Your Top Five Blackshirts

knapplc

knapplc

International Man of Mystery
Caught a twitter exchange between Sipple and Damon Benning this AM that got me thinking: Who would be in your top five Blackshirts? The Blackshirt tradition started in 1964 when Bob Devaney wanted some way to differentiate between his starting defense and the rest of the defense during practices. He sent an assistant coach to a local Lincoln athletic store to buy t-shirts, and all they had in the amount we needed were Black. In the intervening 48 seasons the Blackshirts have become a college football tradition, known for fierce defense and regarded as a fearsome opponent.

But choosing the Best of the Blackshirts is tough. When Sipple asked Benning to name his top five, either Benning didn't or hasn't yet answered. Maybe Benning is busy - he's a fixture on 1620 The Zone these days - or maybe it's just a tough question to answer.

The top five I sent to Sipple:

1a - Rich Glover

1b - Ndamukong Suh

2 - Jim Skow

3 - Ralph Mike Brown - edit "oops"

4 - Grant Wistrom

5 - Barrett Ruud

I also mentioned that it's pretty tough leaving guys like LaVonte David, Broderick Thomas and Barron Miles off that list, but who do you pull off? And I have no qualms about having a 1a/1b. Separating Glover and Suh is nigh on impossible, and either may be the greatest Husker of all time - on either side of the ball.

 
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Comish said:
Wrong Brown on the original list.

Mike before Ralph
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You're right, of course. How did I make that mistake?

 
Top 5? That's rough.

I was pretty young when he played, but I remember being facinated watching Trev Alberts. I'd say he's probably in that 5-10 range if you expanded it.

Other than that, I can't argue with what y'all have thrown up there for the Top 5. All are worthy.

 
Ndamukong Suh

Keyuo Craver

Mike Brown

Lavonte David

Grant Wistrom

 
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it's toughest to leave Jason Peter off. Regardless of his doings after Nebraska, to me, just so accurately personified the Blackshirts with not only the way he played but his swagger and attitude while doing so. But, it also isnt too god awful difficult finding 5 that were better.

 
1. Suh

2. Mike Brown

3. Grant Wistrom

4. Jason Peter

5. Lavonte David

Wasn't around for the Rich Glover years...so I went with this....I'll have to do some more Husker research on Glover.

 
1. Ndamukong Suh, DT

2. Rich Glover, DT

3. Broderick Thomas, OLB

4. Carlos Polk, LB

5. DeJuan Groce, CB

5. Alex Henery

/ Tiebreaker: I gave Groce the nod over Keyuo Craver because of Groce's punt return skills.

Real tough to winnow this down to just five guys. The first two are easy picks. But there are at least twenty guys I could plug into those last three spots.

/ edit: I added Alex Henery. The top scoring Blackshirt in NU history. LINK

 
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1. Kenny Walker

2. Trev Alberts

3. Grant Wistrom

4. Suh

5. Lavonte David

Honorable mention: Mike Croel, Broderick Thomas, Neil Smith

I could make a list of about 10 secondary players

This is a list of my favorite 5 not necessarily the best.

 
I have a Metallica "Master of Puppets" shirt, a Mastodon "Leviathan" shirt, a Nebraska Blackshirts shirt, a black hooded sweatshirt, and a regular black pocket t-shirt.

Probably in that order.

 
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