Tyreese Knox Season 1987

1988 (Senior)
Tyreese Knox was a reliable contributor in the Husker backfield as senior I-back behind junior starter Ken Clark in 1988. At 5-10, 215 pounds, Knox was a bruising and explosive back that provided a tough alternative to the speedy Clark. Knox rushed for a career-high 490 yards and six touchdowns on 72 carries, averaging 6.8 yards per carry on the season. He also had the only kickoff return of his career for 27 yards. Knox helped Nebraska claim the NCAA rushing title (382.3 ypg), while also ranking sixth nationally in scoring (39.5 ppg) and seventh in total offense (477.9 ypg). Knox also was a key component of Nebraska winning the Big Eight Conference regular-season title on its way to the 1989 Orange Bowl against Miami.

A three-year letterman, Knox totaled 1,358 yards and 12 touchdowns on 209 carries for an average of 6.5 yards per carry. He played in 32 regular-season games over his final three seasons. He earned his first varsity playing time as a redshirt freshman but did not letter in 1985.

1987 (Junior)
Knox provided significant contributions to Nebraska’s powerful rushing game, totaling 435 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 62 carries to average 6.9 yards per carry behind All-Big Eight starter Keith Jones. He helped the Big Red to a 10-2 overall record. Nebraska ranked second nationally in total offense (489.0 ypg), while ranking third in the NCAA in rushing (373.5 ypg) and scoring (38.5 ppg). In the 1988 Fiesta Bowl, Knox added 13 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown.

1986 (Sophomore)
Knox broke through to become a major contributor in the Big Red backfield behind starter Keith Jones. Knox rushed for 419 yards and two touchdowns on 70 carries to average 6.0 yards per tote.  He also caught the only pass of his career, but it went for a loss of three yards. Knox erupted for a career-high 127 yards on just eight carries against Missouri, including a career-long 92-yard touchdown run. In the 1987 USF&G Sugar Bowl against LSU, Knox rumbled for a team-high 82 yards and two scores on 16 carries to help the Huskers to a 30-15 victory. Nebraska finished second nationally in rushing offense (305.5 ypg) and third in scoring (37.8 ppg).

1985 (Redshirt Freshman)
Knox opened his second season at Nebraska as the starting running back for 5-0 Husker freshman team. He led the young Huskers with 483 yards and five touchdowns on 55 carries. He also saw action on the NU varsity with five carries for 21 yards and a touchdown, but he did not receive a varsity letter.

1984 (Redshirt)
A scholarship recruit from Daly City, Calif., Knox redshirted in his first season at Nebraska.

Jefferson High School
Knox rushed for a California high school-record 5,217 yards in his prep career at Jefferson High School for Coach Ron Fassler. He broke the state record previously held by former Los Angeles Rams star Dick Bass. Knox, who also scored 78 career touchdowns, held the California state rushing record until 1997. As a senior, Knox rushed for 1,994 yards and 30 touchdowns to earn All-America honors despite missing two-and-a-half games with a leg injury. A two-year starter as a basketball player at Jefferson, the 5-10 Knox once pulled down 28 rebounds in a game. Knox started his high school career as a freshman at Serramonte High School before spending his final three seasons at Jefferson.

Personal
The son of George and Joan Knox, Tyreese was born July 3,1965 in San Francisco. He was a human development and family major at Nebraska. He passed away on Aug. 31, 2021 at the age of 56