JD Spielman

Honors & Awards
» Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List (2018 & 2019)
» Paul Hornung Award Preseason Watch List (2018 & 2019)
» Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten (2019, Coaches & Media)
» Third-Team All-Big Ten (2018, Coaches & Media)
» Freshman All-American (2017, FWAA, USA Today)
» Third-Team All-Big Ten Wide Receiver (2017, Coaches)
» Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten Wide Receiver (2017, Media)
» Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten Kick Returner (2017, Coaches)
» BTN Big Ten All-Freshman Team Wide Receiver (2017)
» BTN Big Ten All-Freshman Team Kick Returner (2017)
» Nebraska Receiver of the Year (2018, 2019)
» Nebraska Scout Team Offensive MVP (2016)
» Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2016)

Nebraska Records
» Career Double-Digit Reception Games (2)
» Career 200-Yard Receiving Games (2)
» Season 200-Yard Receiving Games (1 twice)
» Game Receiving Yards Record (209 yards at Wisconsin in 2018)
» Freshman Receptions Record (55 in 2017)
» Freshman Receiving Yards Record (830 in 2017)
» Freshman All-Purpose Yards Record (1,572 in 2017)

2019 (Junior)
JD Spielman earned all-conference accolades for the third straight year while starting all 12 games as a junior. He led Nebraska in receptions (49), receiving yards (898), receiving touchdowns (5) and all-purpose yards (1,038). His 898 receiving yards were a career high and ranked sixth on NU’s single-season list. Spielman became the first Husker with three 800-yard receiving seasons, as he posted one of the top 10 receiving yards seasons in school history for the third straight year.

He posted four 100-yard receiving games in 2019, tying for the second-most 100-yard receiving games in a season in school history. Spielman averaged 18.3 yards per reception, the fourth-highest yards-per-catch average in Nebraska history among receivers with 40 receptions. Spielman was also Nebraska’s top punt returner, averaging 8.0 yards per return, including a 76-yard touchdown.

Spielman recorded a pair of catches for 36 yards and had a 76-yard punt return touchdown against South Alabama. With his punt return touchdown - the second of his career - Spielman joined Johnny Rodgers and Niles Paul as the only Huskers to score a return touchdown (punt or kickoff) in three consecutive seasons. Spielman posted his fifth career 100-yard receiving game at Colorado, catching five passes for 112 yards and one touchdown. He opened the scoring with a 65-yard touchdown catch on Nebraska’s opening drive, Spielman’s sixth career touchdown covering 65 yards or longer. 
He made four catches for 76 yards against Northern Illinois, including a 41-yard reception. At Illinois, Spielman set season highs with seven receptions for 160 yards, the third-highest receiving total of his career. Spielman was limited to a seven-yard reception against Ohio State, and he had two catches for 19 yards against Northwestern before suffering an injury that kept him out of the second half. Spielman returned from the injury to catch three passes for 59 yards at Minnesota, including a 51-yard reception. 

Spielman caught five passes for 97 yards against Indiana, including a 45-yard reception. He totaled his third 100-yard receiving game of the season at Purdue, hauling in six passes for 123 yards. Spielman then had four catches for 71 yards against No. 15 Wisconsin, including a 23-yard touchdown. Spielman posted his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season at Maryland, catching seven passes for 104 yards and a career-high-tying two touchdowns. 

Spielman had 114 all-purpose yards at Maryland, giving him 1,000 all-purpose yards for the third straight season. He joined Ameer Abdullah as the only Huskers to have 1,000 all-purpose yards as a freshman, sophomore and junior. In the final game of the season, Spielman caught three passes against Iowa, including a 39-yard touchdown that marked his third consecutive game with a touchdown reception.

Following his junior season, Spielman has caught a pass in each of his 33 career games, a streak that ranks fourth in school history. He ranks third all-time at Nebraska in both receptions (170) and receiving yards (2,546), while ranking second in 100-yard receiving games (8), third in combined kick return touchdowns (3), seventh in punt return touchdowns (2) and eighth in receiving touchdowns (15).

