Mark Gilman Season 1994

Honors & Awards

• Free-Agent Signee of the Cincinnati Bengals (1996)
• Team Captain (1995)
• Nebraska Lifter-of-the-Year (1995)
• Phillips 66 Academic All-Big Eight (1995)
• Phillips 66 Academic All-Big Eight Honor Roll (1993, 1994)

Career

Mark Gilman played four years for Nebraska and was a starter his senior year. He totaled 34 catches for 462 yards and two touchdowns from his tight end position. He also had a 19-yard TD reception in the 1995 Orange Bowl, when Nebraska defeated Miami 24-17 for the national title.

1995 (Senior)

Gilman started five games and ranked third on the team in receptions with 16 for 256 yards and one touchdown, a season-long 35 yard grab against Washington State. Gilman averaged 16.0 yards per catch and had a season-best three catches three times on the year, including 3-31 against Oklahoma State, 3-39 against Arizona State and 3-53 against Colorado. The 53 yards against No. 7 Colorado was a career-best in receiving yardage for Gilman. An excellent blocker at 6-4, 240, the senior out of Flathead High School in Kalispell, Mont., helped the Huskers to their second consecutive NCAA rushing title by averaging 399.8 yards per game on the ground as a team.

An excellent student, Gilman was a Phillips 66 Academic All-Big Eight honoree with a 3.15 cumulative grade-point average in pre-education.

1994 (Junior)

In just his junior season, Gilman was a valuable contributor in the Huskers' undefeated season on their way to a national championship. A first-team tight end, Gilman alternated with starter Matt Shaw and Eric Alford and started three games (West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma) when NU opened in two-tight end sets. Gilman tied for third with Reggie Baul in receptions with 17 for 196 yards and caught one touchdown pass (a one-yard score against Missouri). Gilman had a career-high four receptions for 48 yards against Wyoming, a mark that tied for the team lead with Abdul Muhammad. Gilman also caught four passes for 46 yards against Colorado, including a nine-yard grab on NU's first TD drive and had 16- and 15-yard catches during the Huskers' 73-yard TD drive which gave Nebraska a 17-0 halftime lead. Gilman and Alford combined for 31 receptions for 467 yards and five TDs in 1994. Against Colorado, Gilman and Alford caught nine of the 12 passes for 124 of the team's 142 passing yards. Against Iowa State, Gilman caught a career-best 48-yard pass. In the 1995 Orange Bowl vs. Miami, Gilman caught one pass, a 19-yard TD from Brook Berringer to put the Huskers on the board with 7:54 remaining in the second quarter. The score brought the Huskers within 10-7 against the Hurricanes. Gilman was named to the Phillips 66 Academic All-Big Eight Honor Roll.

1993 (Sophomore)

Gilman played in five regular-season games plus the 1994 Orange Bowl. His first career reception and lone catch on the year was a 10-yard snag against Missouri.

1992 (Freshman)

Gilman played in six games in 1992 at tight end, but did not have any receptions. Although he traveled to the Orange Bowl with the team, he did not play against Florida State. He competed for the track team in the spring of 1993 and placed ninth in the shot put at the Big Eight Indoor Championships with a 50-1 1/4 mark. His personal best in the shot was 51-10 at the Nebraska Open, good for fourth place. He did not compete during the outdoor season.

1991 (Redshirt)

A scholarship athlete, Gilman redshirted his first year.

Before Nebraska (Flathead High School)

An all-state quarterback for Coach Bob Raeth as a senior, Gilman was recruited as a tight end by Nebraska. Gilman set a Flathead High single-season passing record with 1,596 yards and was also a receiver and the team's punter for three years. For his efforts, he was a two-time second-team all-state selection. A fine all-around athlete earning a school-record 11 varsity letters as a prep, he was also a three-time all-state performer in basketball, averaging better than 20 points per game his last two seasons and was named the large class state tournament MVP as a senior as his team placed second. In track, Gilman threw the shot put 60-5 1/2 and the discus 186-2 feet and finished second in both events at the 1991 state meet. One of only five Montana preps in history to better 60 feet in the shot put.

Personal

The son of Thomas and Beverly Gilman, Mark majored in education. He was a Friendship Home Footsteps volunteer and a volunteer speaker at the 1993 Omaha Youth Rap Session. He was born on July 5, 1972.

Gilman's Career Statistics

Receiving
Year	G/S	No.	Yds.	Avg.	Long	TDs
1991	Redshirted
1992	6/0	0	0	0.0		0
1993	5/0	1	10	10.0	10 vs. Missouri	0
1994	12/3	17	196	11.5	48 vs. ISU	1
1995	11/5	16	256	16.0	35 vs. WSU	1
Totals	34/8	34	462	13.6	48 vs. ISU	2

1994 Orange Bowl vs. Florida State: Receptions, None
1995 Orange Bowl vs. Miami: Receptions, 1-19, 1 TD
1996 Fiesta Bowl vs. Florida: Receptions, None