Football
Nebraska Football Defensive Line All About Energy
Riley Van Poppel had praise for his new position coach, Terry Bradden, during Tuesday’s Nebraska football media availability. “Something he tells us all the time, ‘Energy is contagious,’” said Van Poppel. If Van Poppel is an example, Bradden is right. Van Poppel...
Hail Varsity Digest | Blackshirts Carried the Day for 1994 Nebraska Football | 4/15/25
Oklahoma was 6-4 when it played host to Nebraska football for a Black Friday game, Nov. 25, 1994. As usual, however, Tom Osborne took nothing for granted, even though Nebraska was 11-0 and top-ranked in both major polls — with a chance to win the Big Eight title...
Husker Football’s Tight End Tradition
Kansas State football coach Jim Dickey was commenting on Nebraska’s Junior Miller in the late 1970s. If that was “Junior,” Dickey said, he’d hate to see “Senior.” Actually, “complimenting” would be better than “commenting on.” Miller, listed at 6-foot-4, 242...
Hail Varsity Digest | An Unexpected Challenge for Nebraska Football | 4/8/25
Iowa State was 0-8-1, Nebraska football 10-0 and top-ranked, when the teams met in Ames, Cyclone Stadium-Jack Trice Field, in mid-November 1994. Again, the Cyclones were winless with one tie. But Nebraska led only 14-12 going into the fourth quarter. The game was...
Another Old-Man Husker – Javin Wright
Last Sunday’s newsletter was about Nebraska’s sixth-year quarterback Jalyn Gramstad, known to teammates and coaches as “Grandad,” the “old man.” This week’s is another, but first . . . Return to 2019. Among the popular movies were “Knives Out” and “Once Upon a Time...
Hail Varsity Digest | Nebraska Football Off to Fast Start in ’94 | 4/1/25
After defeating second-ranked Colorado and climbing to the top of the Associated Press rankings, Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne was concerned about a Husker letdown against Kansas in early November 1994. “I didn’t have the feeling before the game that we were...
‘Grandad’ Jalyn Gramstad Filling Key Role for Nebraska Football
Jalyn Gramstad is “Grandad” to his Nebraska teammates. You’ve no doubt seen that on social media. It was among several light moments during offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen’s news conference Thursday. “Jalyn Gramstad is ... (we) call him ‘Grandad,’” Holgorsen...
Hail Varsity Digest | Buffs Down, Huskers Up | 3/25/25
Last week’s Hail Varsity Historical included predictions by Missouri players of Colorado winning against the Huskers the following Saturday, Nov. 10, 1994. It wasn’t just Missouri predicting a Buffalo victory. Colorado came to Lincoln ranked second by the Associated...
Hail Varsity Digest | Nebraska Football Looking Ahead, Sort Of | 3/18/25
Nebraska football earned no respect from Missouri. After their eighth-consecutive victory in 1994 at Columbia, the undefeated and Associated Press third-ranked Huskers were set to play second-ranked Colorado in Lincoln. But they were getting no respect from Missouri,...
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