Two Huskers Named to Top Big 12 Stars of the Decade

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Vince Young is top Big 12 star of decadeBy Tim Griffin

ESPN.com

The Big 12 has had more top three finishers in the Heisman Trophy voting in the last decade than any conference.

And although the Big 12 had three Heisman winners during that time, the three most memorable players of the decade didn’t claim college football’s top individual award.

Here's a look at the top 10 players of the last decade in the Big 12.

Vince Young

Vince Young finished with a 30-2 record, 6,040 passing yards and 3,127 rushing yards.

1. Vince Young, Texas: Transcendent talent who capped his career by scoring the game-winning touchdown to lead his team to the national championship. Finished his career with a 30-2 record, 6,040 passing yards and 3,127 rushing yards.

2. Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma: Likely would have had a chance for a Heisman if he had stayed for a senior season or not had his junior season marred by injuries. Still finished with 4,045 yards to finish within 73 yards within Billy Sims’ school career record.

3. Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska: Destined to go down in history as the greatest Blackshirt of all time. Capped his career by winning the Lombardi, Bednarik and Nagurski Awards, finished fourth in the Heisman and became the first defensive player to win the Associated Press’ player of the year.

4. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma: First quarterback to direct his team to back-to-back Big 12 titles, capped by winning the Heisman Trophy as a redshirt sophomore in 2008. Injured early in his junior season, he still finished his college career with 88 touchdown passes against 16 interceptions.

5. Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech: Claimed back-to-back Biletnikoff awards as the most dominant and productive receiver of his era. Won the award in his second season despite being hobbled by a sprained ankle that limited his productivity.

6. Roy Williams, Oklahoma: Dominant and productive safety who was so good that Bob Stoops created a position, “the Roy,” to showcase his talents. Claimed the Nagurski and Thorpe Awards and was a unanimous All-American in his final college season.

7. Derrick Johnson, Texas: Two-time All-American earned the Butkus and Nagurski Awards in his senior season, capping a career as one of the most illustrious defensive players in Texas history.

8. Eric Crouch, Nebraska: Multi-talented runner/passer cemented his Heisman Trophy in 2001 with his pass-catching abilities against Oklahoma. That big effort helped catapult the Cornhuskers into the national championship game as a senior. Finished his career as the leading rusher quarterback and leader in total offense in Nebraska history.

9. Jason White, Oklahoma: Surrounded by a bevy of top talent, led the Sooners to the national championship game in back to back seasons and claimed the Heisman Trophy Award as a junior in 2003. Claimed back-to-back Davey O’Brien Awards, finishing his career with 8,012 passing yards and 81 touchdowns.

10. Colt McCoy, Texas: The winningest quarterback in college football history, finishing his career with an NCAA record 45 wins. He finished with virtually every passing record in school history winning the Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year, Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm and Manning Award in a hard-luck senior season capped by an injury that didn’t allow him to complete the national championship game.

 

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I thought this was pretty interesting. Given how down we were through the middle part of the decade, we are still the only Big 12 North school to put players into the top 10 stars of the decade. Even through Missouri's "Perfect Storm" and the Jayhawks BCS bowl run, they still couldn't even put one player in there.

 

[Pedro Guerrero]

If you ask me Sam Bradford is rated to high, but that could just be me.

 

[ESPY]

If you ask me Sam Bradford is rated to high, but that could just be me.

Agreed. I would've put Bradford between Crouch & White. Then, I would move Crouch, Bradford & White to the 6-8 slots, with Johnson at #9 and McCoy at #10.

 

[Pedro Guerrero]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=4836527&type=story

According to this list of the Top 10 College Football players of the decade the Big 12 top 3 would be #1 Young, #2 McCoy and #3 Peterson. There is no mention of Bradford or any of the other guys besides Suh so I guess that would mean Suh was #4

 

[RedDenver]

Tim Griffin is an obvious B12 south homer (especially OU and UT). He'll give the north teams some props occasionally, just to try and seem unbiased, but if you follow him for any length of time, you'll see the big bias. I still like his take on the conference and he's a good writer, but the bias does get old at times.

 

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Tim Griffin is an obvious B12 south homer (especially OU and UT). He'll give the north teams some props occasionally, just to try and seem unbiased, but if you follow him for any length of time, you'll see the big bias. I still like his take on the conference and he's a good writer, but the bias does get old at times.

You could also argue he is a bit of a Nebraska homer, because we are generally the only Big 12 North school he gives the most coverage to.

 

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I also don't see what makes Bradford or McCoy deserve to be on the list more than Seneca Wallace or Brad Smith. Oh well, sucks to play in the North I guess.

 

[WVhuskerXX]

I also don't see what makes Bradford or McCoy deserve to be on the list more than Seneca Wallace or Brad Smith. Oh well, sucks to play in the North I guess.

Just Win Baby!!

 

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I also don't see what makes Bradford or McCoy deserve to be on the list more than Seneca Wallace or Brad Smith. Oh well, sucks to play in the North I guess.

Just Win Baby!!

That's the simple answer, yes.

It's not like Griffin were going to choose Brad Smith over McCoy, especially when McCoy has a B12 championship ring and a trip to the BCS national championship game. McCoy is also the winningest quarterback ever.

 

[default_28]

I also don't see what makes Bradford or McCoy deserve to be on the list more than Seneca Wallace or Brad Smith. Oh well, sucks to play in the North I guess.

Just Win Baby!!

That's the simple answer, yes.

It's not like Griffin were going to choose Brad Smith over McCoy, especially when McCoy has a B12 championship ring and a trip to the BCS national championship game. McCoy is also the winningest quarterback ever.

I'm not going to argue, because you're right. But in all honesty McCoy only played one more series than Brad Smith in this year's BCS national championship game.

 

[holvy83]

I also don't see what makes Bradford or McCoy deserve to be on the list more than Seneca Wallace or Brad Smith. Oh well, sucks to play in the North I guess.

Just Win Baby!!

That's the simple answer, yes.

It's not like Griffin were going to choose Brad Smith over McCoy, especially when McCoy has a B12 championship ring and a trip to the BCS national championship game. McCoy is also the winningest quarterback ever.

I'm not going to argue, because you're right. But in all honesty McCoy only played one more series than Brad Smith in this year's BCS national championship game.

very true, but if Smith had more W's and a better supporting cast he would have been on there...

 

[whateveritis1224]

That's the biggest knock on Griffin, too much OU and Texas. His 10 moments had Vince's run 1, Crabtree's catch 2, Williams superman leap 3, and then Crouch's catch at 4. Tell me how the Williams leap was a bigger moment? Texas still had to drive 98 yards on a defense that'd stopped them all game. Crouch's catch pretty much gave Crouch the Heisman and probably vaulted Nebraska to the BCS championship game.