Best Nebraska football players: Modern-era Mount Rushmore

Tommie Frazier and Eric Crouch are among the best Nebraska football players ever and are half of the Cornhuskers modern-era Mount Rushmore.

There’s no question the history of Nebraska football is storied. With 902 program wins and five National Championships — three of which came in the 1990s — the Cornhuskers are one of the more accomplished programs in college football. Of course, the more recent history has been less fruitful.

Nebraska has just one winning season in the past five years. Meanwhile, the Huskers also have only one double-digit win campaign since 2011. However, the hope is Scott Frost returning to the program will get them back on track. And it would certainly help their cause if they could land some all-time program greats.

Of course, cracking the list of all-time greats for Nebraska is no easy task. The Cornhuskers’ rich tapestry is woven with a number of unforgettable talents. But who are the best of the best? Let’s find out by constructing the Nebraska football Mount Rushmore for the modern era (since 1980).

First, though, let’s look at some players who just missed the cut but deserve an honorable mention.

Ameer Abdullah was one of the most productive all-around players in recent history for the Cornhuskers. He finished his career second on the all-time rushing yards list (4,588), fifth in all-time rushing touchdowns (39) and the career leader in all-purpose yards with 7,186 in the history of Nebraska football.

For a program that has a long history of defensive standouts, Barrett Ruud was undeniably one of them. In his four years in Lincoln, he became the Nebraska career leader in total tackles (432) while also coming in third all-time in tackles for loss (50). He was a dominant force in the middle of the defense that left an undeniable impact in Lincoln — and on every ball-carrier, he put on the turf.

Speaking of dominant defenders, Grant Wistrom definitely fits the bill. The defensive end is the second all-time at Nebraska in sacks with 26.5, showing up as the model of consistency as no single season was in double-digit sacks. Throw in he also is the all-time leader in tackles for loss with 58.5 and he just missed the cut.