2018 (Sophomore)
Spielman put up impressive numbers and school records as a sophomore. Although he missed the final two games due to injury, Spielman was still impactful enough to earn third-team All-Big Ten recognition. He started each of the first 10 games and caught 66 passes for 818 yards and eight touchdowns. His 66 receptions ranked third in school history, while his eight touchdown catches were seventh and his 818 receiving yards ranked ninth. Spielman caught at least three passes in all 10 games in which he played. 

Spielman had a school-record 209 receiving yards at Wisconsin, giving him the only two 200-yard receiving games in Nebraska history. Spielman also had 10 catches against Purdue, becoming the only wide receiver in Husker history with two career double-digit reception games. With a 77-yard punt return touchdown vs. Bethune-Cookman, Spielman became the eighth player in school history to have both a punt and kickoff return for a touchdown. Spielman ranked sixth nationally in punt return touchdowns in 2018 and was 16th in receptions per game (6.6).

Spielman flashed his big-play ability in the season opener against Colorado, hauling in a 57-yard touchdown catch. The next week against Troy, Spielman had six receptions for 45 yards, including a seven-yard touchdown. At No. 19 Michigan, Spielman had four receptions. 

Spielman had a big performance against Purdue, catching 10 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns. Spielman’s two touchdown grabs were a career high, while the 10 receptions were the second-highest total of his career. With his then-season high of 135 receiving yards, Spielman eclipsed 1,000 career receiving yards. Spielman reached 1,000 receiving yards in his 15th career game, one game faster than Johnny Rodgers, who was the 1972 Heisman Trophy winner.

At No. 16 Wisconsin in the first game of October, Spielman caught nine passes for a school-record 209 yards, which ranked as the second-highest total by a Big Ten player during the 2018 season. Spielman hauled in a 75-yard touchdown in the third quarter for his longest catch of the season and his second career touchdown reception of 75 yards or longer. Fueled by his big receiving day, Spielman totaled 212 all-purpose yards against the Badgers, the third-highest total of his career. The next week at Northwestern, Spielman caught eight passes for 76 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown. He helped lead the Huskers to a win against Minnesota by catching eight passes for 77 yards, including a nine-yard touchdown. He recorded his 100th career catch against the Golden Gophers, becoming the first Husker to reach the milestone prior to his junior season. 

Spielman played only the first half the next week against Bethune-Cookman, when he caught five passes for 72 yards. Although he saw his streak of five consecutive games with a touchdown catch snapped, Spielman returned a punt 77 yards for his first career punt return touchdown and Nebraska’s first punt return touchdown since 2014. The next week at No. 8 Ohio State, Spielman caught six passes for 61 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown. The touchdown catch was his eighth of the season, tying the Nebraska sophomore record. 

Spielman had seven catches for 71 yards against Illinois before suffering an injury in the second half. The injury cut his sophomore season two games short, as Spielman missed the Michigan State and Iowa games.

2017 (Redshirt Freshman)
Spielman was one of the nation’s top freshmen in 2017. After scoring on a 99-yard kickoff return against Arkansas State on his first career touch, Spielman went on to post the first 200-yard receiving game in Nebraska history and set Husker freshman records for receptions, receiving yards, 100-yard receiving games and all-purpose yards. He also ranked sixth in school history in kickoff return yards (669) and posted the then-seventh-best marks in Husker history in receiving yards (830) and receptions (55).

A freshman All-American, Spielman led all FBS freshmen with 830 receiving yards and 75.5 receiving yards per game, and he ranked second with 142.9 all-purpose yards per game and 669 kickoff return yards. Overall, Spielman ranked 13th nationally in all-purpose yards, 23rd in kickoff return yards and 40th in receiving yards per game. Spielman’s 291 all-purpose yards at Minnesota were the 10th-highest total of any FBS player during the 2017 season and his then-school-record 200 receiving yards against No. 9 Ohio State were the 23rd-highest total of 2017.

Spielman garnered second-team All-Big Ten accolades as a wide receiver from Phil Steele, was a third-team selection by the league coaches and an honorable-mention pick from the media. As a kick returner, he was named an honorable-mention all-conference selection by the Big Ten coaches. He led the Big Ten in kickoff return yards and kick return average and was third in all-purpose yards and receiving yards per game. 

