Lee Kunz Season 1978

Honors & Awards

• 1979 7th Round NFL Draft Pick (Chicago Bears, 174th Overall)
• 1978 Honorable Mention All-American (AP)
• 1978 Second Team All-Big Eight (AP, UPI)
• 1977 Second Team All-Big Eight (AP, UPI)
• 1977 Honorable Mention All-American (AP)
• 1977 ABC-TV Chevrolet Defensive Player-of-the-Game (Week 8 vs. Oklahoma State)  
• 1977 Big Eight Player-of-the-Week (Week 8 vs. Oklahoma State, Week 11 vs. Oklahoma)
• 1977 Academic All-Big Eight
• 1977  Nebraska Defensive Player-of-the-Week (Week 1 vs. Washington State, Week 3 vs. Baylor, Week 8 vs. Oklahoma State, Week 10 vs. Kansas, Week 11 vs. Oklahoma)
• 1978 Big Eight Discus Champion (192.8 ft.)
• 1977 Big Eight Discus Runner-Up (180.05 ft.)

1978 (Senior)
Kunz led Nebraska in tackles for the second straight season with 130 tackles. Kunz’s senior season got him drafted by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He finished his senior year with 130 tackles, 68 unassisted, five tackles for a loss of nine yards and three pass breakups. Nebraska finished the season with a 9-3 record and an appearance in the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma.

Lee was also a member of the Nebraska Track and Field team and won the Big Eight discus throw, with a throw of 192.8 feet. 

1977 (Junior)
Lee led the Huskers with 159 total tackles, including 57 solo stops, while adding four sacks, one fumble recovery, and two interceptions with two additional pass breakups. His standout season also produced two Nebraska defensive records: 95 assisted tackles in a season—a mark that still stands as of 2025—and 159 total tackles, a school record at the time that has since been surpassed. He helped the Huskers finish with a 9-3 record and a Liberty Bowl win against North Carolina, 21-17.

Lee also threw for the Nebraska track team. Kunz finished second in the Big Eight Discus with a throw of 180.05 ft. 

1976 (Sophomore)
Lee was an alternate weakside linebacker as a sophomore, he finished the season with 16 tackles, 11 unassisted and one tackles for a loss of a yard along with four fumble recoveries. Kunz helped Nebraska finish the season with a 9-3-1 record and an Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl win over Texas Tech, 27-24.

1975 (Freshman)
Lee played with the 1975 freshman team but also spent some time with the varsity. 

Wheat Ridge High School (Golden, Colo.)
Lee was a star athlete in both football and track. He was captain of his football team under Coach J.W. Coats. As a junior at Wheat Ridge, he won the Colorado prep title in the high jump (6-7) and the discus (179’). Lee’s cousin Terry was a running back at Colorado and for the Oakland Raiders. He is the son of Lee and Beveryl Kunz.

Kunz started nine games over his three years on the Chicago Bears. His best season came in 1981 when he started seven games, recording 45 tackles, 38 unassisted and defended one pass.