Westerkamp has Records on the Horizon

[Mavric]

Rodgers ranks second to Bell in career-receiving yards, and Westerkamp is in position to pass them both this season. Rodgers ranks third, behind Bell and Nate Swift, in career receptions, and Westerkamp needs 53 catches to pass all three. He also could conceivably break Rodgers’ career record for consecutive games with at least one reception – 37.

Rodgers played in 37 games as a Husker. It couldn’t have been any longer.

Westerkamp goes into this season with a streak of 26.

The consecutive-games record includes bowls. Rodgers’ other totals do not. And he played only three varsity seasons; freshman eligibility wasn’t restored until 1972, when he was a senior.

Even so, Rodgers still holds the Husker single-season record for receiving yards, 942 in 1972.

Nebraska has never had a 1,000-yard receiver, though had the NCAA included bowls in its official statistics, Rodgers would have had 1,013 yards in 1972. He caught 58 passes, including three in the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame, for an average of 17.5 yards per catch.

 

Hail Varsity

[84HuskerLaw]

Rogers had an incredible ability to make people miss. He could dodge and juke like very few ever! This made him an electrifying player and in most games, the entire stood up automatically every time he was about to get the ball (pass, punt return, wingback reverse, etc.). You really expected if he got the ball in the open field it would be a score. One on one I imagine there were very few who could tackle him and many wouldn't even touch him. Today's players are bigger, stronger and faster than back in Rogers' day so he might look a little more 'real' but in his time he was special.

 

The game has changed in many ways over the 44 years since his heisman year but he would still be a very fine player without question. We've had a handful of players with 'shake and bake' similarly but even after all these years and a thousand more recruits, you won't make a long list of those who can compare. DeJuan Groce was in that category. Bobby Newcomb, Ameer, Dana Brinson, Von Shepherd are some that come to mind. Other greats who made some special plays include Crouch, Tommy F, Lawrence P, Gill, Fryar, Rosier. But the latter bunch didn't have the pure elusiveness really. Rogers made so many yards after the catch.

 

Catches and yards and even TDs don't tell the whole story. I believe Bobby Reynolds was also one who could shake em loose from their shoes as well though he was before my time.

[lo country]

Rogers had an incredible ability to make people miss. He could dodge and juke like very few ever! This made him an electrifying player and in most games, the entire stood up automatically every time he was about to get the ball (pass, punt return, wingback reverse, etc.). You really expected if he got the ball in the open field it would be a score. One on one I imagine there were very few who could tackle him and many wouldn't even touch him. Today's players are bigger, stronger and faster than back in Rogers' day so he might look a little more 'real' but in his time he was special.

 

The game has changed in many ways over the 44 years since his heisman year but he would still be a very fine player without question. We've had a handful of players with 'shake and bake' similarly but even after all these years and a thousand more recruits, you won't make a long list of those who can compare. DeJuan Groce was in that category. Bobby Newcomb, Ameer, Dana Brinson, Von Shepherd are some that come to mind. Other greats who made some special plays include Crouch, Tommy F, Lawrence P, Gill, Fryar, Rosier. But the latter bunch didn't have the pure elusiveness really. Rogers made so many yards after the catch.

 

Catches and yards and even TDs don't tell the whole story. I believe Bobby Reynolds was also one who could shake em loose from their shoes as well though he was before my time.

Great comments above. I wonder, if some of our guys lack of YAC, is ball placement by the QB. TA doesn't seem to always throw a ball where the receiver catches it in stride. Don't get me wrong, I would love 0 YAC and cut the INT's this season to 10 or less.... However, I think our receiving corps is truly better than the statistics show.

 

Westy is a phenomenal receiver. Great routes, phenomenal hands and great ability to move his body in the air to make the catch. Even in todays game in the NFL, very few guys have the ability to juke a guy out of their cleats. That's a rarity, that we at NU, have been blessed to see with some of the guys who have come through here.

 

Lastly, Coach Dub gets credit for these guys. Great technician and coach. Credit Fish as well.

[Cdog923]

I really hope Westy gets over the 1k mark this year; he deserves it.

[lo country]

I really hope Westy gets over the 1k mark this year; he deserves it.

 

Getting a 1000 yard receiver would be amazing considering it would be the first. Seems like a very deserving candidate.

[Mavric]

Great comments above. I wonder, if some of our guys lack of YAC, is ball placement by the QB. TA doesn't seem to always throw a ball where the receiver catches it in stride. Don't get me wrong, I would love 0 YAC and cut the INT's this season to 10 or less.... However, I think our receiving corps is truly better than the statistics show.

That is definitely part of it. Not saying any of them would be Rodgers (DPE might be close if he completely recovers) but a lot of times they are doing well just to be able to catch the ball, let alone do anything with it after they do.

 

I'm still not sure how Westerkamp was able to walk off the field after the MSU game last year. He got hung out to dry at least three times and took huge shots. No I idea how he was even able to get up again, to say nothing of actually catching the ball (which he did).

[Landlord]

Swift deserved it and was close.

 

Kenny deserved it and got pretty damn close too.

 

Will Westerkamp be the first to finally break through that glass ceiling? Hopefully he stays durable and reliable enough with the added attention from defenses to lead the way in that regard. It's pretty trivial in the long run, but that will be something that goes further than it should with recruits.

[ColoradoHusk]

Swift deserved it and was close.

 

Kenny deserved it and got pretty damn close too.

 

Will Westerkamp be the first to finally break through that glass ceiling? Hopefully he stays durable and reliable enough with the added attention from defenses to lead the way in that regard. It's pretty trivial in the long run, but that will be something that goes further than it should with recruits.

I think it's weird to say that someone "deserves" a record or a statistic. Either they get the stat or they don't. Nothing against your post, just my thoughts.

[Mavric]

Career receiving yards

Record holder: Kenny Bell, 2,689

Who can top it: Jordan Westerkamp, 1,948

What it will take: Westerkamp would need 742 receiving yards to surpass Bell. Westerkamp has had at least 747 yards each of the last two seasons, averaging 70.6 per game last season for a total of 918. At that pace, it would take Westerkamp 11 games to break the record.

 

Career receptions

Record holder: Kenny Bell, 181

Who can top it: Jordan Westerkamp, 129

What it will take: Westerkamp needs 53 grabs to break Bell’s record. He had 65 last season and 44 the year prior. It would take 11 games for Westerkamp to surpass the mark if he averages 5 catches a game like he did in 2015.

 

Career 100-yard receiving games

Record holder: Johnny Rodgers, 10

Who can top it: Jordan Westerkamp, 7

What it will take: Westerkamp has to surpass the century mark in receiving yardage four times in 2016 to break the record Rodgers has held since 1972. Westerkamp had four 100-yard receiving games in 2015, two in 2014 and one in 2013. Last year was the sixth time a Nebraska wideout had four 100-yard games in a season.

 

Career touchdown receptions

Record holder: Johnny Rodgers, 25

Who can top it: Jordan Westerkamp, 13

What it will take: Westerkamp would have to match his career total in one season to break Rodgers’ record. His seven scores last year were a career high after catching five TD passes in 2014. Quincy Enunwa holds Nebraska’s single-season record for touchdown catches with 12 in 2013.

 

Consecutive games with a reception

Record holder: Johnny Rodgers, 37

Who can top it: Jordan Westerkamp, 26

What it will take: Westerkamp’s streak dates back to the 2015 season opener against Florida Atlantic. He’s had at least one catch in every game since, and would have to keep it going throughout the 2016 regular season. If the streak stays alive, Westerkamp would break Rodgers’ mark in the season finale against Iowa.

OWH

[suh_fan93]