Nebraska to Add Eight Retired Football Jerseys

The Nebraska Athletics Department will posthumously honor eight members of the College Football Hall of Fame at today’s game in a pregame ceremony at approximately 6:20 p.m. The names (and numbers if available) have been added to the North Memorial Stadium façade and these eight Legends will now be forever honored by having their jersey retired. The uniform numbers of those retired jerseys will continue to be used, but the eight names will join 17 other former Huskers with their jerseys retired, giving the rich Nebraska football program a total of 25 Legends so honored.

Nebraska College Football Hall of Fame players to be honored today as part of the retired jersey fraternity include: Guy Chamberlin, Ed Weir, Clarence Swanson, George Sauer, Sam Francis, Forrest Behm, Bobby Reynolds and Wayne Meylan.

“This is a fitting recognition for the greatest players of the first 75 years of Cornhusker football,” Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst said. “These men were at the pinnacle of the sport, earning induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. They are deserving of their names being placed alongside our other all-time greats at the top of the North Stadium. We will be recognizing the 125th Anniversary of the N-Club at the season opener against Arkansas State, making this the right time to honor this group of legendary players."

It is fitting that today’s game is also when the Huskers are celebrating the 125th anniversary of the N-Club. In total, nine Husker letterrwinners are descendants of these eight Husker letterwinners with seven of them in attendance at today’s game.

Retired Jersey Honorees
Forrest Behm, #33, Tackle, 1938-40 (1988, College FB HOF Inductee), Lincoln, Neb.
Behm earned first-team All-America honors as a tackle in 1940, helping Coach Biff Jones’ team to a Big Six title and a trip to the Rose Bowl. While at Nebraska, Behm was also class president, an ROTC Cadet Colonel and a recipient of a Harvard Fellowship for graduate study. Behm served as the president of Corning International Corporation.

Forrest Behm is represented by his two grandsons Christopher Behm and Nicholas Behm.

Guy Chamberlin, End/Halfback, 1913-1915 (Inducted into College Football Hall of Fame in 1962) Number Not Available, Blue Springs, Neb.
Chamberlin earned first team All-America honors as an end in 1915 and was a three-year letterwinner for Coach Jumbo Stiehm from 1913-15. During Chamberlin’s three seasons, Nebraska posted a record of 23-0-1 and won three Missouri Valley Conference titles.

Guy Chamberlin is represented by his great niece Ann Chamberlin Campbell and great nephew Nick Savener.

Sam Francis, #38, Fullback, 1934-36 (1977, College FB HOF Inductee), Oberlin, Kan.
Francis is one of the greatest athletes in Nebraska athletics history. Francis was the runner-up for the 1936 Heisman Trophy and was a first-team All-American as a fullback that season.  He placed fourth in the shot put at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and was the 1937 NCAA Shot Put champion. Francis was the first overall pick in the 1937 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles and played four years in the NFL, before serving in World War II.

Sam Francis is represented by his daughter in law Carol Francis, grandson M.T. Francis, and granddaughter Kelly Francis Way.

Wayne Meylan, #66, Middle Guard, 1965-67 (1991, College FB HOF Inductee), Bay City, Mich.
Meylan played middle guard for Nebraska for three years, helping the Huskers to a 25-7 record from 1965 to 1967. Meylan was a consensus All-American in 1966 and 1967 and was the Big Eight Conference Player of the Year in both seasons, helping Coach Bob Devaney’s team to a conference title in 1966. Meylan made 119 tackles as a senior, a single-season record at the time. He played three seasons in the NFL following the completion of his Nebraska career.

Wayne Meylan Sr., is represented today by his wife Audrey Meylan, brother Ed Meylan, son Wayne Maylen Jr., and daughter Britt Meylan Barnstoner.

Bobby Reynolds, #12, Halfback, 1950-52 (1984, College FB HOF Inductee), Grand Island, Neb.
Reynolds was a first-team All-American as a sophomore halfback in 1950, helping Nebraska to its first winning record in a decade. Reynolds set a school single-season rushing record in 1950 with 1,342 yards and also established a record for most touchdowns in a season with 22, while setting an NCAA record for most points per game by a player (17.4 ppg). Reynolds’ single-season rushing record lasted for 32 years and his touchdown record held up for 33 seasons.

 Bobby Reynolds is represented on the field today by his wife Sarah Reynolds, sons Rick and Rush Reynolds as well as Bobby’s grandson Drew Reynolds. Rick (1977-78-79) and Drew (2004-05-06-07) are Husker golf letterwinners.

George Sauer, #25, Fullback, 1931-33 (1954, College FB HOF Inductee), Lincoln, Neb.
Sauer was a first-team All-American as a fullback in 1933, and excelled at multiple positions for Coach Dana X. Bible. Sauer helped Nebraska to a 23-4-1 record in his three varsity seasons and ran for 1,570 yards, passed for more than 700 yards and also served as the team’s punter. He played for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL and served as the head football coach at New Hampshire, Kansas, Navy and Baylor.

George Sauer is represented today by his niece Janet Hill and great nephew Jim Hill.

Clarence Swanson, #1, 1918-21, (1973, College FB HOF Inductee), Wakefield, Neb.
One of the best players in the early years of Nebraska football, Swanson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973. Swanson earned All-America and All-Missouri Valley Conference honors for the Cornhuskers in 1921. In his final season, Swanson was a captain and helped NU to a 7-1 record and a MVC title. Swanson later served as a University of Nebraska Regent (1955-67) and played a key role in hiring Bob Devaney as the Husker head coach in 1962.

Clarence Swanson is represented today by his granddaughter Lisa DeBuse and her husband Chip; granddaughter Sheri Martin and husband Bob Martin (who was a football letterwinner in 1973-74-75); Tom Ruud, husband of late granddaughter Jamie Swanson Ruud; and three Swanson great-grandchildren who all lettered for the Huskers: Anne Martin (track and field, years), Jay Martin (football, 2009-10) and Bo Ruud (football, 2004-05-06-07). Two other Swanson great-grandchildren also lettered for the Huskers but were unable to attend today, including Bob’s son Lee (track and field, 2004-05-06-07) and Tom’s son Barrett (football, 2001-02-03-04).

Ed Weir, #35, Tackle, 1923-25, (1951, College FB HOF Inductee), Superior, Neb.
Weir was Nebraska’s first two-time All-American, earning first-team honors as a tackle in 1924 and 1925. He was also the first Cornhusker player named to the College Football Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 1951. Weir was an assistant football coach at Nebraska and was the head track coach from 1939 to 1955. The Nebraska outdoor track was dedicated in his name in 1974.

Ed Weir is represented today by his grandchildren: Eddie Weir III, Cathy Weir Renk, Julie Weir Gockley and Tad Weir. An interesting note is that Cathy, Julie and Tad’s mother Nancy was Guy Chamberlin’s niece.