Brown, Glover Iconic Figures in Hall of Fame Class

Six Distinguished Huskers Earn Hall-of-Fame Status

Brown Eager to Share Thoughts on Radio Tonight

By Randy York, The N-Sider

Bob ‘Boomer’ Brown and Rich Glover are iconic figures in Nebraska’s fabled football history, and each deserves symbolic status for how well their names resonate among an unrivaled fan base with 354 consecutive home sellouts.

That's why it seems only fitting that Brown and Glover will be enshrined together into the University of Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 13, the day before Nebraska hosts Ohio State, a 2016 College Football Playoff qualifier.

Consider this. In 1963, one year after Bob Devaney’s arrival in Lincoln, Brown was the quintessential force that helped Nebraska win its first-ever Big Eight Conference championship after a 23-year drought without a conference title.

Brown became the Huskers’ first African-American football player to be named an All-American and went on to become one of three Huskers in history to be enshrined into both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.

Guy Chamberlin and Will Shields are the other two Huskers who reached that pinnacle milestone. Seven years after Brown's powerful impact, Glover became equally iconic in spearheading the legendary Blackshirts to back-to-back national championships in 1970 and ’71.

Glover Catalyst for Defensive Gems, Had 22 Tackles in Game of the Century

Who can forget Nebraska’s 17-12 Orange Bowl win over LSU that earned the Huskers’ their first national title in 1970, followed by the 38-6 mastery of Alabama a year later in Miami?

Rich Glover was a catalyst for both defensive gems, not to mention his 22 tackles against Oklahoma in Nebraska’s 35-31 win over Oklahoma in the 1971 Game of the Century.

That game – going head-to-head against Oklahoma’s first-team All-America center – was one shining moment that will live in the hearts and minds of Husker fans forever.

“Rich Glover was the greatest defensive player I ever saw,” Devaney said.

Glover (No. 79 pictured above) became the third player in college football history to win the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy in the same season. He also finished third in 1972 voting for the Heisman Trophy and was a Sports Illustrated first-team choice for its All-Century Team. 

Bob Brown, Rich Glover Meet the Standards for Distinctive Iconic Excellence

The evidence that piles up for No. 64 Bob Brown (above) and No. 79 Rich Glover is enough to earn both “iconic” status. The dictionary description of iconic relates to or has the characteristics of something widely recognized and well established.

Iconic can be a brand name, describe an actor, musician or writer and yes, it can even define the distinctive excellence of a college and pro football player, separately or together.

Brownand Glover represent one-third of the 2017 Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame class.

The other four who will be enshrined this fall are Karen (Dahlgren) Schonewise, Volleyball (1983-86); Denise Day, Softball(1982-85) and track and field (1985); Dave Hoppen, Men’sBasketball (1983-86); and Scott Johnson, Men’s Gymnastics (1980-1983).

Nebraska fans remember the excellence that Brown (1961-63) and Glover (1970-72) contributed and appreciate their legacy to pave the way for the most loyal fans in college football history.

Devaney Inherited Brown’s Talents; Monte Kiffin Recruited, Coached Glover

Interestingly, Brown (a native of Ohio) and Glover (a New Jersey native pictured above) played high school football in states that are now part of the Big Ten’s formidable footprint.

The late Devaney felt fortunate when he inherited Brown at Nebraska and was ecstatic when Husker defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin recruited and then coached Glover.

Bob 'The Boomer' Brown’s football career started inconspicuously. At best, he considered himself slightly better than average. 

As a senior in high school at Cleveland, Ohio, however, “I was noticed by Warren Schmakel, who was the freshman coach at the University of Nebraska,” Brown said. “I was offered and accepted an athletic scholarship, and this exposed me to an academic and college program that I think is the best in the country.

Brown: Bob Devaney The Greatest Teacher, Greatest College Coach Ever

“In my opinion, the caveat for me was playing for the greatest teacher and the greatest college football coach ever – Bob Devaney,” Brown said.

Brown went on to become a seven-time All-NFL pick and a six-time Pro Bowl selection during his 10-year NFL career.

Teammates remind historians that Brown (pictured below at Memorial Stadium) excelled defensively as well as offensively. In the early ‘60s, that was common.

Bob Brown’s Interception Sealed Nebraska’s First-Ever Bowl Win in NYC

Brown, in fact, was a heroic figure in Nebraska’s first-ever bowl win, intercepting a pass in the last 80 seconds of Nebraska’s 36-34 win over Miami in the Gotham Bowl. George Mira, Miami’s unanimous All-America quarterback, did not expect Bob ‘Boomer’ Brown to ruin the comeback.

Omaha World-Herald columnist Wally Provost said the win “will glow in the record books as a thriller in which Nebraska survived three Miami leads and two deadlocks to finally stab George Mira with his own weapon.”

Brown’s Block Carried His Man Eight Yards Downfield for Claridge's TD Run

A year later, Nebraska upset Auburn, 13-7, in the Orange Bowl in Miami. On the second play of the game, Brown’s crushing block carried his man eight yards downfield and opened the way for quarterback Dennis Claridge to run 68 yards for a touchdown.

Injury shortened Glover’s pro career with the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles, but he will be forever memorable with his dominating defensive power and every accolade that came with it. Some, in fact, believe his most dramatic recognition was 1972 when his picture was on the cover of the NCAA Football Guide.

Glover was, is and always will be an iconic figure to Husker Nation. He is a rarity who earned Nebraska’s top two individual honors – the Tom Novak Award for his "courage and determination" in 1972 and the Guy Chamberlin Trophy for "contributions to the betterment of Nebraska football" in the same year.

Brown's credentials at the highest level in both college and professional football represent an iconic anchor for Nebraska and the game's superlative double-barreled achievement.

At Nebraska, that pretty much says it all.

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

Follow Randy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RandyYorkNsider

N-Sider Archives