Three Nebraska football greats are among 75 players from the Football Bowl Subdivision announced as finalists Thursday for the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Huskers on the 2018 ballot for induction into the Hall of Fame include Heisman-winning quarterback Eric Crouch, and a pair of Outland Trophy winning offensive linemen in Aaron Taylor and Zach Wiegert.
Crouch is on the ballot for the seventh straight year, Wiegert is making his third appearance on the ballot and Taylor is a new addition to the Hall of Fame ballot. The 2018 class will be announced on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Atlanta on the day of the College Football Playoff championship game.
Crouch would become the second Husker quarterback in the College Hall of Fame, joining Tommie Frazier, who was part of the 2013 class. Crouch became Nebraska’s third Heisman Trophy winner in 2001 after leading the Huskers to the National Championship game. An option-based quarterback out of Omaha’s Millard North High School, Crouch set the NCAA record for career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 59, and he amassed 7,915 yards of total offense in his career. A consensus All-American in 2001, Crouch also reeled in the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, the Davey O’Brien Award and the Sporting News Offensive Player of the Year award during his senior campaign. His No. 7 jersey was retired by Nebraska in 2002.
Taylor is the only player in Nebraska football history to earn All-America honors at two positions. During his junior season in 1996, Taylor was a first-team All-America choice as a center. A year later, he shifted to offensive guard and was a unanimous All-America pick and Outland Trophy winner. A native of Wichita Falls, Texas, Taylor helped lead the Huskers to three national championships, three conference championships and three NCAA rushing titles during his career. His No. 67 was retired in 1998.
Wiegert was a 1994 unanimous first-team All-American and is one of eight Huskers to win the Outland Trophy. A native of Fremont, Neb., Wiegert helped lead the Huskers to 1994 National Championship after NU played in the 1993 title game. The Huskers averaged 340 yards per game on the ground in 1994, and Wiegert led Nebraska with 113 pancake blocks. He even earned one first-place vote for the Heisman, finishing tied for ninth with 27 points. In addition to winning the Outland, he was a finalist for the Lombardi Award, a consensus All-American, the UPI Lineman of the Year and the Touchdown Club of Columbus Offensive Lineman of the Year. His No. 72 jersey was retired before the 1995 season.
Trev Alberts became the 17th Nebraska player in the College Football Hall of Fame, as he was inducted in 2015. He was the fourth Husker in seven years to be named to the Hall, joining 2013 inductee Tommie Frazier, 2011 honoree Will Shields and 2009 inductee Grant Wistrom.
— NU Athletics —