Retired Jersey #75

1971 Lombardi Award Winner

1971: Larry Jacobson, Defensive Tackle (1969-1971)

Sioux Falls, SD

     A standout on Nebraska's 1970 and 1971 national championship teams, Larry Jacobson became Nebraska's first major award winner, capturing the Outland Trophy following his senior season. Jacobson became the first of seven Huskers to win eight Outland trophies, symbolic of the nation's top interior lineman.

     Jacobson's No. 75 was retired along with Trev Alberts' No. 34 and Will Shield's No. 75 at the 1994 Spring Game, marking the only time in school history that three jerseys were retired at the same time.

     As a senior, Jacobson recorded 73 tackles , including 28 solos, and added 12 tackles for 73 yards lost and an interception en route to earning All-Big Eight and All-America honors. One of two All-Americans (along with Rich Glover) on the Husker defensive line in 1971, Jacobson helped the Blackshirts to top-five national rankings in rush defense (85.9, second), total defense (202.9, fifth) and scoring defense (8.2, third) en route to a 13-0 record and a second straight national title. He also was lauded for his efforts in the classroom, earning GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors following his senior campaign.

     Jacobson broke onto the national scene during his junior season, helping the Huskers to their first national title. The 6-foot-6 inch, 250-pound, Sioux Falls, S.D., native finished with 49 tackles, including 33 solos, nine tackles for 61 yards lost and a team-best three fumble recoveries.

     One of three Huskers selected in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft, Jacobson was a first-round selection (No. 24 overall) by the New York Giants. He played with the Giants for four seasons before retiring following the 1975 campaign. Jacobson resides in Lincoln.

 

Defense
Year	UT	AT	TT	TFL	BK	PBU	PI
1969	2	8	10	1-9	0	0	0
1970	33	16	49	9-61	0	1	0
1971	28	45	73	12-73	0	1	1
Totals	63	69	132	22-143	0	2	1

Retired Jersey #79

1972 Lombardi Award Winner

1972: Rich Glover, Middle Guard (1970-1972)

Jersey City, NJ 

     One of the finest defensive players in Nebraska and college football history, Rich Glover anchored the Husker defense during the early 1970s, helping Nebraska capture back-to-back national titles in 1970 and 1971 under Coach Bob Devaney.

     A 1995 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, Glover was a three-year letter winner, who earned consensus All-America honors in 1971 and 1972 and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting in 1972. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound middle guard is one of only 10 players in college football history to win both the Lombardi and Outland Trophies, the awards that are given to the top interior player and top lineman in the country, respectively, in the same season, sweeping the awards in 1972. His jersey (No. 79) was retired following the 1972 season.

     As a senior, Glover earned Big Eight Defensive Player-of-the-Year honors, helping the Huskers to a 9-2-1 record and a 40-6 victory over Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. He finished the season with 100 tackles, including 52 solos, and nine tackles for 41 yards lost, as the Huskers led the Big Eight in total defense and ranked in the top 10 nationally in total defense, scoring defense and pass defense.

A Jersey City, N.J., native, Glover played an instrumental part in the Huskers 1971 national championship, earning All-Big Eight and All-America honors as Nebraska won its second straight national title with a 13-0 record. He is best remembered for his performance against Oklahoma in the Game of the Century when he made 22 stops in the Huskers' 35-31 victory over the second-ranked Sooners. In 1971, Glover led Nebraska with 92 tackles, including 46 solo stops, and 13 tackles for 73 yards lost. He saw limited action in 1970 as a sophomore, recording 19 tackles and three tackles for 13 yards lost.

     Following his collegiate career, he was drafted in the third round (No. 69 overall) of the 1973 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He played with the Giants for one season before joining the Shreveport Steamers of the World Football League in 1974. He finished his career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1975 and 1976. Currently, he is an assistant coach at New Mexico State under former Husker Tony Samuel.

Retired Jersey #50

1981 and 1982 Outland Trophy Winner

1981 and 1982: Dave Rimington, Center (1979-1982)

Omaha, NE

     The only player ever to win the Outland Trophy in consecutive years (1981 and 1982), Dave Rimington is one of the most decorated offensive linemen in college football history.

