NU's First Family of Football Kicks Off 125-Year Celebration

Reflecting and Celebrating N-Club's 125 Years

Hall-of-Famer Swanson Reeled in Bob Devaney

For the Ruuds, Family Pride Shined Through

Barrett Ruud Nebraska's All-Time Tackle Leader

Randy York’s N-Sider

Official Blog of the Huskers

To honor the N Club’s 125th Anniversary Celebration in the 2017-18 academic year, The N-Sider, beginning today, will publish a year-long, once-a-month feature that exemplifies premier student-athlete experiences representing the 6,000-plus male and female Huskers who have earned coveted varsity letters.

We kick off with general awareness of the 125-year Nebraska Athletics' milestone that will gain momentum, leading up to next fall's official celebration of the Huskers' tradition-rich history.

We begin with what many call the First Family of Nebraska Football ­­– the Ruud family, which traces its roots all the way back to Clarence Swanson, who was inducted into the National Football Foundation’s College Hall of Fame in 1973, two years after he died. Swanson was an end at Nebraska, earning four varsity letters in 1918-19-20-21.

As great as Swanson was on the field (his three touchdown catches in one game went 50 years before Johnny Rodgers duplicated the feat), Swanson left an even greater legacy that was never officially acknowledged until four years ago.

Hall-of-Fame Football Player Clarence Swanson Enabled the Hiring of Devaney

Thanks to the intrinsic power of blogging, The N-Sider learned that Swanson (pictured above holding his letter sweater) was the Nebraska Board of Regent member with a trailblazing influence in the hiring of Bob Devaney as Nebraska’s head coach.

Please take the time to come back and read this N-Sider, published on May 14, 2012. The blog chronicles the overall impact Swanson had on Nebraska’s football program and explains the silence Swanson chose to take to his grave. It’s an incredible story, verified by Swanson’s daughter, Kathryn “Tish” Druliner.

Nebraska’s only captain in 1921, Swanson (above) fell two years short of playing in Memorial Stadium, which was built in 1923. Fortunately, the Ruud family legacy fortified the Swanson side.

Between the Ruud and the Martin Families, Swanson's Legacy Still Intact

Tom Ruud (above with Barrett) was a Co-Big Eight Athlete of the Year in 1975, Swanson's great grandson, a first-round draft choice and a five-year NFL veteran at linebacker with Buffalo and Cincinnati. He married the late Jaime (Swanson) Ruud, "Tish's" niece.

Tom and Jaime's son, Barrett Ruud, was a third-team All-America linebacker and second-round NFL draft choice after earning four letters from 2001-04. He was Nebraska's defensive captain in 2004 and remains Nebraska’s all-time tackle leader with 432, 90 more than second-place Jerry Murtaugh (1968-70) and 145 more than third-place Mike Brown (1996-99).

Barrett played eight seasons (2005-12) in the NFL, including his first six at Tampa Bay. An inside linebacker, he finished his pro career with 658 tackles, six sacks, six fumble recoveries and seven interceptions.

Bo Followed in Great, Great Grandfather's, Father's and Brother's Footsteps

Barrett’s younger brother, Bo Ruud (No. 38 above) was a first-team All-Big 12 linebacker, three-year Husker starter and team captain in 2007.

Their uncle, Bob Martin, also was a Nebraska captain in 1975 after earning first-team All-America honors as a defensive end before going on to a productive NFL career.

Jay Martin, Bob Martin's son and Barrett and Bo Ruud's cousin, was a 2012 Big Ten All-Academic tight end at Nebraska.

Jay’s sister, Anne Martin, earned back-to-back All-America honors in the 2013 and ‘14 NCAA Outdoor Heptathlon Championship competition. She also earned two NCAA Elite 89 Awards, which are presented annually at each national championship event. The award is presented to one male and one female student-athlete with the greatest cumulative GPA while competing at the highest athletic level in their respective sports.

Another Barrett and Bo uncle, John Ruud, lettered two years at linebacker and often shows up on Nebraska's high-definition scoreboards because of his jarring tackle on the second-half kickoff that set the tone for the Huskers' 17-14 upset of No. 1-ranked Oklahoma in 1978.

 

Nebraska Invites Student-Athletes to Share Their Reflections as Letterwinners

Now that Big Red fans have heard the case about the First Family of Nebraska Football, we invite fellow Husker student-athletes with varsity letters to use this simple tool to express your thoughts and share your reflections to help celebrate 125 years of athletic tradition on Huskers.com. Please share the impact the N Club had on you, why There is No Place Like Nebraska, what influenced your career and why you stay connected to your teammates, coaches and fellow letterwinners.

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

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