Seven Husker football standouts and a state college All-American comprise the 2024 class of the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame announced Thursday. 

The 2024 inductees were chosen by members of the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame, which is sponsored by the Nebraska Chapter of the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame. The 2024 Hall of Fame class will be officially inducted banquet Sept. 13 in Lincoln and recognized the following evening at the Huskers’ home game against Northern Iowa.   

The six former Huskers were selected to the 2024 class include offensive lineman Keven Lightner (1980s category), safety Tyrone Byrd (1990s), linebacker Terrell Farley (1990s), defensive end Chris Kelsay (2000-2007 era), defensive tackle Jared Crick (2008-14 era) and running back Rex Burkhead (2008-14 era). 

The Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Board also selected former Husker defensive lineman Monte Johnson from the Legends category.  The state college representative in the 2024 class is Mike Miller, an All-America running back at Nebraska-Kearney in the early 2000s.   

In addition, the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame will present the Clarence E. Swanson Meritorious Service Award to Angie and Dan Muhleisen of Lincoln and the Lyell Bremser Special Merit Award to Joe Selig of Lincoln.

Prior to 2015, players must have been either an All-American or first-team all-conference selection to make the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame ballot. Beginning in 2015, Huskers who earned second-team all-conference honors dating back to the expansion of the Big Eight to the Big 12 (1996) and now the 18-team Big Ten, are eligible. Players are not eligible for the ballot until after a 10-year waiting period from the end of their collegiate careers. Major national award winners earn automatic induction, while active NFL players are not on the ballot.  

2024 Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Inductees
Keven Lightner, Offensive Tackle, 1985-87—A first-team All-Big Eight selection in 1987 and a three-year letterwinner, offensive tackle Keven Lightner helped power one of the nation’s top running games. In Lightner’s senior season in 1987, Nebraska ranked third nationally in rushing offense, second in total offense and third in scoring offense. Lightner continued to make an impact in college football after his playing days serving as an assistant coach at Northern State, UNO, Western Kentucky, New Mexico State, Ohio and Vanderbilt. 

Tyrone Byrd, Safety, 1989-92—A four-year starter in the Husker secondary, Tyrone Byrd was a first-team All-Big Eight selection as a senior in 1992. Byrd started 38 games in his Nebraska career and was part of two Big Eight championship teams. An Arizona native, Byrd had 11 interceptions and ranks fifth on the Nebraska career interceptions list. Byrd finished his career with 209 tackles, including a career-high 71 tackles as a junior. Byrd’s career tackle total was the best for a Husker defensive back at the conclusion of his career, and still ranks among the top five in school history among defensive backs. 

Terrell Farley, Linebacker, 1995-96—A play-making defensive standout for the Blackshirts, Terrell Farley earned first-team All-Big Eight honors and was named the Big Eight Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 1995. Farley helped Nebraska to one of the most dominant seasons in college football in 1995 as the Huskers went 12-0 and captured the national championship. Farley had 62 tackles, five sacks, 12 quarterback hurries, three interceptions and three blocked kicks in 1995 and closed the season with two sacks in the Fiesta Bowl win over Florida. He finished his Nebraska career with 105 total tackles, including 19 tackles for loss and eight sacks. 

Chris Kelsay, Defensive End, 1999-2002—A two-time All-Big 12 selection, Chris Kelsay was a dominant defensive end during his Husker career. Kelsay had 17 tackles for loss and five sacks as a junior in 2001, helping Huskers to the BCS National Championship game. As a senior, Kelsay had 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks in just nine games. The Auburn, Neb., native finished his career with 33 tackles for loss and 135 total tackles. Kelsay went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, starting 120 games in his career. Chris joins his older brother, Chad, in the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.

Jared Crick, Defensive Tackle, 2008-11—A key part of a dominant defense, Jared Crick was a two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection and two-time second-team All-American during his Husker career. Crick had a breakout season as a sophomore in 2009, recording 73 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks for one of the nation’s top defenses. Crick had a school-record five sacks and seven TFL in a win over Baylor. As a junior, had 70 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, helping Nebraska to a second straight Big 12 North crown. An injury cut Crick’s senior season short, but he finished his career with 20 sacks and 30 tackles for loss. Crick went on to play five seasons in the NFL with the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos.

