Husker Quarterback named to preseason awards list

A Nebraska quarterback was one of 35 players named to a preseason awards watch list.

A Nebraska quarterback was one of 35 players named to a preseason awards watch list. Jeff Sims was named to the Davey O’Brien Award watch list on Tuesday afternoon.

The Davey O’Brien Award is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback. Sims will be spending his first season in Lincoln after spending the last three years at Georgia Tech.

In 23 career games, he threw for 4,464 yards and 30 touchdowns while rushing for 1,152 yards and 11 touchdowns. Nebraska has only won the Davey O’Brien Award one time since the award’s inception in 1981.

Eric Crouch won the honor during the 2001 season. That season Crouch would run for 1,115 yards and 18 touchdowns while throwing for 1,510 yards and seven touchdowns with ten interceptions

Find a photo gallery of Eric Crouch’s Nebraska career below.

Nebraska’s head coach discusses plan to run the quarterback

Nebraska will be installing a new offense for the 2023 season.

Nebraska will be installing a new offense for the 2023 season. The Huskers will also be breaking in a new quarterback in Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims.

The new QB has shown an ability to use his arm and legs to move the football. In 25 games, Sims ran for 1,152 yards with 11 touchdowns while averaging 4.2 yards per carry.

New head coach Matt Rhule has discussed his willingness to run his quarterback if the situation is right.

I think if you’re running for three yards to get tackled by seven people, I don’t know if that’s the right thing. If you can create explosive plays. If situationally, you can convert on third or fourth down. You can store touchdowns in the red zone. 

Nebraska, of course, has a long history of running quarterbacks. For several decades the Cornhuskers ran the option with great success.

Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch leads all Husker quarterbacks with 3,434 career rush yards. Quarterback Jammal Lord holds the single-season record for QBs with 1,412 yards in 2002.

Rhule also stated that he’s excited to see what Sims can bring to the offense.

I don’t want to rob them of what makes them great. For Jeff, that might just be dropping back to pass and then tucking it and then running… we’re going to try to turn those guys loose. We don’t want to be silly, just running up the middle and getting three or four yards ten times, but if we can make plays with them, we will. 

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All-time high school QB rankings: Midwest region

The region may be better known for hockey weather, but some of the greatest high school quarterbacks of all time have come out of the Midwest.

Look through the record books of the regions and you’ll find some of the greatest high school quarterbacks of all time.

For the all-time high school QB rankings in the Midwest, we picked players from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

More All-time HS QB rankings:

East region

Southeast region

The last 30 opening day quarterbacks for Nebraska

Take a trip down memory lane!!

We’re officially under 55 days till the start of the college football season. Nebraska will be heading across the Atlantic to Dublin, Ireland, to take on the Northwestern Wildcats in a European Big Ten battle. As we’re all aware, the Huskers have added several new coaches after last season’s disappointing 3-9 campaign in 2021. Scott Frost and company have also added a couple of new quarterbacks to the team via the transfer portal, Casey Thompson (Texas) & Chubba Purdy (Florida State) after the transfer of four-year starter Adrian Martinez (Kansas State). It appears that Thompson will be starting under center (or in the shotgun) in the Week 0 clash in Europe.

If Thompson is the starter, he will join a storied history of Nebraska opening day quarterbacks. The program features QBs that have won the Heisman, the Walter Camp Trophy, the Davey O’Brien Award, and the Johnny Unitas Award. Below is a list of the last 30 opening-day quarterbacks for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. I’ll be honest. There were a few names that I had forgotten were once starters for the Huskers, but the list does contain a few memorable players and Nebraska football legends.

Nebraska’s Heisman Winners and Finalists

Since that first ceremony in 1935, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have seen three winners across three different decades.

In 1935 Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago was awarded the first Heisman Trophy. The annual award is given to the most outstanding player in college football that season. Since that first ceremony in 1935, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have seen three winners across three different decades while also sending several finalists to the ceremony for the prestigious award. This list will look at everyone to finish in the Top 5 of Heisman voting for their respective year starting in 1972, the year Nebraska won their first award.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinion.

2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class Announced

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced today the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class.

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The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced today the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class, which includes the names of 16 players and two coaches.


A few wrongs were made right.

FINALLY, Eric Dickerson got the call to be in the Hall.

In the theory of, “if you won a Heisman, you should automatically get in,” Eric Crouch made it, along with headliners former Ohio State RB Keith Byars, Michigan OT Jumbo Elliott, Alcorn State QB Steve McNair, and Georgia DE David Pollock.

Two coaches – Dick Sheridan and Andy Talley – were elected, too.

Write-ups from the National Football Foundation.

2020 College Football Hall of Fame Players

Lomas Brown, Florida, Offensive Tackle (1981-1984)

– 1984 consensus First Team All-American and two-time All-SEC performer
– Led Gators to three consecutive bowl berths and top 10 national final rankings in 1983 and 1984
– Recipient of Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the SEC’s top blocker in 1984.

Keith Byars, Ohio State, Running Back (1982-1985)

– Unanimous First Team All-American and Heisman Trophy runner-up who led nation in rushing (1,764), all-purpose yards (2,441) and scoring (144) in 1984
– 1984 Big Ten MVP and two-time All-Big Ten selection
– Ranks fifth all-time at OSU with 4,369 career all-purpose yards and 3,200 career rushing yards.