     The 6-foot-3, 290-pound center was a two-time first-team All-American in 1981 and 1982 and is one of just 13 Huskers to have his jersey retired. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997, while his No. 50 jersey was retired by Nebraska in 1982.

     A three-time first-team All-Big Eight choice from 1980 to 1982, Rimington was named the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year in 1981, marking the only time in conference history that a lineman has earned the prestigious honor. During his career, the Omaha South grad helped the Huskers win back-to-back Big Eight titles in 1981 and 1982, as Nebraska led the nation in rushing during his senior season.

     A four-year letterman and three-year starter, Rimington was named team captain and capped his senior season by winning the 1982 Lombardi Award. Also, a two-time first-team academic All-American, Rimington was honored by the NCAA as a Top-Five Student-Athlete and was selected as a National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete in 1982. He was also a three-time first-team academic All-Big Eight choice from 1980 to 1982. In 1999, he was selected to the Walter Camp All-Century team.

     A first-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1983, Rimington played five seasons with the Bengals, and played two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring in 1989.

     Rimington is the president of the Boomer Esiason Foundation and resides in New York. In 2000, the first Rimington Award sponsored by the Boomer Esiason Foundation to honor college football's center of the year was presented to Nebraska center Dominic Raiola, whose jersey No. 54 will be retired in 2002.

Retried Jersey #71

1983 Lombardi Award Winner

1983: Dean Steinkuhler, Offensive Guard (1981-1983)

Burr, NE 

     Among the top offensive linemen ever to play at Nebraska, Dean Steinkuhler anchored a line that paved the way for the nation's leading rushing offense in 1983 before sweeping the top awards presented to linemen.

     As a senior that season, Steinkuhler won both the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy, awarded to the outstanding interior player and top lineman in the country, respectively. He helped create holes for Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier, who became only the second player in NCAA history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season in 1983.

     Steinkuhler's No. 71 jersey, along with Rozier's No. 30 jersey, was retired following the 1983 season, in which the Huskers ran for an average of 401.7 yards-per game, while also leading the nation in scoring, averaging 52.0 points per contest.

     Steinkuhler was named to nearly every All-American list in 1983, giving his hometown of Burr (population 110) the distinction of being the smallest town at the time to ever produce a consensus All-American.

     As a junior in 1982, Steinkuhler played side-by-side with three All-Big Eight selections (Dave Rimington, Mike Mandelko and Randy Theiss) before earning the honor himself the following year.

     Following a stellar senior season, Steinkuhler became the highest-drafted Husker linemen ever, when the Houston Oilers selected him as the second pick in the 1984 NFL Draft. Steinkuhler played eight seasons with the Houston Oilers before retiring following the 1991 season. Steinkuhler followed fellow Husker Irving Fryar in the draft, marking only the second time in NFL history, and the first since 1967, that the top two players were from the same school. Steinkuhler now resides in Burr, NE.

Retired Jersey #75

1992 Outland Trophy Winner

1992: Will Shields, Offensive Guard (1989-1992)

Lawton, OK

     One of a long line of outstanding offensive linemen at Nebraska, Will Shields became the fifth Husker to win the Outland Trophy, capturing the prestigious award following the 1992 season.

     A consensus All-American and a Lombardi Award semifinalist as a senior, Shields helped the Huskers win national team rushing titles in three of his four seasons at Nebraska (1989, 1991 and 1992). NU's first scholarship player from the state of Oklahoma, Shields is one of only six Husker linemen to earn all-conference honors for three straight seasons.

     Shields No. 75 was retired at the 1994 Spring Game, along with Butkus Award winner Trev Alberts' No. 34 and the No. 75 jersey of former Outland Trophy winner Larry Jacobson. The ceremony marked the first time that three jerseys were retired at the same time.

     As a senior, Shields received votes for Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year and earned All-America honors from Kodak, AP, UPI, Walter Camp and Football News.

During his junior campaign, he was a unanimous selection to the All-Big Eight team and a second-team All-American, helping the Huskers rank first in the conference in rushing offense and total offense.