Rex Burkhead, Running Back, 2009-12—One of the top running backs in school history, Rex Burkhead rushed for 3,329 yards and 30 touchdowns in his Nebraska career. Burkhead earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors as a sophomore when he rushed for 951 yards. As a junior in 2011, Burkhead was a first-team all-conference pick and honorable-mention All-American while rushing for 1,357 yards and 15 touchdowns. Burkhead battled injuries as a senior but managed to rush for 675 yards and five touchdowns in limited action. Burkhead was also a two-time Academic All-American. Burkhead went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots and Houston Texans and was part of two Patriot Super Bowl teams. 

Legends Category
Monte Johnson, Defensive Lineman, 1970-72—Monte Johnson was a standout defender for Nebraska in Bob Devaney’s final three seasons as head coach. Johnson finished his Nebraska career with nearly 80 tackles and was part of back-to-back national championships in 1970 and 1971. Johnson was a second-round selection by the Oakland Raiders as a linebacker. He started 69 games over his eight-year career, had 10 career interceptions and was part of the Raiders’ Super Bowl XI and XV winning teams. 

State College Inductee
Mike Miller, Nebraska-Kearney, Running Back, 2000-03—A Harlon Hill Trophy finalist as the top player in Division II, Mike Miller completed his college career as the all-time leading rusher at Nebraska-Kearney. Miller ran for 4,818 yards in his four-year career for the Lopers, including 1,600 yards in 2002 and finished his career with nearly 5,500 all-purpose yards. Miller was a third-team All-American in 2002, when he helped the Lopers to a Rocky Mountain Conference championship. He was also a three-time first-team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection during his career. 

BUTLER JOINS NEBRASKA FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF

John Butler, a veteran assistant coach with experience in both college football and the NFL, has joined the Nebraska football coaching staff.  Butler will join Head Coach Matt Rhule’s Husker staff as secondary coach and pass game coordinator.

Butler comes to Nebraska after spending the past six seasons with the Buffalo Bills. Overall, Butler has 29 seasons of coaching experience, including 19 years in college football and 10 in the NFL.

“John Butler is one of the premier defensive backs coaches in football,” Rhule said. “He has a diverse coaching background and a history of being part of winning organizations, and elite defenses at the highest level of football. He will be an outstanding addition to the Nebraska football program and our defensive staff.”

The play of Butler’s defensive backs in Buffalo helped the Bills reach the AFC playoffs each of the past five seasons, and the Bills captured the AFC East divisional title the past four years.

“I am excited to join Coach Rhule, this staff and the great tradition of Nebraska Football and the Blackshirt Defense,” Butler said.  “I look forward to working with our players to develop them as players, students and young men, Day by Day!”

Butler spent his first four seasons in Buffalo (2018-21) as the defensive backs coach, before adding the passing game coordinator title the past two seasons. During his six seasons at the helm of the Buffalo secondary, cornerback Tre’Davious White and safety Jordan Poyer were All-Pro selections, while safety Micah Hyde and nickel Taron Johnson were second-team honorees.

Buffalo has been among the top defenses in the league throughout Butler’s time on the coaching staff. From 2018 through the end of last season, the Bills’ defense ranked first in the NFL in total yards per game, passing yards per game, yards per completion, yards per attempt, TD passes allowed, opponent passer rating and passing first downs. The stifling pass defense allowed Buffalo to rank second in the NFL in points allowed over the past six seasons as the Bills won at least 11 games four times.

Before his time in Buffalo, Butler was the secondary coach on Bill O’Brien’s Houston Texans staff from 2014 to 2017. During his four seasons leading the Texans secondary, Houston captured a pair of AFC South crowns, and the defense allowed the fourth-fewest passing yards per game (238.1 ypg) in that timeframe. In 2016, Houston ranked first in total defense and allowed the second-fewest passing yards per game.

Butler spent 19 years in college coaching before moving to the National Football League. His most recent position in college was on O’Brien’s staff at Penn State in 2012 and 2013. Butler served as the secondary coaching in 2012, before taking over as the Nittany Lion defensive coordinator in 2013. In his first year at Penn State, the Nittany Lions ranked second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally in scoring defense.