Eric Crouch, Nebraska, Quarterback (1998-2001)

– 2001 Heisman, Walter Camp and Davey O’Brien Award winner who led Huskers to 2001 national title game at the Rose Bowl
– Finished career as NCAA record holder for career rushing TDs by a quarterback (59)
– Led team to 42-9 record and four bowl berths.

Eric Dickerson, SMU, Running Back (1979-1982)

– Named unanimous First Team All-American and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1982
– Twice named SWC Player of the Year, he holds 14 SMU records including career rushing yards (4,450).

Glenn Dorsey, LSU, Defensive Tackle (2004-2007)

– Two-time First Team All-American, earning unanimous honors in 2007
– Led the Tigers to a national title at the 2008 Sugar Bowl after taking home the Lombardi, Nagurski and Outland trophies
– 2007 SEC Defensive Player of the Year who helped LSU finish no lower than No. 5 nationally his last three seasons.

Jumbo Elliott, Michigan, Offensive Tackle (1984-1987)

– Two-time First Team All-American (consensus, ’87)
– Two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection and member of 1986 Big Ten Co-Champions
– Paved the way for Jamie Morris, who had three-straight 1,000-yard seasons.

Jason Hanson, Washington State, Placekicker (1988-1991)

– Two-time First Team All-American, earning unanimous honors in 1989
– Holds numerous NCAA, conference and school records, including longest field goal without a tee (62 yards) and career field goals of 40 yards or more (39)
– Four-time All-Pac-10 selection and 1991 NFF National Scholar-Athlete.

E.J. Henderson, Maryland, Linebacker (1999-2002)

– Only two-time consensus First Team All-American in Terps history
– 2002 Bednarik and Butkus award winner who helped Maryland to an Orange Bowl berth and No. 11 final ranking
– 2001 ACC Player of the Year and two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year, leading Terps to the 2001 ACC title.

E.J. Junior, Alabama, Defensive End (1977-1980)

-1980 unanimous First Team All-American and member of two national championship teams (1978, 1979)
– Three-time First Team All-SEC selection and 1980 SEC Lineman of the Year, who led Tide to two conference titles
– Member of fabled goal-line stand defense vs. Penn State in 1979 Sugar Bowl.

Steve McNair, Alcorn State, Quarterback (1991-1994)

– 1994 Walter Payton Award winner as the top player in the FCS.
– Third in Heisman voting in 1994.
– All-time FCS passing leader with 14,496 yards and total yards with 16,823
– Four-time SWAC Offensive Player of the Year

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Cade McNown, UCLA, Quarterback (1995-1998)

-1998 Consensus First Team All-American and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award recipient
-1998 Pac-10 Co-Offensive Player of the Year who led UCLA to consecutive Pac-10 titles in 1997 (shared) and 1998-Holds numerous school records.

Leslie O’Neal, Oklahoma State, Defensive Tackle (1982-1985)

– Two-time First Team All-American, earning unanimous honors in 1985
– Three-time All-Big Eight selection and 1984 Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year, who led Pokes to three, straight bowl berths
– Left OSU as school leader in career sacks (34), career TFL (47) and single, season sacks (16).

Anthony Poindexter, Virginia, Defensive Back (1995-1998)

– Two-time First Team All-American, earning consensus honors in 1998
– Three-time All-ACC pick and 1998 ACC Defensive Player of the Year
– Holds five school records and finished career with 342 tackles and 12 interceptions.

David Pollack, Georgia, Defensive Lineman (2001-2004)

– Three-time First Team All-American (consensus in 2002, 2004) and recipient of the 2004 Lombardi and Bednarik awards
– Two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year who led Bulldogs to consecutive SEC title games
– UGA’s all-time leader in sacks (36) and tackles for loss (58.5).

Michael Westbrook, Colorado, Wide Receiver

– 1994 consensus First Team All-American who led Buffs to four bowl berths and four top 20 finishes
– Two-time All-Big Eight performer, leading CU to a share of the 1991 league title
– Still holds eight school records and caught a 64-yard game-winning pass in the 1994 “Miracle at Michigan.

Elmo Wright, Houston, Wide Receiver

-1970 consensus First Team All-American who earned Second Team honors in 1969 and Honorable Mention honors in 1968
– Set an NCAA single-season record of eight TD receptions of 50 yards or more (1968)
– Still holds Houston career records for all-purpose yards per play (21.0 avg.) and yards per reception (21.9 avg.).

Pete Fiutak Top Ten Ballot
1. QB Carson Palmer, USC (not elected)
2. S Roy Williams, Oklahoma (not elected)
3. RB Eric Dickerson, SMU (elected)
4. QB Eric Crouch, Nebraska (elected)
5. RB Rashaan Salaam, Colorado (not elected)
6. LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State (not elected)
7. DE Andre Tippett, Iowa (not elected)
8. DE Julius Peppers, North Carolina (not elected)
9. DE David Pollack, Georgia (not elected)
10. DT Kenneth Sims, Texas (not elected)

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