Greatest college football player born in each state
The football program at the University of Nebraska has a longstanding tradition of college football excellence, and the Cornhuskers emerged as one of the nation’s powerhouse programs in the early 1970s under head coach Bob Devaney, who led the team to national championships in 1970 and 1971 before Tom Osborne took over in 1973.
One of the players at the forefront of Nebraska’s glory years was Johnny Rodgers, who played running back, receiver and special teams for the Huskers from 1970-72 and amassed what was then an NCAA record 5,586 total yards. He was also responsible for eight touchdowns on special teams – seven punt returns and a kick return.
A native of Omaha, Rodgers ran for 219 yards and two touchdowns and added 710 receiving yards and seven TDs as a sophomore in 1970. Rodgers earned All-American honors the following season with 269 rushing yards and two scores as well as 956 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 57 catches. In 1972, Rodgers won the Heisman Trophy and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, and was a consensus All-American for the second time.
His unbelievable production that season included 348 rushing yards and ten touchdowns on the ground, 1,013 receiving yards and nine TD receptions and a 52-yard touchdown pass. Arguably the greatest game Rodgers ever played didn’t even count in his official statistics. In the 1973 Orange Bowl against Notre Dame, Rodgers scored three rushing touchdowns, caught a 50-yard TD pass and threw a 54-yard TD pass in a 40-6 victory.
Other Notable College Football Players Born in Nebraska:
- Eric Crouch, QB, Nebraska
- Ahmad Green, RB, Nebraska
- Chris Kelsay, DL, Nebraska
- Dave Rimington, OL, Nebraska
- Dean Steinkuhler, OL, Nebraska
- Zach Wiegert, OL, Nebraska
Next: Nevada