Best Nebraska football players: Modern-era Mount Rushmore

From the moment we first got a look at Mike Rozier on the field for Nebraska football, it was clear the running back was going to be something special. Right out of the gate in the 1981 campaign, he rushed for 943 yards on 151 carries and found the end zone five times. But as impressive of a start as that was, it was just the tip of the iceberg with Rozier.

In the 1982 campaign, Rozier was dominant as he took on a larger role. Toting the ball 242 times for the Huskers, he rushed for 1,689 yards and 15 touchdowns while also adding two receiving scores to his credit as well. Once again, though, that wasn’t even close to the running back’s best effort.

En route to capturing the Heisman Trophy in the 1983 season, Rozier was unstoppable — and that’s no exaggeration. Seemingly finding the end zone at will and running over every defense in front of him, the back rushed for 2,148 yards on 275 carries (7.8 yards per carry) while scoring an unreal 29 rushing touchdowns, a program single-season record. And why not, he added 106 receiving yards too.

Despite only playing three years in Lincoln, Rozier finished his career as the all-time leading rusher with 4,780 yards and is second all-time in career rushing touchdowns with 49. As one of just three Heisman winners in the history of Nebraska football, his place on the modern-era Mount Rushmore is obvious.