Top 5 All-Time B1G Wide Receivers

[Mavric]

2. Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska, 1970-1972: Rodgers is still known as “The Jet,” more than four decades after his career concluded. He won the Heisman Trophy and the Walter Camp Award in 1972, but his greatest contribution came in 1971 as the Cornhuskers rolled to 13 wins and a national title, beating No. 2 Oklahoma 35-31 in the Game of the Century -- highlighted by his 72-yard punt return less than four minutes into the opening quarter. Rodgers’ No. 20 was retired by the school. He played two years for Bob Devaney and, as a senior, he helped usher in the head-coaching career of Tom Osborne, who retired 25 years later as the greatest coach at Nebraska.

Honorable mention: ... Irving Fryar, Nebraska

 

ESPN.com

[StPaulHusker]

Why is ESPN being nice to us?

[Roger Dorn]

Why is ESPN being nice to us?

Written by Sherman so I'm sure that helped us out a little bit.

[knapplc]

It's weird that they're putting Tommie Frazier and Johnny Rodgers in the Big Ten's pantheon when these guys are two conferences removed from the Big Ten.

 

Both Frazier and Rodgers played the entirety of their careers in the Big 8. Then Nebraska was in the Big XII from 1997-2010, joining the Big Ten in 2011. Frazier's career ended 16 years before Nebraska joined this conference, while Rodgers' career ended 39 years before we went to the Big Ten.

 

I appreciate the inclusiveness of articles like this, the entirety of the adoption, but it seems really odd.

[Saunders]

Queue Iowa fans bitching...

[kchusker_chris]

It's weird that they're putting Tommie Frazier and Johnny Rodgers in the Big Ten's pantheon when these guys are two conferences removed from the Big Ten.

 

Both Frazier and Rodgers played the entirety of their careers in the Big 8. Then Nebraska was in the Big XII from 1997-2010, joining the Big Ten in 2011. Frazier's career ended 16 years before Nebraska joined this conference, while Rodgers' career ended 39 years before we went to the Big Ten.

 

I appreciate the inclusiveness of articles like this, the entirety of the adoption, but it seems really odd.

Does this mean we're a 5 year old program? Where does our history fit into the discussion then? Does it even exists outside of Nebraska? I'm sure no one thinks twice about Penn State's history being included. How many years before we are in a similar boat do you think?

[knapplc]

 

It's weird that they're putting Tommie Frazier and Johnny Rodgers in the Big Ten's pantheon when these guys are two conferences removed from the Big Ten.

 

Both Frazier and Rodgers played the entirety of their careers in the Big 8. Then Nebraska was in the Big XII from 1997-2010, joining the Big Ten in 2011. Frazier's career ended 16 years before Nebraska joined this conference, while Rodgers' career ended 39 years before we went to the Big Ten.

 

I appreciate the inclusiveness of articles like this, the entirety of the adoption, but it seems really odd.

Does this mean we're a 5 year old program? Where does our history fit into the discussion then? Does it even exists outside of Nebraska? I'm sure no one thinks twice about Penn State's history being included. How many years before we are in a similar boat do you think?

 

I wonder how Penn State feels about that. They may feel differently since they were Independent before joining the Big Ten.

 

And maybe it's only folks born in the 50s, 60s & 70s who feel it's odd to see Huskers from the past being included in these lists. There's a sizable and growing portion of the population for whom Big Ten membership probably feels like "the way it's always been" in much the same way as there are a lot of people for whom Big XII membership is how they view Nebraska. Just about a whole generation views us as a Big XII member.

[ColoradoHusk]

I think it's really odd when NU players are included in these All-time Big Ten lists, when the players never even played in the conference.

 

Will the Big Ten claim Len Bias from Maryland, even though Bias is best known for being a dominant ACC basketball player in the 1980s, who rivaled with Michael Jordan?

 

As a side note, I saw a post or two about having thoughts that the Big Ten was a "has-been" conference during the 80s and 90s when NU was a player on the national scene as a part of the Big 8 and Big 12. I thought the exact same way. I always thought the Big Ten conference was a complete joke, with boring and crappy football, and always tried to live on their "history". That was one big reason I wasn't thrilled with Nebraska joining the conference.

[StPaulHusker]

I think it's really odd when NU players are included in these All-time Big Ten lists, when the players never even played in the conference.

 

Will the Big Ten claim Len Bias from Maryland, even though Bias is best known for being a dominant ACC basketball player in the 1980s, who rivaled with Michael Jordan?

 

As a side note, I saw a post or two about having thoughts that the Big Ten was a "has-been" conference during the 80s and 90s when NU was a player on the national scene as a part of the Big 8 and Big 12. I thought the exact same way. I always thought the Big Ten conference was a complete joke, with boring and crappy football, and always tried to live on their "history". That was one big reason I wasn't thrilled with Nebraska joining the conference.

But we got Jim and Urb now. And Rutgers. B1G baby!

[knapplc]

As a side note, I saw a post or two about having thoughts that the Big Ten was a "has-been" conference during the 80s and 90s when NU was a player on the national scene as a part of the Big 8 and Big 12. I thought the exact same way. I always thought the Big Ten conference was a complete joke, with boring and crappy football, and always tried to live on their "history". That was one big reason I wasn't thrilled with Nebraska joining the conference.

I felt this way as well, and to this day harbor feelings about the Big Ten's insistence that Michigan's 1997 "national championship" is the same as Nebraska's real National Championship.

 

However, five+ years into membership including some relevant teams on a national front and one National Championship, with full cash payouts on the horizon in 2017 and piles and piles of money coming in the impending media rights deals, I'm more OK with this conference than before.

[TGHusker]

Occasionally the Tulsa paper will whimper wishes of getting NU back into the big 12. After bashing us for leaving 5 years ago saying we couldn't get over the 1 second and Texas, they now have regrets as they see the big 12 fade in importance and the lack of a CCG.

[Guy Chamberlin]

It's weird that they're putting Tommie Frazier and Johnny Rodgers in the Big Ten's pantheon when these guys are two conferences removed from the Big Ten.

 

Both Frazier and Rodgers played the entirety of their careers in the Big 8. Then Nebraska was in the Big XII from 1997-2010, joining the Big Ten in 2011. Frazier's career ended 16 years before Nebraska joined this conference, while Rodgers' career ended 39 years before we went to the Big Ten.

 

I appreciate the inclusiveness of articles like this, the entirety of the adoption, but it seems really odd.

 

And it would be equally weird to look at the Big 12 record book to find that nothing from Nebraska even exists.

 

Assuming that's the case, eh?