In a Nov. 6, 1964 edition of The World-Herald appeared 12 pictures of Nebraska football players under the subhead “These Are N.U. Black Shirts, Nation’s No. 1 Defensive Unit.”
The idea of “Black Shirts” — not until years later would it be merged to one word “Blackshirts” — was still in its infancy back then. The practice began at the start of the 1964 season as a way to distinguish the top defensive players from the rest, as the two-platoon system had only just been instituted in college football.
The first mentions of “Black Shirts” in The World-Herald had come a couple months prior, and Bob Devaney himself mentioned them when awarding a game ball in late October. But by the start of November, the “Black Shirts” had started to gain national prominence as the country’s leading defense.
The aforementioned mugshots accompanied a story previewing an upcoming game against Kansas with the headline “Crunch! Kansas and Nebraska Will Match Grudging Defenses.” The Huskers would win that, 14-7, in what lived up to expectations as a defensive slugfest.
From there, the “Black Shirts” became a thing of legend for Nebraska football. The tradition that still carries on today — the 2016 Blackshirts were handed out Tuesday — owes a lot to the 12 men who served as the foundation. That “Black Shirt” unit in 1964 featured an All-American, multiple All-Big 8 selections and eventual Nebraska Football Hall of Fame inductees.