Butler’s diverse resume also includes 11 seasons as a collegiate special teams coordinator. He led the special teams and coached the outside linebackers at South Carolina in 2011, helping the Gamecocks to a top-10 national finish. He spent four seasons (2007-10) coaching the linebackers and coordinating the special teams at Minnesota.

Before his time at Minnesota, Butler had stops at Harvard (2003-06), Texas State (2001-02) and Midwestern State (1999-2000). He spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Texas in 1997 and 1998. Butler began his coaching career in 1995 and 1996 at his alma mater, Catholic University (Pa.). Butler graduated from Catholic U. in 1995 and played both football and basketball at the school.

Butler’s Coaching History
NFL
Buffalo Bills: Defensive Backs/Passing Game Coordinator (2022-23)
Buffalo Bills: Defensive Backs (2018-21)
Houston Texans: Secondary (2014-17)

COLLEGE
Penn State: Defensive Coordinator/Cornerbacks (2013)
Penn State: Secondary (2012)
South Carolina: Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers (2011)
Minnesota: Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers (2007-10)
Harvard: Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers (2003-06)
Texas State: Special Teams Coordinator/Safeties (2001-02)
Midwestern State: Defensive Coordinator/Linebacker/Safeties (1999-2000)
Texas: Graduate Assistant (1997-98)
Catholic: Defensive Coordinator/Secondary (1996)
Catholic: Secondary (1995)

SCOTT, GIFFORD, ROBINSON TO REPRESENT HUSKERS AT 2024 B1G FOOTBALL MEDIA DAYS

A trio of senior leaders will join Head Coach Matt Rhule in representing Nebraska at 2024 Big Ten Football Media Days presented by Old National Bank. The group includes Ben Scott on offense and Isaac Gifford and Ty Robinson from the Husker defense. 

Big Ten Media Days are set for July 23-25 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Nebraska will participate on Wednesday, July 24 along with Iowa, Michigan State, Penn State, USC and UCLA. 

The Big Ten Network will broadcast six consecutive hours of live coverage every day, beginning at 10 a.m. (central). Rick Pizzo and Jake Butt will host morning coverage of the day’s press conferences, while Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith will interview all 72 attendees on the BTN set during afternoons. Fans can watch all of the coverage on BTN and the Fox Sports App. 

Ben Scott earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors at center in his first season at Nebraska. A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Scott played in all 12 games, including 11 starts at center and helped the Huskers rank second in the Big Ten in rushing offense. The 6-foot-5, 305-pounder is a four-year starter at the collegiate level, as he made 39 career starts, including his three seasons at Arizona State. 

Gifford returns for his fifth season and is one of the leaders of the Blackshirts. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound defensive back led the Huskers with 86 tackles last season, along with eight pass breakups, 6.5 tackles for loss and an interception. An honorable-mention All-Big Ten performer in 2023, he helped Nebraska rank in the top-20 nationally in total defense, scoring defensive and rushing defense a year ago. Gifford has played in 44 games. Including 22 starts during his Husker career. 

Robinson is one of the most experienced defenders on the Husker roster, as he enters his final season at NU with 47 games played and 34 starts. The 6-foot-6, 310-pound defensive lineman comes off his best season, totaling a career-high 29 tackles, four tackles for loss, and six pass breakups. An honorable-mention All-Big Ten pick, he anchored a Husker defensive which allowed just 92.9 yards per game in 2023 to rank eighth nationally while ranking fourth nationally with 2.97 yards allowed per rush. His efforts also helped NU rank in the top-20 nationally in both scoring defense and total defense. 

Follow Nebraska football social media channels on X and Instagram for additional coverage of the Huskers in Indianapolis. 

HUSKERS UNVEIL 2024-25 NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Lincoln – Two matchups against perennial NCAA Tournament teams and the program’s first appearance in the Diamond Head Classic in a decade highlight the Nebraska men’s basketball non-conference schedule released today. 

