John Gibson Season 1997

• 2001 Tom Novak Award Winner

One of only two players on the 2001 team (joining Erwin Swiney) who played for former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne, John Gibson was one of the Huskers' top receivers in 2001, hauling down 18 receptions for 266 yards and one touchdown.  For his career, Gibson fell just shy of NU's all-time receiving list with 30 catches for 344 yards and two scores.  Gibson graduated in December 2001.

The wingback from Papillion, Neb. overcame his share of injuries during his six-year career, including a torn left ACL in the 2000 Alamo Bowl and a torn right ACL in practice after the first game of 1997.  He received his sixth-year of eligibility from the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee on April 30, 2001.

The winner of the 2001 Novak Award and a four-year letterwinner, Gibson started all 12 regular-season games as a senior and the Rose Bowl.  He finished his career with 15 regular-season starts, while appearing in 44 regular-season games and four Husker bowl games.

Seven of Gibson's 30 career receptions came in two games against Colorado in 2000 and 2001.  As a senior, Gibson pulled in a career-best four catches for 37 yards.  His 2001 performance at Boulder surpassed his previous career-best of three catches for 20 yards against the Buffaloes in Lincoln in 2000.  Two of Gibson's three catches came during Nebraska's seven-play, 47 second drive that resulted in Josh Brown's game-winning field goal as time expired to give the Huskers a 34-32 victory of CU.

Year

G/S

No.

Yds.

Y/R

Y/G

Long

TDs

1997*

1/0          2        18      9.0      18.0  9 vs. Akron            

1998

10/0

0

0

0.0

0.0

0

0

1999

10/0

2

19

9.5

1.9

11 vs. USM

0

2000

11/3

8

41

5.1

3.7

9 vs. CU

1

2001

12/12

18

266

14.8

22.2

41 vs. TCU

1

Totals 44/15 30 344 19.8 7.8 41 vs. TCU 2

*granted medical hardship after tearing right ACL

1998 Holiday Bowl vs. Arizona: Receiving, none 2000 Fiesta Bowl vs. Tennessee: Receiving, none 2000 Alamo Bowl vs. Northwestern: Played but tore left ACL 2002 Rose Bowl vs. Miami: Receiving, none   Receptions: 4 vs. Colorado, 2001 Reception Yards: 53 vs. Rice, 2001 Long Reception: 41 yards vs. TCU, 2001 TD Receptions: 1; vs. Texas Tech, 2000; vs. Notre Dame, 2001 Number of Career Catches of 25-Plus Yards: 2 vs. TCU, Iowa State, 2001 Number of Career Catches of 45-Plus Yards: None