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The toughest Nebraska player of all time

Man it's impressive how many of the votes are going to guys on those mid-90's teams.

As for Schlesinger, key in on him during that Orange Bowl. You really have to give Miami's defense credit. They were an extremely physical and hard-hitting defense. You think of Ray Lewis with that team but Miami had some other LBs that were dishing out some big-time punishment. Not sure who it was but one of their LBs met Schlesinger head-on in the hole and put him down. Schlesinger got the last laugh though!

For more recent guys, Kenny Bell and JD Spielman even moreso have taken some serious licks and gotten back up to keep playing. Smaller frames with some impressive grit and determination.
 
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Was watching some of the '95 Orange Bowl and Cris Collinsworth called Abdul Muhammad the toughest Husker of all time. Apparently played a game after some broken ribs punctured his liver. Was also shot in a drive-by shooting in Compton.

I had also forgotten how many big catches this guy made in that game against Miami's "Florida speed." Very underrated Husker from that era.

Dr. Rob Zatechka. He took on the whole 1995 offensive line.

Now he just puts people to sleep.
 
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Jerry Murtaugh cleared out a bar in Columbus. Dad was one of the responding Officers. My dad was a bad, bad man and said Murtaugh was also.
 
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I came to answer Clinton Childs. You ask any veterans from that era and they’ll give this answer. He’s still a dude!

Tough as in could kick just about anyone’s ass? Yea I’d vote for Clinton Childs. He and Christian Peter apparently got into it at practice one time and Childs allegedly beat his @$$. I see him once in a while at basketball tournaments and he scares the **** out of me when he smiles. I’ve always wanted to ask to take a picture with him but I’m afraid I’ll piss my pants. :p
 
His college days were before my time, but if you are talking tough despite your size, Pat Fischer. Maybe with Harold Carmichael setting into the HOF this year people will start talking about him?

 
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L.P killed a dude with his bare hands in prison. Mic drop.
LP beat the crap out of a Husker d-lineman who made fun of him as a freshman leading up to the Orange Bowl game against FSU. He did it in the shower after practice. He was suspended for the bowl game up until halftime when Tom Osborne allowed the team to vote to let LP play after Calvin Jones got hurt and had about eight yards rushing to that point. We need a bunch of more players like that who get the job done and get voted to play the second half of a game by his team after beating the crap out of a teammate.
 
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The murderer Ray Lewis also had a great story from that game. He talked about how early in the game, he as a freshman linebacker totally lit up LP on a run play. He said LP got up and told him they were going to have to drag him off the field tonight. The murderer Ray Lewis then went back to the huddle and told Warren Sapp they were in for a dogfight that night.
 
Jeff Kinney was tenacious. Ran 5 of our last 6 plays in the Game of the Century punching it in. they had those tearaways and after every game his helmet had more of the other team's color on his helmet than white and a shredded jersey.
 
I was going to throw LP in there with Schlesinger, but figured I'd just go with one. I'm only 34 so I never saw some of the names mentioned play much except for highlights.

I have however heard that Murtaugh was somewhat of a mad man and not to be messed with.
 
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Was watching some of the '95 Orange Bowl and Cris Collinsworth called Abdul Muhammad the toughest Husker of all time. Apparently played a game after some broken ribs punctured his liver. Was also shot in a drive-by shooting in Compton.

I had also forgotten how many big catches this guy made in that game against Miami's "Florida speed." Very underrated Husker from that era.

Kenny Walker strong as Mustard Gas.
 
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I was going to throw LP in there with Schlesinger, but figured I'd just go with one. I'm only 34 so I never saw some of the names mentioned play much except for highlights.

I have however heard that Murtaugh was somewhat of a mad man and not to be messed with.
Being a native Omahan I would have to say that Jerry Murtaugh was pound for pound probably the toughest guy I ever watched in a Husker unoform.
 
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Anyone who played without a face mask, and nothing racist intended but probably the first black players, I’m sure those guys had to be just tough as cast iron, congrats of those guys for paving the way
I was on work travel in Laurel, MD in the early 80s and forgot to pack gym shorts. I went into a mom and pop sporting goods store and the late 60-something guy who rang me up had a seriously messed up head. Two cauliflowered ears, flat and twisted nose, one cheek larger than the other, one eyebrow "readjusted", and scars everywhere. During the transaction I looked down at the display case and there were some football cards from the Boston Patriots all of the same guy. A couple with a leather helmet and a couple with a plastic helmet with no face guard. I realized it was the guy ringing me up. I said, "Hey, those cards are you. He said, "Yeah, I played some pro ball." Lord, those guys must have loved the game to play with those helmets.
 
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I was on work travel in Laurel, MD in the early 80s and forgot to pack gym shorts. I went into a mom and pop sporting goods store and the late 60-something guy who rang me up had a seriously messed up head. Two cauliflowered ears, flat and twisted nose, one cheek larger than the other, one eyebrow "readjusted", and scars everywhere. During the transaction I looked down at the display case and there were some football cards from the Boston Patriots all of the same guy. A couple with a leather helmet and a couple with a plastic helmet with no face guard. I realized it was the guy ringing me up. I said, "Hey, those cards are you. He said, "Yeah, I played some pro ball." Lord, those guys must have loved the game to play with those helmets.
Definitely because those days they got jobs after the season was over, and sure weren’t paid much at all
 
I feel Rich Glover deserves a mention here. Every opponent game planned for him and threw everything they had at him, but he just kept making tackles.
 
I was on work travel in Laurel, MD in the early 80s and forgot to pack gym shorts. I went into a mom and pop sporting goods store and the late 60-something guy who rang me up had a seriously messed up head. Two cauliflowered ears, flat and twisted nose, one cheek larger than the other, one eyebrow "readjusted", and scars everywhere. During the transaction I looked down at the display case and there were some football cards from the Boston Patriots all of the same guy. A couple with a leather helmet and a couple with a plastic helmet with no face guard. I realized it was the guy ringing me up. I said, "Hey, those cards are you. He said, "Yeah, I played some pro ball." Lord, those guys must have loved the game to play with those helmets.

That was a little before Russ Hochstein played for the Pats.
 
He was before my time, but I think Bob Brown needs to be included in this list. I was just watching a video talking about how aggressive and violently he played offensive tackle. The funniest story was from Mean Joe Greene who was talking about some game where Brown was repeatedly beating the crap out of LC Greenwood, so Joe told LC to move inside so he could go face Brown and put him in his place. Joe says he lines up across from Brown and it was like looking at the Devil. The ball snaps and Bob Brown proceeds to beat the crap out of Joe till the whistle blew. Joe Greene says he went back to the huddle and told LC that Bob Brown was all his.
 
Surprised Harrison Beck hasn't gotten any love in this thread....


I'll never forget the story of him at practice throwing the ball into the ground as he was about to get plastered and faking a hammy. Callahan reportedly threw his clip board down he was so disfusted.
 
Mike Rozier played with a hip pointer..
Those are very painful..

Rozier came off the bench in the second half to rush for 139 yards on 17 carries to lead Nebraska to a comeback victory despite suffering from a painful hip-pointer injury - from the Internet.
 
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