T.O. to Honor Counter Trap Inventor Tenopir

Football Writers Establish Osborne Legacy Award

Huskers’ Nine Outland Trophy Winners Lead Nation

Roach, Abdullah, Cotton Senior Award Winners

Randy York’s N-Sider

Too bad college football doesn’t have a time vault for inventors like Sports Illustrated has for archived historical accomplishments. If such documentation existed, publications across the country would acknowledge something that true-blue inside Big Red fans already know – Ohio State won the first-ever College Football Playoff Monday night in Dallas using an offensive weapon that came out of Nebraska’s vault from the early '80s and thrived into the '90s.

Who invented the counter trap plays the Buckeyes used to wear out and defeat Oregon? Milt Tenopir, and thank you for asking because Nebraska’s fabled offensive line coach will receive the first annual Tom Osborne Legacy Award – presented by Osborne – at Thursday night’s annual Outland Trophy Dinner in downtown Omaha. Talk about timing. Tenopir has been battling cancer for the last year, and Thursday night’s Osborne Legacy Award, named after Nebraska’s Hall-of-Fame football coach and former director of athletics, could not have arrived at a better time. Beginning Thursday night, the Football Writers Association of America will honor a coach or a player who made contributions to the Outland Trophy or interior line play in college football. Tenopir is a model recipient to meet that criteria, but the award also can be presented to a former lineman who made great contributions to the game through charity or community work.

“One of the main strengths and the most important segment of any offense is the line, and in every sense, Milt influenced what we did when he was on our staff,” Osborne said. Compelling evidence showcased itself in Monday night’s national championship game. Ohio State had enough depth to control the ball, wear out the Oregon defense, and win the game despite four turnovers. Ohio State’s rushing yards dramatized the counter trap and created clock control.

Counter Trap Play Traces Its Roots to Rozier

Let the record show that no one was more pleased or surprised to see an important part of Nebraska’s legendary run game come out of mothballs and into the huddle of the winning Buckeyes. “We installed the counter trap in 1982 for Mike Rozier,” Tenopir (pictured above with Osborne) told me Tuesday. “The counter trap was a big part of our Scoring Explosion team in ’83. Some of our best plays in the ‘90s came from the counter and counter trap series.”

Whenever Ohio State improved its field position, made an important first down or scored using a Nebraska-invented play, Tenopir smiled. “The first time it happened, I told my wife, ‘that’s one of my old plays,’” he said. After that, the Tenopirs just looked at each other and smiled. Neither had to say anything. Still, I couldn’t resist asking “Uncle Miltie” about the origin of his innovation. “When Monte Kiffin was head coach at North Carolina State, he invited me to speak about the I-formation and what all you could do with it,” Tenopir said. On the night of his presentation, Tenopir was talking with Elliott Uzelac, a fellow offensive line coach, when he came up with the slower developing play inside Nebraska’s primary formation.

1995 National Champions Averaged 6.5 Yards Per Trap

The Huskers launched the counter trap series for pulling linemen that includes a counter sweep play and a reverse off the sweep version. During Nebraska’s 1995 national championship season that concluded with a 62-24 win over previously unbeaten Florida in the Fiesta Bowl, Tenopir said the counter game averaged 6.5 yards per carry over the entire ’95 season. “We averaged 10 yards a carry in some big games,” he added, pointing out that Ohio State wasn’t the first opponent to use Nebraska’s playbook.

“(NFL Coach) Joe Gibbs told us he saw our film, stole the idea, made a version of the same play, and won a Super Bowl with it for the Washington Redskins,” Tenopir said. “He thought our film was good stuff. He thought the counter trap was innovative and gave us credit for coming up with it.” Unfortunately for Oregon, the Ducks never adjusted to the play Monday night.

“Milt is a very bright guy and relates well to his peers,” Osborne said. “He was very steady and someone who could really relate to his players. He got the most out of them and did a very good job in developing them. He would take guys who were not necessarily heavily recruited offensive linemen and turn them into very good players,” Osborne said. “Matt Hoskinson was a running back at Battle Creek (Neb.) and became a very good offensive lineman here. Very few are not prototypical. Some are not necessarily rangy guys, but they became very, very effective.”

Outland Winners Shields, Taylor, Wiegert Will Attend

Milt Tenopir is, was and always will be a legendary figure at Nebraska, and three Outland Trophy winners he coached will be in Omaha Thursday night to show their support and appreciation, including College Football Hall-of-Famer Will Shields (No. 75 above), Aaron Taylor and Zach Wiegert. Shields was one of the original volunteers for the Teammates organization founded by Tom and Nancy Osborne and always has expressed his appreciation for the way his offensive line coaches prepared him to enjoy a long and storied NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs. Larry Jacobson, Nebraska's first of nine Outland winners, also will be at Thursday night's banquet, as well as Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch, new College Football Hall of Fame inductee Trev Alberts and Calvin Jones, one of Nebraska's all-time top running backs.

