Honors & Awards
- Third-Team All-Big 12 (AP, Coaches, 1996)
- Member of the 1995 National Championship Team
- Second-Team All-American (AP, UPI, 1995)
- First-Team All-Big Eight (AP, 1995)
- Big Eight Defensive Newcomer-of-the-Year (AP, Coaches, 1995)
- Second-Team All-Big Eight (Coaches, 1995)
- Nebraska Defensive Player-of-the-Week vs. Pacific, Missouri, Colorado (1995)
Career
Terrell Farley was a junior college recruit and made an immediate impact on Charlie McBride's blackshirt defense. Most junior college transfers redshirt a year, but Farley was carefully selected and expected to contribute immediately upon his arrival in Lincoln. Without starting the first six games in 1995, Farley led the Huskers in tackles, scored touchdowns on two interception returns and a safety on a blocked punt. If it wasn't for off-the-field issues he would've had a stellar senior year.
1996 (Senior)
Farley was suspended the first two games of the 1996 season for off-the-field issues, but returned to action, playing in eight games (starting seven). He picked up where he left off his junior year by tying for seventh-best on the team with 43 tackles (15 solo). He also recorded one fumble recovery, had one blocked punt, two pass breakups and 12 quarterback hurries. After helping the Huskers to a 9-1 start (7-0 Big 12), Farley ran into more off-the-field issues which resulted in his dismissal from the team. Despite the dismissal he was a third-team All-Big 12 selection by the AP and coaches.
1995 (Junior)
Farley was Nebraska's only junior college recruit in the 1995 class and immediately became an impact player as he led the Husker defense with 62 tackles, 27 solo stops, two interception TDs, two blocked punts, three pass interceptions, and 92 yards in interception returns. Farley also had nine tackles for 45 yards lost, five sacks for 40 yards lost, five breakups and 12 quarterback hurries. Farley was named the Big Eight Defensive Newcomer-of-the-Year by the Associated Press and the league coaches. He was a first-team All-Big Eight pick by the AP, second-team by the coaches, and was named a second-team All-American by the AP and UPI. He was Nebraska's nominee for Big Eight Defensive Player-of-the-Week three times, against Pacific (four tackles, 2-9 TFL, 1-8 sack), Missouri (five tackles, 1-1 TFL, one breakup, one blocked punt) and Colorado (seven tackles, a career-best two breakups, and a 42-yard interception return). The 42-yard interception return was Farley's longest, but the only one he didn't return for a touchdown. His two scores on pick sixes were returns of 29 yards against Oklahoma State in the season opener, and 21 yards against Arizona State. His blocked punt against Missouri resulted in a safety, and he set a school position record with two blocked kicks on the season, as he also blocked a punt against Washington State. Farley moved into the starting lineup after the Missouri game and started the last six games. He had a season-high 10 tackles (six solo) against Kansas State and had two sacks in a game twice, against Michigan State (10 yards lost) and Kansas State (22 yards lost). He had two tackles for loss four times.
In the national championship game against Florida, Farley led the team with eight tackles, including four solo stops, one breakup, and two sacks for nine yards lost. On the second play of the game, after quarterback Danny Wuerffel had completed a nine-yard pass, Farley utilized his 36-inch vertical jump, tipping a Wuerffel pass at the line. He couldn't hang on to the ball, however, if he had, he may have scored. Farley said, "I still think about it. I could be 85 years old and I'll still remember dropping that pass." Farley nearly scored one other time in that game. With nearly 13 minutes remaining in the second quarter, Farley sacked Wuerffel in the end zone for a three-yard loss, but Wuerffel reached the ball past the goal line to avoid the safety. But on the ensuing play, a Jamel Williams sack scored two points for NU and the eighth and ninth points of a 19-point, NCAA bowl-record, Husker second-quarter scoring onslaught. Farley's other sack was a six-yard loss on Florida's first drive of the second half and forced the Gators to punt.
Before Nebraska (Independence College)
A junior college All-America outside linebacker, Farley was the 30th-best junior college prospect according to SuperPrep. Originally from Columbus, Ga., Farley was recruited by Alabama, Florida and Kentucky while starring at the prep level. He was Nebraska's only junior college transfer in 1995, playing for Coach Bob O'Mera at Independence College where he was the Jayhawk League Linebacker-of-the-Year. In 1994, Farley registered 116 tackles, 12 sacks and an amazing 15 blocked kicks (nine punts, six field goals). He scored two touchdowns on fumble returns in a playoff game against Coffeyville, which Independence defeated 34-20. His freshman year, he earned second-team all-conference honors with 95 tackles and seven blocked kicks.
Before College (Kendrick High School)
Farley led Kendrick High School, coached by Howard Busby and Ron Graham, to the state title as a junior and a 26-2-1 record his last two years. Farley had 78 tackles in 1991, 88 in 1992 and, in two years at Kendrick, blocked 27 kicks and had eight interceptions. Also a track competitor as a prepster, he was on the state championships 4x100-meter relay teams his junior and senior years and the gold-medal 4x400 relay as a junior. He won the state 400-meter title in 1993, with a time of 48.02. Farley earned first-team all-state honors as a senior and was the defensive player-of-the-year. He was also the male track athlete-of-the-year at his school earning all-state honors.
Personal
The son of Willie Farley and Lenore Farley, Terrell was born on Aug. 16, 1975.
Farley's Career Statistics
| . | . | Tackles | . | . | Fum. | . | . | . | QB | Int. | ||
| Year | G/S | UT | AT | TT | TFL | Sacks | C-R | BK | PBU | PI | Hry. | Csd. |
| 1995 | 11/5 | 27 | 35 | 62 | 9-45 | 5-40 | 0-0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 0 |
| 1996 | 8/7 | 15 | 28 | 43 | 10-56 | 3-30 | 0-1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Totals | 19/12 | 42 | 63 | 105 | 19-101 | 8-70 | 0-1 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 24 | 1 |
| Interceptions | |||||
| Year | No. | Yds. | Avg. | LP | TDs |
| 1995 | 3 | 92 | 16.7 | 42 vs. CU | 2 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 3 | 92 | 16.7 | 42 vs. CU | 2 |
Blocked Kicks: 3 (1 punt vs. Washington State and Missouri, 1995; 1 punt vs. Missouri, 1996)
1996 Fiesta Bowl vs. Florida: Tackles 4 UT, 4 AT, 8 TT; TFL 2-9; QB Sacks 2-9, PBU 1; QB Hurries-Interceptions
1996 Orange Bowl vs. Virginia Tech: DNP