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Best running back ever at NU

Oct 6, 2012
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2,820
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We just did fastest player, now runners.

LP
Ahman/Kinney/Rozier
All the rest.

We had some great ones.
 
Ken Clark was one of the best with his patience to use his blockers. I know he won’t “win” this type of competition but he is a very underrated Nebraska running back.

One of my best Husker memories was watching him out perform Barry Sanders in 1988. Winking

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Sorry guys, drinkng, lol.

Keith Jones had an incredible game against Sanders. He had an AA in Steve Taylor with him in backfield.

They should have done more. This is why I put K Jones in "the rest", and why Steve Taylor, AA an all is not in top five qb here.
 
Not our best ever, but I liked to watch Doug DuBose, Rick Berns, and Tony Davis.
Berns was underrated, in my opinion. I don't think he played behind the dominant offensive lines that some other RBs had, and never played with an elite QB. While I wouldn't put Berns in the top tier with Phillips, Rozier and Green, he's not far down the list.
 
No love for Jeff Kinney.
He and Rich Glover won that game in Norman we are celebrating this year.

I watched it!

171 yards, 4 touchdowns. Jersey ripped, pads flapping on the last drive.


In the "Game of the Century" against the unbeaten Oklahoma Sooners in Norman on Thanksgiving Day 1971, Kinney rushed for 171 yards, 151 in the second half, on 31 carries (5.5 avg.) and scored four touchdowns, the final one with less than two minutes remaining to put Nebraska ahead 35–31, the final score.[5][6][7][8]
 
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Rozier
LP
Green


IMO Rozier - Lots of people will vote LP because his highlight reel was bigger. The TV coverage of the games was minimal in the early 80s. (maybe it was just for me, I lived in Rural Nebraska and only got CBS)

As a kid, I listened to all the games... Bremser and Pavelka brought them to life.
 
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Rozier for me. The guy had great vision and balance. He was very patient too and knew when to set up his blockers. Combine this with his power & speed and you got a Heisman trophy winner; 7.81 ypc and 2,148 yards rushing yards.
 
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In light of him declaring Betts the best WR am eagerly anticipating saltsdogg weighing in with his choice ... probably Sevion Morrison or Marvin Scott
 
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Rozier’s performance in the ‘82 Mizzou game was epic.

He was suited up but was not intended to play due to a hip injury. As the game went on and Mizzou knocked out Gill and IIRC another QB and made the game close Rozier came in and took a beating but led NU to the win.

As gutsy a performance as I ever saw,
 
Since I've started watching in 1992, definitely LP. What a talent.

LP
Ahman Green
....
....
Everybody else (Rex, Abdullah, Buckhalter, Calvin Jones, Alexander, Helu, Cory Ross, Brandon Jackson).

Edit - Some of those mid 1990s backs could have been incredible if they had just gotten on the field more - Clinton Childs, Jay Sims, Damon Benning
 
Bobby Reynolds (before my time, but he held the Husker rushing records for years). Best Husker running back I've seen: LP.
 
I definitely think Rex Burkhead is in the top three. He won a lot of games for us without a stellar offensive line in front of him. Two games were off the charts. A cold, windy day in Iowa City when we were down at halftime and he told Bo to put him in even though he was injured to start the 2nd half. He willed us to victory. Or the game against Colorado in Lincoln where he basically played the wildcat the whole game and took us to victory on his legs and arm.
 
I definitely think Rex Burkhead is in the top three. He won a lot of games for us without a stellar offensive line in front of him. Two games were off the charts. A cold, windy day in Iowa City when we were down at halftime and he told Bo to put him in even though he was injured to start the 2nd half. He willed us to victory. Or the game against Colorado in Lincoln where he basically played the wildcat the whole game and took us to victory on his legs and arm.

I thought that game was Iowa St. where we were in Wildcat all game. Maybe there was another.
 
No love for Jeff Kinney.
He and Rich Glover won that game in Norman we are celebrating this year.

I watched it!

171 yards, 4 touchdowns. Jersey ripped, pads flapping on the last drive.


In the "Game of the Century" against the unbeaten Oklahoma Sooners in Norman on Thanksgiving Day 1971, Kinney rushed for 171 yards, 151 in the second half, on 31 carries (5.5 avg.) and scored four touchdowns, the final one with less than two minutes remaining to put Nebraska ahead 35–31, the final score.[5][6][7][8]

I have that game on tape, we were unbelievable. Sometimes it is just too hard to watch when I think of where our program is now.
 
This topic should just exclude LP, Rozier, and Ahman because most people have them in the top 3. After that it gets pretty interesting, and I've got to advocate a little bit for Helu and Dubose. Regardless, the list of "next best" includes about 20 names so no matter what we've been pretty blessed.
 
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Ken Clark was one of the best with his patience to use his blockers. I know he won’t “win” this type of competition but he is a very underrated Nebraska running back.

One of my best Husker memories was watching him out perform Barry Sanders in 1988. Winking

5122e95fecdb3.preview-620_crop_north.jpg
No no no ! Rozier !
 
Rozier’s performance in the ‘82 Mizzou game was epic.

He was suited up but was not intended to play due to a hip injury. As the game went on and Mizzou knocked out Gill and IIRC another QB and made the game close Rozier came in and took a beating but led NU to the win.

As gutsy a performance as I ever saw,
That was an epic performance. Best I ever saw in many years of of fandom !
 
Rozier
LP
Green


IMO Rozier - Lots of people will vote LP because his highlight reel was bigger. The TV coverage of the games was minimal in the early 80s. (maybe it was just for me, I lived in Rural Nebraska and only got CBS)

As a kid, I listened to all the games... Bremser and Pavelka brought them to life.

Agree. Rozier still played in the 5 TV games in two years rule of the NCAA before conferences got to sell their rights. Great vision, extreme toughness, great receiver, tough blocker, and could throw it on a dime Was such a talent he pushed Roger Craig to FB. Complete package.
 
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