     Shields became the second offensive lineman to play as a true freshman in 1989, appearing in nine games. In his second year, Shields became the first sophomore lineman since College Football Hall of Famer Dave Rimington to earn first-team all-conference honors for NU, helping the Huskers lead the Big Eight in scoring, rushing and total offense.

     Following his collegiate career, Shields was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft continues to enjoy a successful career, being selected to the Pro Bowl in each of the past seven seasons. He is also one of the most active volunteers and community leaders in the NFL. He is the co-founder of the Will to Succeed Foundation with his wife, Senia. The foundation was organized to guide, inspire and improve the lives of abused and neglected women and children.

Retired Jersey #74

1994 Outland Trophy Winner

1994: Zach Wiegert, Offensive Tackle (1991-1994)

Fremont, NE

     The anchor of the 1994 Husker Pipeline, Zach Wiegert won the Huskers' seventh Outland Trophy, awarded to the nations top interior lineman, following Nebraska's 1994 national championship season.

     A consensus All-American, Wiegert led NU to its 11th NCAA rushing title and first national title since 1971. The Huskers averaged 340 yards per game on the ground as the Fremont, Neb., native led Nebraska with 113 pancake blocks in 1994. He even earned one first-place vote for the Heisman, ending up tied for ninth with 27 points. In addition to winning the Outland, he was a finalist for the Lombardi Award, a consensus All-American, the UPI Lineman of the Year and the Touchdown Club of Columbus Offensive Lineman of the Year. His No. 72 jersey was retired before the 1995 season.

     With a perfect 2.0 grade against Kansas, Wiegert was Nebraska's nominee for Big Eight Offensive Player of the Week, the first time an offensive lineman was nominated for weekly conference honors since 1987, and was also the ABC Chevrolet Player of the Game vs. UCLA.

     In his 46-game career, Wiegert, a three-year starter at right tackle, gave up just one sack en route to earning All-Big Eight honors in 1992, 1993 and 1994. He became one of only six linemen in NU history to earn first-team all-conference honors in three consecutive seasons. He earned second-team All-America honors in 1993, helping Nebraska to an undefeated regular season and an Orange Bowl appearance.

     Wiegert is one of only 17 players in school history to earn three straight first-team all-conference honors. He was a second-round draft pick by the St. Louis Rams (38th selection overall) in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played with the Rams until he was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars before the 1999 season.

Retired Jersey #67

1997 Outland Trophy Winner

1997: Aaron Taylor, Offensive Guard (1994-1997)

Wichita Falls, TX

     The only Husker to earn All-America honors at two different positions, Aaron Taylor is Nebraska's most recent Outland Trophy winner, taking the school's eighth award home following the 1997 season.

     The seventh Husker to win the Outland, Taylor earned All-America honors at center in 1996 before moving to left guard in 1997. During his career, the Huskers were 49-2 (.961) and won four straight bowl games, including three national titles. His No. 67 was retired in 1998.

     As a senior, he led the Huskers to a 13-0 record and the school's third national title in four years, finishing with a then-school record 137 pancake blocks. A co-captain, Taylor helped NU lead the nation in total offense, rushing offense and scoring offense in 1997. A consensus All-American, he was also a semifinalist for the 1997 Lombardi Award.

     As a junior, Taylor finished with 113 pancake blocks in helping NU rank fourth nationally in scoring, fifth in rushing and 25th in total offense. He earned first-team All-America honors from Football News, Football Writers and Walter Camp and was an all-conference first-team pick for the second consecutive year.

     After serving as a backup as a freshman, Taylor moved into a starting role in 1995. He helped Nebraska win its second straight national title, aiding NU to a No. 2 national ranking in total offense and a Big Eight and school-record 52.4 points per game, bettering a mark that had stood in the books since 1983. The Wichita Falls, Texas, native was a third-team All-American from Football News and earned first-team All-Big Eight honors from the AP and Football News. He is one of only six Husker linemen to earn first-team all-conference honors in three straight seasons.

     Following his Husker career, he was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played with the Colts and the Chicago Bears during the 1998 season. Taylor resides in Omaha.