Osborne was a graduate assistant on Devaney's first coaching staff.

Thornton's signature alone increases the value of each signed program. He was the first black captain in Nebraska football history and died Dec. 18, 2008, in Columbia, Mo.

David Max, co-founder of HuskerPedia.com with Omaha native Joe Hudson, made the decision to donate this year's commemorative covers to the NU Athletic Department. "We wanted to help honor that 300th milestone game and make this entire year a special series that went beyond what we'd done in the past," Max said.

Like each helmet, each program cover purchased through this auction will include a certificate of authenticity. Auctions for all three historic program covers end in staggered fashion on Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 2:00 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.