%20--%3e%3csvg%20version='1.1'%20id='Nebraska_N'%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20x='0px'%20y='0px'%20viewBox='0%200%20163%20152'%20style='enable-background:new%200%200%20163%20152;'%20xml:space='preserve'%3e%3cstyle%20type='text/css'%3e%20.st0{fill:%23FFFFFF;}%20%3c/style%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M159.1,144c-2.3,0-4.1,1.8-4.1,4s1.8,4,4,4s4-1.8,4-4S161.2,144,159.1,144z%20M159,151.2c-1.8,0-3.2-1.4-3.2-3.2%20s1.4-3.2,3.2-3.2c1.7,0,3.2,1.5,3.2,3.2C162.2,149.8,160.8,151.2,159,151.2z'/%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M157.4,145.6h1.4c0.6,0,0.8,0,1.1,0.2c0.4,0.2,0.6,0.6,0.6,1.1c0,0.4-0.1,0.7-0.3,1c-0.1,0.2-0.3,0.2-0.6,0.4%20h-0.1l1.1,2.1h-0.8l-1-2h-0.6v2h-0.8L157.4,145.6L157.4,145.6z%20M158.6,147.7c0,0,0.3,0,0.4,0c0.4-0.1,0.6-0.3,0.6-0.8%20c0-0.3-0.1-0.5-0.4-0.6c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.6,0h-0.4v1.4L158.6,147.7L158.6,147.7z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M147,0H93h-5v5v35v5h5h5v24.8L55.2,2.3L53.7,0H51H5H0v5v35v5h5h5v62H5H0v5v35v5h5h54h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V82.2%20l42.8,67.5l1.5,2.3h2.7h46h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V45h5h5v-5V5V0H147z%20M150,5v35v3h-3h-7v66h7h3v3v35v3h-3h-46h-1.6l-0.9-1.4L52,75.3%20V109h7h3v3v35v3h-3H5H2v-3v-35v-3h3h7V43H5H2v-3V5V2h3h46h1.7l0.9,1.4L100,76.7V43h-7h-3v-3V5V2h3h54h3V5z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M103,87L103,87L51,5H5v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0c0,3.3,0,68.7,0,72l0,0c-2.2,0-10,0-10,0v35h54v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0%20c0-2.6,0-47,0-47l52,82h46v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0c0-3.3,0-68.7,0-72c2.2,0,10,0,10,0V5H93v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0%20C103,42.6,103,87,103,87z'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Randy York N-Sider
Official Blog of the Huskers
Since Thursday is 2016 NFL Draft Day, it’s time to share a history lesson that will allow every Husker fan worldwide to earn an A+ on a day that will be dominated by first-round picks, salary cap discussions and instant multi-millionaires.
Our lesson will focus on facts, consistency and how Nebraska continues to be fertile ground for NFL scouts. It’s a fun-filled journey that takes us all the way back to legendary Husker running back Sam Francis, a first-round No. 1 overall pick in the 1937 NFL Draft and stretches all the way to defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, who was drafted 73 years after Francis.
NFL.com ranks Nebraska highly among Colleges With the Most NFL Draft Picks by Position:
- Nebraska had the most running backs (40) selected in the NFL Draft.
- Nebraska has had the 3rd-most offensive linemen (57) selected in the NFL Draft.
- Nebraska has had the 4th-most defensive linemen (43) selected in the NFL Draft.
- Nebraska has had the 4th-most defensive backs (48) selected in the NFL Draft.
- Nebraska has had the 4th-most linebackers (41) selected in the NFL Draft.
- Nebraska has had the 5th-most tight ends (15) selected in the NFL Draft.
With that in mind, our first assignment was to compile the offensive players on Nebraska’s All-NFL Draft Team. The list includes 11 offensive starters who were the highest draft picks at their position in school history. The list is astonishing as all 11 were first-round draft picks, with the average player being taken with the No. 9 overall pick. What does that mean? Nebraska’s success in the NFL has been prominent enough that the Huskers can essentially field a mythical starting lineup with a top-10 NFL Draft pick at every position.
Nebraska’s Offensive All-NFL Draft Team
QB – Jerry Tagge, Green Bay Packers (1st Round, 11th overall pick in 1972 NFL Draft)
RB – Sam Francis (1st Round, 1st overall pick in 1937 NFL Draft)
WR – Irving Fryar, New England Patriots (1st round, 1st overall pick in 1984 NFL Draft)
TE – Johnny Mitchell, New York Jets (1st round, 15th overall pick in 1992 NFL Draft)
OT – Lloyd Voss, Green Bay Packers (1st Round, 13th overall pick in 1964 NFL Draft)
OG – Bob Brown, Philadelphia Eagles (1st Round, 2nd overall pick in 1964 NFL Draft)
C – Dave Rimington (1st Round, 25th overall pick in 1983 NFL Draft)
OG – Dean Steinkuhler, Houston Oilers (1st Round, 2nd overall pick in 1984 NFL Draft)
OT – Kelvin Clark, Denver Broncos (1st Round, 22nd overall pick in 1979 NFL Draft)
TE – Junior Miller, Atlanta Falcons (1st round, 7th overall pick in 1980 NFL Draft)
WR – Les McDonald, Chicago Bears (1st round, 8th overall pick in 1937 NFL Draft)
While the offensive Nebraska All-Draft Team is impressive, we can assure you that the defensive team, which will be released on Friday, is equally impressive. After all, there are plenty of outstanding players to choose from because: 1) Nebraska is the only school to have multiple players selected in every NFL draft in the common era; and 2) the Huskers have averaged six NFL draft picks per season over the last 50 years.
So what makes Nebraska historically so successful in the NFL Draft? For that lesson, we turn to an expert and a former NFL General Manager.
Billy Devaney, Nebraska Football Executive Director of Player Personnel, said:
“Nebraska’s overall NFL success certainly wasn’t surprising to me. Over the years, Nebraska has done a great job of recruiting. Whoever the talent evaluators were in recognizing these players and getting them here deserve a ton of credit. Once they’re here, you always knew that Nebraska players were going to get top coaching, top training and be NFL ready because the learning curve for Nebraska players was not going to be as long as most schools just because of the coaching and the preparation.
“Nebraska kids were not intimidated about playing at a high level on Sunday or Monday Nights basically because in some places, they were playing in front of bigger crowds at Nebraska than playing at NFL stadiums. That part of it didn’t intimidate them. If you had some talent, you knew you were getting a ready-made NFL player by the time they left Nebraska.
“Nebraska has been a factory for producing NFL players and that’s year after year in nearly every position, and that factory continues on because of the same traits – coaching, facilities, nutrition and the strength training that’s been so dominant over the years. It’s in place. It’s here and it’s still ready to go, and we’re going to do our best to continue that tradition.”
Join us on Friday to see Nebraska's Defensive All-NFL Draft Team and to hear from Andy Vaughn, Nebraska's Director of Football & Recruiting Operations, on how the Huskers' goal is for Nebraska to be a place where student-athletes can achieve all of their goals.
Send a comment to ryork@huskers.com (Please include city, state)
Follow Randy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RandyYorkNsider