Who is your favorite Nebraska RB?

ESPY

ESPY

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In the spirit of Crazy Joey's focus on great Husker QBs, I thought we might as well get the RBs in on the fun.

My favorite Husker RB is Ahman Green. When he first entered the picture due to Phillips' suspension, no one knew what to expect. What we got was something special - the best homegrown RB in Nebraska history.

Green was fast as hell. You remember, he was the one jetting past all those hopeless defenders. He was also a strong runner who threw arm-tackles by the wayside. His running style personified those 90s Huskers - powerful, determined, athletic & exciting.

If there was any Husker RB who deserved the Heisman (not named Johnny Rodgers or Mike Rozier), it was Ahman Green. He definitely belongs in that elite group, especially with his senior year in '97. That was the year Charles Woodson took the trophy, with Peyton Manning, Ryan Leaf & Ricky Williams in the rearview. The saddest part is that Green did not receive one single vote in spite of having more yards & points (TDs) than Williams. Oh, and he was a National Champion that year. You'd think that would count for something.

By the time his NU career came to an end, Green was #2 on the Huskers' career rushing list with 3,880 yards. He reached the endzone 42 times since making his mark as the all-time leading frosh RB at Nebraska with 1,086 yards. Oh, and I can't forget to mention he decided to forego his senior season to go pro. Just imagine if he would've returned. He would've broken every Husker rushing record & probably beaten Williams for the '98 Heisman.

Needless to say, Green is my all-time favorite RB.

 
IM Hipp would probably be my favorite. Likely because he is in my early memories of Husker football. Jarvis Rewine also.

BTW - Johnny the Jet was not a running back.

 
I'm going to have to do this in two parts.

1) My favorite back of all time has to be Mike Rozier, just because of the way he made everybody look silly when he was playing. He had some of the best speed, power, athleticism, and vision of any running back I've ever seen.

2) My favorite running back since I've been alive (1989) has been Cory Ross. He may not have had the numbers or the hype of some of the great Husker backs, but he is a tremendous individual who personified everything it meant to be a Husker.

 
Obviously it has to be Ahman Green for me. I like how people said "The only reason why we won the 1995 National Title was because of that evil Lawrence Phillips and Tom Osborne winning at all costs!" Yet, they fail to mention how GREAT Green was in his Freshman year here in 1995. Lawrence Phillips had MAD SKILLS, but was just not very bright off the field. If I had to go with someone other than Green or Phillips, I'd probably have to go with Cory Ross, followed by a Buckhalter/Alexander combination behind them. Back in 2003, when Ross was a Sophomore and Josh Davis was starting, I was SCREAMING at the TV to give Cory Ross a shot. Yes, I was just taking a stab in the dark because I thought Josh Davis had terrible vision and was not a very good kick returner, but I knew Porkchop had some pop to his 5'6" frame. Another reason why I liked him so much is, I'm about as tall as Porkchop was when he played at Nebraska. 5'6", 5'7" ish. Yes, I'm not as big as him, but he will always be my favorite for being so short and being pretty successful when called upon.

I may receive flack for not saying Rozier or someone else, but I've only been watching the Huskers since 1993 when I was 6 years old, so I'm not familiar with I.M. Hipp, Rozier, or any other great back that we've had. When I watch Rozier on film, he is a beast, but I can only really strictly say from "my personal experience."

I also had forgot Green left his Junior year. Man it would have been nice to see him in his Senior year here, he may have won the Heisman and maybe a few extra games for us!

 
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Why no love for Thunder Collins. :sarcasm

With out a doubt my favorite husker is Green one of my first husker memories was a 53 yard touchdown run against Colorado on the first offensive play.

 
redbeerman said:
IM Hipp would probably be my favorite. Likely because he is in my early memories of Husker football. Jarvis Rewine also.

BTW - Johnny the Jet was not a running back.
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That's when I started watching Nebraska football. loved the nicknames they had back then and Marvelous Jarvis and IM Hipp would have to be in my top 6.

Phillips would have to be number one. I remember when the games would be out of reach and see Brook come in. He (Brook) had to be thinking he was going to drive his team down the field and show what he could do only to have the first play be a handoff and see Phillips take it all the way. I always wondered if Brook was happy or upset that his one play consisted of a handoff.

2.Rozier

3.Derek Brown Thought he was bigger then he was and was'nt afraid to run over anyone. IMO he was the better of the WE backs.

4.Ahman Green

5.Jarvis Redwine

6.IM Hipp

20. Ken Clark (For some reason thought he was very overated)Playing the same year as Barry Sanders probably the reason.

Was disappointed that Terry Rogers career ended so fast with an injury. The games I saw him in he was impressive.

 
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Calvin Jones

Ahman Green

Derek Brown

Closet picks, err...guys who I enjoyed watching during their short time here...

Q. Castille

Kenny Wilson

 
Ahhhhh, Husker running backs. The richest position not on the OL. So many choices, so little time ......

My favorite is Jeff Kinney, see the QB thread for the reason why. His performance in the 71 OU game was the definition of determination. On the final drive especially.

The best was Mike Rozier. Phillips and Green were close but Rozier just had that extra ... something.

Loved I.M. and Redwine just for the names. Loved Roger Craig, and he was certainly the best Pro from Nebraska.

And finally, the guy you kids never mention (heck, he was really before my time, too) ... Bobby Reynolds from Grand Island. His sophomore year (1950) he set National records for a soph. No one could tackle him with his Barry Sanders moves. Might have been the best ever if he hadn't blown out a knee early in his junior year.

 
kansas husker said:
Why no love for Thunder Collins. :sarcasm

With out a doubt my favorite husker is Green one of my first husker memories was a 53 yard touchdown run against Colorado on the first offensive play.
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I second that memory. That game couldn't have started any better.

The Blackshirts force a punt on the Buffs' 1st possession, and the punt takes a Nebraska bounce to the 47. The dominant Husker offense trots onto the field & into its traditional powerhouse run formation. Knowing full well the option was coming, the Buffs show themselves powerless to stop it, as Green gets the toss & flies down the sideline untouched for 6.

Needless to say, the game was over right then and there.

 
I almost killed Calvin Jones.

I was late getting to a volleyball match and I was flying down 10th street past the stadium. As I was driving past the cars parked next to the West Stadium this guy steps out between two cars right into the street. I slam my brakes and the car nosed down, and as he's walking past the front of my car I look up, he looks at me, and it's Calvin Jones.

Think of how fast I would have been lynched by the entire state if I'd have hit him. :o

 
ESPY said:
kansas husker said:
Why no love for Thunder Collins. :sarcasm

With out a doubt my favorite husker is Green one of my first husker memories was a 53 yard touchdown run against Colorado on the first offensive play.
Click to expand...
I second that memory. That game couldn't have started any better.

The Blackshirts force a punt on the Buffs' 1st possession, and the punt takes a Nebraska bounce to the 47. The dominant Husker offense trots onto the field & into its traditional powerhouse run formation. Knowing full well the option was coming, the Buffs show themselves powerless to stop it, as Green gets the toss & flies down the sideline untouched for 6.

Needless to say, the game was over right then and there.
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Was that the game where Osborne mentioned afterward that they had seen something on film, and he wouldn't be surprised if we scored on the first play? I know he said that on the Tom Osborne Show once, and I know it was against Colorado.

That play was run from North to South, and we ran it off the left side of our formation, so the RB was running down the East sideline to the end zone, yes? I'm just about positive that's the play. It sticks out because Tom never said things like "we thought we could score on the first play." He was always saying how Middle Directional State Tech was a really tough team and we'd have to play four quarters, then we'd pound them 70-10.

 
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