The Huskers, coming off a 23-11 season and a trip to the 2024 NCAA Tournament, will play five of their 11 non-conference games on the road or at neutral sites, including a matchup with defending WCC regular-season champion Saint Mary’s in Sioux Falls on Nov. 17 and the annual matchup with Big East contender Creighton in Omaha on Nov. 22.

Nebraska will play three games in the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii over Christmas week with games set for Dec. 22, 23 and 25. The eight-team field includes Charlotte, College of Charleston, Hawai’i, Loyola Chicago, Murray State, Oakland and Oregon State. The bracket will be announced later this summer, as Nebraska will play in the Diamond Head Classic for the first time since 2014.

“This schedule will help us get ready for Big Ten Conference play,” Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg said. “Playing at Creighton and against St. Mary’s in a neutral site will give our team two early tests that we can learn a lot from, and the Diamond Head Classic field will give us three more games against high quality competition away from home before we resume conference play in January.”

The Huskers will open the 2024-25 season with three straight home games, including the season opener against UT-Rio Grand Valley (Nov. 4) before taking on a Bethune Cookman (Nov. 9) team that won 17 games and played in the College Basketball Invitational in 2024. The three-game homestand concludes against Fairleigh Dickinson on Nov. 13. 

As previously announced. Nebraska will travel to Sioux Falls, S.D, for a matchup with Saint Mary’s on Nov. 17 before the annual matchup against Creighton on Nov. 22 in Omaha.  Following those two contests, Nebraska will return home for a pair of non-conference games before Big Ten play starts in early December. 
NU will host South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 27, in the first meeting between the two programs since the 2021-22 season. The Coyotes return three starters and four of their top six scorers from last year, including Kaleb Stewart (15.6 ppg) and Paul Bruns (10.2 ppg).

North Florida went 16-16 and finished fifth in the Atlantic Sun Conference with a 9-7 mark. The Ospreys have increased their win total in each of the past five seasons under Matthew Driscoll and return a pair of double-figure scorers, including sixth-year senior Nate Lliteras, as the Seward, Neb., native averaged 10.4 ppg in 2023-24.

After the trip to Hawaii for the Diamond Head Classic, the Huskers will close non-conference action against Southern on Dec. 30. The Jaguars went 18-14 and finished third in the SWAC last season. 

Nebraska will also have one home exhibition game, as the Huskers will host Grand Valley State on Sunday, Oct. 27. Start times and broadcast information for the Huskers’ non-conference games will be set later this summer.

Fans interested in purchasing 2024-25 season tickets can join the season-ticket request list at Huskers.com/Tickets.  The Huskers will have 17 home games (16 regular-season games and one exhibition) in 2024-25, including Big Ten matchups with Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA and USC.

Nebraska returns seven letterwinners, including three starters, from a team that went 23-11 and reached the NCAA Tournament for Big Ten Coach of the Year Fred Hoiberg. The Huskers are led by seniors Brice Williams, who averaged 13.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, and Juwan Gary, who averaged 11.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.  The Huskers also gain the services of seven transfers who have combined for 264 starts and 3,478 career points, 1,753 rebounds and 759 assists at their previous schools.

MCGOWENS TO JOIN PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

Former Husker Bryce McGowens will continue his professional career on the West Coast, as he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday. 

McGowens signed a two-way contract with the Trail Blazers after spending the last two seasons with the Charlotte Hornets. 

Last season, he appeared in 59 games, including 14 starts, for Charlotte and averaged 5.1 points, and 1.7 rebounds per game. He had a season-high 18 points against Cleveland, one of 13 double-figure games during the year. As a rookie, he played in 41 contests and averaged 5.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. The 6-foot-6,  175-pound guard was a second-round draft pick of the Hornets in 2022 before he was waived last weekend.

McGowens was a third-team All-Big Ten performer in his only season at Nebraska in 2021-22, averaging a team-high 16.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. An eight-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, McGowens had 11 games with at least 20 points, including a season-high 29 points against both Sam Houston and Rutgers.

He joins another former Husker in Portland, as Dalano Banton had his team option for the 2024-25 season picked up last month. Banton was traded to Portland at the trade deadline, and averaged 16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in 30 contests with the Trail Blazers.