In conference play, Spielman led the league in receiving yards per game (88.1), becoming just the second Big Ten freshman in more than 20 years to lead the league in that category. Spielman tied for second in the Big Ten with an average of 157.8 all-purpose yards per game in league play. 

Spielman owned NU’s longest kickoff return (99 yards), longest rush (40 yards) and second-longest reception (77 yards) of 2017. He averaged 17.1 yards per touch and had multiple catches in each of his 11 games, including 11 catches against Ohio State, a Nebraska freshman record. 

After scoring on a 99-yard run on NU’s first kickoff return of the year, Spielman also caught his first two career passes for 44 yards against Arkansas State, including a 35-yard grab. He caught two more passes the next week at Oregon before hauling in three passes for 52 yards in his first career start against Northern Illinois, when he also had a 50-yard kickoff return. 

Spielman had five catches for 46 yards and his first career receiving touchdown in his Big Ten debut against Rutgers and had two catches for 25 yards at Illinois. Spielman totaled six catches for 79 yards against No. 9 Wisconsin. He set career highs with 11 catches for a school-record 200 yards the next week against No. 9 Ohio State, including a career-long 77-yard touchdown reception. His 11 catches were an NU freshman record and ranked third overall in Husker history. Spielman added six more catches for 70 yards at Purdue, and he totaled 195 all-purpose yards against Northwestern, including a career-long 40-yard run.

In his return to his home state, Spielman caught nine passes for 141 yards at Minnesota and added a career-high 150 kickoff returns yards to finish with 291 all-purpose yards, a Nebraska freshman record and the fifth-highest overall total in school history. The next week at No. 13 Penn State, Spielman had six receptions for 96 yards to finish with 375 receiving yards and 489 all-purpose yards in his three games against ranked opponents. Spielman was injured at Penn State and missed the season finale with Iowa.

2016 (Redshirt)
Spielman redshirted and worked on the scout team, where he earned Scout Team Offensive MVP honors. 

Before Nebraska (Eden Prairie HS)
Spielman was an electrifying playmaker at Eden Prairie High School in the Minneapolis area. As a senior, Spielman helped Coach Mike Grant’s Eden Prairie team to an 11-1 record and a trip to the quarterfinals of the Class AAAAAA playoffs. Spielman rushed for 1,259 yards on just 102 carries for an average of better than 12 yards per rush, while scoring 19 rushing touchdowns. He also had 151 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions.

Spielman had 234 kickoff return yards and also totaled 241 yards on 12 punt returns. Defensively, Spielman had more than 100 tackles and a pair of interception returns for touchdowns. His play in 2015 earned Spielman recognition as the Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year, the Minnesota 6A Player of the Year and the USA Today Minnesota Offensive Player of the Year. He also earned first-team AP all-state honors and first-team USA Today Minnesota all-state accolades as a running back.

Spielman’s game-breaking ability helped Eden Prairie to a perfect 13-0 record and Class AAAAAA state title in 2014. Spielman was a difference-maker on offense and in the return game and earned AP all-state honors as an all-purpose performer. Spielman was also on the Eden Prairie varsity squad in 2013 when the team went 12-0 and captured a state title.

In addition to his football skills, Spielman was a standout lacrosse player at Eden Prairie. He helped the school to a pair of state championships and originally committed to play lacrosse at Ohio State.

Spielman was ranked among the top three prospects in Minnesota by Rivals.com, ESPN and 247 Sports. Each of the three services ranked him among the top 50 athlete prospects in the country. Spielman chose Nebraska over offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan and Minnesota. He participated in the Semper Fi All-American Game.

Personal
JD was born on Dec. 4, 1997. He is the son of Minnesota Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman and his wife, Michele. JD is a child, youth and family sciences major. He has volunteered with the Nebraska Football Road Race, Husker Heroes and local hospital visits. His uncle is former Ohio State All-American and NFL standout Chris Spielman, who is now an NFL analyst for Fox Sports.