“I’ve always thought the most important thing for any football team is the offensive line, simply because it allows you to control the ball,” Osborne said. “Over the years, Milt, along with (the late) Clete Fischer and (the late) Dan Young, did a tremendous job in that regard. Opposing coaches were always interested in visiting with Milt because they just felt he was a good teacher and a good filter for information about offensive line play. So much of Milt has to do with our tradition. There’s no question about that. The old counter trap had the center coming around and helped the running game even more with a zone run back, who starts in one direction, and when he reaches a certain spot, he goes counter to that direction.” Oregon’s inability to stop the counter trap consumed the clock and became a major difference in the outcome after the Ducks rallied to trail only 21-20 late in the third quarter of the national championship game.

Mike Cavanaugh, Nebraska's new offensive line coach after serving in the same capacity under Mike Riley the past decade at Oregon State, is among those intriqued with the historical milestones associated with the Huskers' heavy-duty history rooted in superlative offensive line play. Cavanaugh  called Tenopir at home on Christmas Day to lift up Milt in his ongoing battle with leukemia. "I have such great respect for Nebraska's offensive line tradition and enjoy being able to talk to Milt about his experiences," Cavanaugh told me last Thursday. "I met Milt 30 years ago when he spoke at a coaching clinic in Boston. He was interesting and inspiring. I respect everything he's done." Tenopir has the same respect for Cavanaugh. "I can tell Mike's going to be a players' coach," Tenopir said. "If I'm a player, I'm going to like what he's teaching, and I'm going to enjoy competing for him."

Here are the three senior major award winners who will be honored Thursday night:

Trevor Roach Receives Tom Novak Award

Trevor Roach, a 6-2, 235-pound linebacker from Elkhorn, Neb., will receive the 2014 Tom Novak Award, the oldest individual Nebraska senior football honor that has been presented since 1950. Sportswriters and broadcasters vote on the award, presented to the senior who best exemplifies courage and determination despite all odds in the manner of Nebraska All-America center Tom Novak. The son of Thomas and Teri Roach (pictured above), Roach went from walk-on to scholarship to starting linebacker who finished among Nebraska's leading tacklers. He was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Nebraska Student-Athlete HERO Leadership Award recipient and a member of the Huskers' inaugural Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.

Ameer Abdullah Guy Chamberlin Trophy Honoree

Ameer Abdullah, a 5-9, 195-pound second-team All-America running back from Homewood, Ala., will receive Nebraska’s Guy Chamberlin Trophy, presented annually since 1967 in memory of the former great Nebraska All-America football player who went on to be enshrined in both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame. The criteria for the senior player Chamberlin recipient is to compete and to contribute to the betterment of Nebraska football while demonstrating the qualities and dedication of Guy Chamberlin in reinforcing Husker tradition. Abdullah revised important chunks of Nebraska football’s history book, finishing as the Huskers' career record-holder in all-purpose yards, carries, 300-yard all-purpose games as well as several other categories. A multiple-Team MVP and Lifter of the Year, Abdullah also served as a captain and a student-athlete role model for all of college football. Ameer (pictured above with parents Kareem and Aisha) is training for an upcoming Senior Bowl Game and NFL Combine. 

Jake Cotton Wins Cletus Fischer Native Son Award

Jake Cotton,a 6-6, 305-pound offensive guard from Lincoln (pictured above with parents Barney and Christine), will receive the Cletus Fischer Native Son Award, presented since 1991 to a senior Nebraska native. Barney Cotton, Jake’s dad, played for Coach Fischer in the 1970s. "The only other family who in any way compares to the Fischer family are the Cottons,” Osborne said. Barney's three sons – Ben, Jake and Sam – followed in his footsteps to be a Husker. "Out of three sons, you'd think one or two might not play at that level," Osobrne said. "But all three have played major roles here. It's quite remarkable."

Nebraska coaches select the Fischer Native Sun Award to honor the senior who best exemplifies leadership, work ethic, forthrightness, competitiveness, sense of humor, pride, loyalty, and love of Nebraska. The award honors Cletus and his three brothers. Clete played at Nebraska from 1945 to 1948, followed by Ken (1948-49), Rex (1955), and Pat (1958-60), who went on to play 17 NFL seasons with the Cardinals and Redskins. Clete was a Nebraska assistant coach from 1959 to 1985 and also had three sons who played and lettered at Nebraska – Dan (1980), Pat (1972-73), and Tim (1976-78), who walked on and became a starter. The Outland Trophy Banquet also will honor 2014 Outland Trophy winner Brandon Scherff from the University of Iowa, and Ross Browner, the 1976 Outland winner from Notre Dame. Greg Sharpe, the voice of Nebraska football and Husker baseball,will emcee the Outland Award Dinner.

Tom Novak Award Winners since 1950

Guy Chamberlin Trophy Winners Since 1967

Cletus Fischer Award Winners Since 1991

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