Cortney Grixby Season 2007

Honors & Awards

• Three-Time Honorable-Mention All-Big 12 (2005, 2006, 2007)
• Tom Novak Award (2007)
• Brook Berringer Citizenship Team (2006)
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2005)
• Big 12 Commissioner's Spring Academic Honor Roll (2005)
• Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Academic Honor Roll (2004)

2007 (Senior)
Cornerback Cortney Grixby was a fixture in the Nebraska secondary for the past four years, including starting each of his final three seasons as a Husker. The 5-9, 170-pound Grixby used his outstanding athleticism and competitiveness to make up for his lack of size. Grixby, who earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 accolades three straight seasons, also made a large impact as a return man during his Nebraska career.

The Omaha native played in 49 career games with 37 starts, while notching 147 total tackles, including 113 solos. He recorded 32 career pass breakups to rank sixth on Nebraska's all-time list in that category, while adding four interceptions and four tackles for loss in his four seasons as an NU letterman.

As a senior, Grixby appeared in all 12 games with nine starts, finishing the year with 27 tackles, including a season-high six stops at Kansas. Grixby had seven breakups on the year, including a season-best two at Wake Forest. Grixby also picked off a pair of passes against Iowa State, the only two-interception game by a Husker in 2007.

In 2007, Grixby distinguished himself as an explosive kickoff return man. He finished the year with 45 returns for a Big 12 record 1,094 yards. Grixby averaged 24.3 yards per return to finish the year ranked eighth in the conference. He had nine returns of 30 yards or more, including a 94-yard touchdown against Kansas State. The score marked the first kickoff return for a touchdown at NU in nine seasons.

Grixby was the 2007 recipient of Nebraska's Tom Novak Award, which is presented to the Husker senior who "best exemplifies courage and determination despite all odds in the manner of Nebraska's All-America center Tom Novak."

Grixby was a first-team academic All-Big 12 in 2005, and was twice named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll. He is scheduled to earn his degree in marketing in May of 2008. Grixby is also an active member of Nebraska’s community outreach efforts and was named to the 2006 Brook Berringer Citizenship Team.

2006 (Junior)
Grixby finished with 53 total tackles, and his 42 solo stops were second among Husker defenders. He also led the Blackshirt defense in breakups and nabbed his second career interception at Iowa State.

Grixby had six games with five or more tackles, beginning with a six-tackle effort against Louisiana Tech, when he also forced and recovered a fumble. He tied his season high with seven tackles at USC. A week after his interception at ISU, Grixby had two breakups in a 21-3 win at Kansas State.

He had five-tackle efforts in back-to-back games against Oklahoma State and Missouri, with two breakups against the Tigers. He added six tackles and a pair of tackles for loss at Texas A&M, then closed the year with seven unassisted tackles against Oklahoma before making three stops in the Cotton Bowl.

2005 (Sophomore)
Grixby was one of three new starters in the secondary and had 46 tackles, including 38 solo stops, 10 pass breakups and an interception. He also caused a fumble and had a fumble recovery. His play helped NU rank No. 10 nationally in pass efficiency defense and he was recognized as an honorable-mention all-league pick by the Big 12 coaches.

In addition to his defensive effort, Grixby averaged 10.4 yards on 32 punt returns, with five returns of 20 yards or more, helping Nebraska rank 17th nationally in that category. Grixby had five games with four or more tackles, led by a career-high nine, all solo, against Oklahoma. He capped the season with six solo stops in the Huskers’ Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan.

Grixby had a big game at Baylor, with a season-high three breakups. He also recovered a fumble and returned it 33 yards in the fourth quarter to preserve NU’s lead. Grixby also had four punt returns for 60 yards, with a 48-yard return in the second quarter that set up a touchdown. Grixby later tied his season-high with three pass breakups against Kansas State.

2004 (Freshman)
Grixby immediately ended any talk of a redshirt, playing in all 11 games. He earned significant playing time throughout the year and drew starts against Pittsburgh and Kansas with starter Lornell McPherson sidelined with an injury.

Grixby finished the season with 21 total tackles, including 14 solo stops, and added four pass breakups, including two in his first career start at Pittsburgh. Grixby made a season-high four tackles against Kansas, and had three tackles each against Southern Miss, Pittsburgh and Kansas State.

Before Nebraska (Omaha Central HS)
Grixby was a two-way star for Omaha Central, playing quarterback and cornerback. During an injury-plagued senior season, Grixby passed for 474 yards and ran for 344 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, he had an interception and 11 pass breakups and his performance earned him second-team All-Nebraska honors from the Omaha World-Herald as a defensive back and second-team Super-State honors from the Lincoln Journal Star.

As a junior, Grixby rushed for 700 yards and 12 touchdowns and passed for 1,200 yards, while recording two interceptions and 15 breakups on defense. He earned second-team All-Nebraska honors from the World-Herald and first-team Super-State honors from the Lincoln Journal Star as a cornerback in 2002. Grixby also lettered as both a freshman and sophomore for Central. Grixby was also a basketball standout, helping the Eagles to the Class A state tournament his last three seasons, averaging nearly 10 points and four assists per game. He was also a member of Central's 4x100-meter relay team that finished second at state in 2003. Grixby chose Nebraska over Notre Dame.

Personal
Grixby was born in Omaha on Feb. 14, 1986, and is the son of Evelyn and Ronald Grixby. He is the younger brother of former Husker DeAntae Grixby, who completed his eligibility in 2003. Grixby is a two-time Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll pick and will complete his degree in marketing in May of 2008. He is extremely active in the community, serving as a speaker for School is Cool Week and American Education Week, while also participating in the Huskers’ hospital visits.

Grixby's Career Statistics

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.

Tackles

.

.

Fum.

.

.

.

QB

Year

G/S

UT

AT

TT

TFL

Sacks

C-R

BK

PBU

PI

Hry.

2004

11/2

14

7

21

1-0

0

0-0

0

4

0

0

2005 12/12 38 8 46 0-0 0 1-1 0 10 1 1

2006

14/14

42

11

53

2-3

0

1-1

0

11

1

0

2007

12/9

19

8

27

1-1

0

0-0

0

7

2

1

Totals

49/37

113

34

147

4-4

0

2-2

0

32

4

2

Punt Returns: 53-475-0; 32-333-0 in 2005; 13-92-0 in 2006; 8-50-0 in 2007
Kickoff Returns: 45-1,094-1, long-94 (TD) all in 2007

Grixby’s Single-Game Highs
Tackles?9 vs. Oklahoma, 2005
Solo Tackles?9 vs. Oklahoma, 2005
Pass Breakups?3 at Baylor, 2005, vs. Kansas State, 2005
Punt Returns?5 vs. Maine, 2005, vs. Colorado, 2005
Punt Return Yards?61 vs. Maine, 2005
Long Punt Return?48, at Baylor, 2005
Kickoff Returns-7 vs. Oklahoma State, 2007
Kickoff Return Yards-161 vs. Oklahoma State, 2007
Long Kickoff Return-94 vs. Kansas State, 2007 (TD)