Steve Carmer Season 1991

Honors & Awards

Honorable-Mention All-Big Eight (AP, 1992)

Second-Team All-Big Eight (Coaches, 1991)

1992 (Senior)
A two-year starter for Nebraska at strong safety, Steve Carmer earned honorable-mention All-Big Eight recognition from the Associated Press after ranking fourth on the team and leading the Husker defensive backs with 69 tackles (31 solos) as a senior. He notched three TFLs for 17 yards lost, including one 11-yard sack against Middle Tennessee State. Carmer added two interceptions (Utah, Colorado), a fumble recovery against Kansas State and three pass breakups. He posted a season-high 10 tackles against Arizona State. Carmer helped the Blackshirts lead the nation in turnover margin (+18), while ranking 13th nationally in scoring defense (15.6 ppg). He helped the Big Red win the Big Eight title for the second straight season and earn a trip to the 1993 Federal Express Orange Bowl against Florida State. Carmer posted eight tackles in a start against the Seminoles.

A three-year letterman, Carmer closed his career ranked among the top-25 tacklers in school history with 182 tackles. He finished with 81 solos, while recording seven tackles for loss (58 yards), including two sacks (31 yards). He hauled in five interceptions, while forcing three fumbles and recovering three more. He also caused one interception. He added 11 pass breakups and two quarterback hurries over 34 regular-season games while starting 22 regular-season games and a pair of bowl games over his final two years.

1991 (Junior)
Carmer claimed second-team All-Big Eight honors from the conference coaches after setting a Nebraska single-season record for tackles by a defensive back with 87. He led the Blackshirts in total tackles while smashing the previous position record of 76, which was set by Jim Pillen (1977). He also led the team with 35 unassisted stops, while his 52 assisted tackles broke the previous NU defensive back record of 39 (Randy Reeves, 1969). Carmer set career highs with 12 total tackles on three occasions (Washington, Kansas, Oklahoma) in 1991. He led Nebraska in tackles five times during the regular season, including Colorado State (6), Washington (12), Oklahoma State (9), Kansas (12) and Oklahoma (12). He added another double-digit tackle game with 11 stops against Kansas State. He was Nebraska’s nominee for Big Eight Defensive Player of the Week three times (CSU, OSU, KU). Carmer was a key in Nebraska’s comeback to tie Colorado, as he notched nine tackles including three of his four tackles for loss on the season. His three TFLs against the Buffs totaled 19 yards in losses. Carmer showed his explosive play-making ability at strong safety throughout the season, as he shared the team lead in both fumbles caused (3) and fumbles recovered (2). He added three interceptions, including Nebraska’s only return for a touchdown (34 yards vs. CSU). He also had a 20-yard sack against the Rams. He registered six pass breakups on the season. Carmer helped the Big Red to the Big Eight title and a trip to the 1992 Federal Express Orange Bowl, where he recorded seven total tackles, including three solos against Miami.

1990 (Sophomore)
Carmer played in all 11 games and was a major contributor on special teams. He finished with 25 tackles, including 14 unassisted stops, had two breakups and one quarterback hurry against Missouri, which resulted in a Husker interception. He had a season-high six tackles against Oklahoma State, then had five in the regular-season finale against Oklahoma. He did not play in Nebraska’s game against Georgia Tech in the 1991 Florida Citrus Bowl.

1989 (Redshirt)
Carmer redshirted in his second season at Nebraska.

1988 (Freshman)
Carmer started at free safety for the 5-0 Husker junior varsity team and shared the squad lead with two interceptions alongside cornerback Tyrone Legette. Carmer returned his two interceptions for 53 and 20 yards. Carmer tied for third on the team and led the secondary in total tackles with 25, including 20 unassisted stops. He also had four pass breakups. He saw action as a reserve in the varsity’s 48-6 win over UNLV and made one unassisted tackle. The Huskers won the Big Eight title and earned a bid to the 1989 Orange Bowl.

Wahoo High School
An all-class, all-state defensive back for Coach Dick Tinglehoff, Carmer had 65 tackles, including one for a safety, three fumble recoveries and a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown as a senior at Wahoo High School. On offense, he rushed for 1,077 yards and caught seven passes for 255 yards. He also averaged 27.7 yards per kickoff return. Carmer was also the leading scorer (16.6 ppg) for Wahoo’s Class B state championship basketball team, which started a state record 114-game winning streak. One of Carmer’s teammates was Jason Glock, who was a four-year letterman on the Nebraska men’s basketball team.

Personal
The son of Phil and Carole Carmer, Steve has two older brothers. He was born in Wahoo. He earned his bachelor’s degree as an art major at Nebraska in 1993.