Writers' Votes Give NU College Football's Top Tier

Huskers Prominent on 75th Anniversary Team

Barfknecht: FWAA Teams Are 'Red All Over'

Randy York’s N-Sider

Official Blog of the Huskers

The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) released its 75th Anniversary All-America Team Thursday morning and guess who dominated college football’s top tier of legendary players from the Post-WW II Era?

The answer is Nebraska, which placed four players on the FWAA’s first team – Dave Rimington, Johnny Rodgers, Will Shields and Ndamukong Suh. The Huskers also had two third-team selections – Tommie Frazier and Dean Steinkuhler, increasing Nebraska’s total to six overall selections, one more than any other NCAA school.

The timing of the FWAA’s release from Texas will please and excite all Big Red fans who like to track awards and measure recognition. That’s especially true this year because Rimington will be the first Husker football player inducted into the University of Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame and will be one of 22 inaugural class members recognized at halftime of the Huskers’ season-opening football game against BYU.

Nebraska’s four first-team selections are one more than Ohio State’s three honorees and double the total of a number of iconic programs that landed two players each on the modern-day team.

Johnny 'The Jet' Rodgers Just Tore 'Em Loose from Their Shoes

Four Nebraska choices were Outland Trophy winners, reflecting the Huskers’ dominating, nation-leading nine-recipient total. The other two Huskers on the honor team are Rodgers, Nebraska’s first of three Heisman Trophy winners, and Frazier, a multiple All-America quarterback who finished No. 2 in 1995 Heisman Trophy voting. The two quarterbacks who outpolled Frazier in the FWAA’s 75-player team to represent the last 75 years of college football were Navy’s Roger Staubach (first team) and Florida’s Tim Tebow (second team).

Claiming the most first-teamers and commanding the most selections in the voting process is a tribute to Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne, back-to-back head coaches who combined to lead Nebraska to five national championships in 1970, '71, '94, '95 and '97.

Selecting the team "was truly an enriching experience,” FWAA Executive Director Steve Richardson said. "It put our members in contact with the great players of the past and truly gave them a better snapshot of college football history. All of our All-Americans were great, but picking this team was like choosing between a filet mignon and a Kansas City strip.”

Ohio State and Pittsburgh followed Nebraska's six overall selections with five each. The FWAA's top 75 players represent 41 different schools. The Big Ten Conference led the charge with 19 selections, four more than the second-place Atlantic Coast Conference.

Rimington Symbolizing, Rodgers Electrifying and Shields Strategic

The FWAA poll will usher in the 2015 college football season, and debate is inevitable, so let the discussion begin. In the meantime, let’s honor the six Huskers who made this prestigious team and give you a glimpse of their contributions and one word that comes to mind whenever I think about the overall impact each has made on the program. Check my recommended videos and features below and then share your thoughts at ryork@huskers.com (Please include city, state).

Dave Rimington: The word that comes to mind is symbolizing Nebraska footballbecause he’s the only two-time Outland Trophy winner in the history of college football. His name also symbolizes two other national individual awards, representing the best offensive lineman in the Big Ten Conference and the best center in the country.

Video: Dave Rimington Receives Orange Bowl Honor

Feature: Rimington a Renaissance Man

 

Johnny Rodgers: The word that pops into multiple minds is electrifying because “The Jet” was a threat to score every time he touched the football. His punt return touchdown in the 1971 Game of the Century at Oklahoma will revitalize every Nebraska, man, woman and child who takes the time to see it again and again.  

Video: Johnny Rodgers Takes It All the Way Home

Feature: Rodgers on Nebraska Innovation

 

Will Shields: There are so many words that fit Will, it’s hard to find the perfect one, but I’m going with strategic because he maximizes everything that comes his way, whether it’s academic, athletic, in the community, personal, private or shared. He’s rock solid, a thinking man and a family man. I will buy the book he's writing.

Video: Will Shields Fools CU on Fumblerooskie Run

Feature: Shields on What It Takes to Be Great

Suh Generous, Frazier Fearless and Steinkuhler Silent

Ndamukong Suh: Finding one word that fits all is difficult for a man who excels and leads in so many different ways. Yes, Ndamukong is physical, even intimidating in football. But he’s also generous, donating major money to Nebraska before he was even drafted in the NFL. Read the feature below to see how deeply Suh thinks, analyzes and actualizes.

Video: Ndamukong Suh’s Career Husker Highlights

Feature: Suh a Creative Giver

 

Tommie Frazier:After considerable thought, my one word for Tommie is fearless. He was a double-daring quarterback on the field and an ultra-courageous son, husband and father off the field. He had absolutely no fear. Just watch the video below. It will time tunnel you back to the seven Florida defenders who “tackled” him unsuccessfully in a national championship game.  

Video: Tommie Frazier Breaks Seven Tackles for TD

Feature: Frazier Finds Health, Happiness

 

Dean Steinkuhler: The word that defines Dean best is silent and that’s not, in any way, designed to undercut. Remember, silence is golden, and he always let his play on the field do his talking. Know also that Dean was a 1983 Husker captain and sons Ty (2008) and Baker (2012) Steinkuhler also were captains. Ty and Baker also preferred to let their play do all the talking.

Video: Dean Steinkuhler Scores TD in Orange Bowl

Feature: Steinkuhler: Like Father, Like Son

 

Send a comment to ryork@huskers.com (Please include city, state)

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