These fellas are all listed as tight ends on the latest Husker roster. I'm issuing an Old Husker Fan all-points-bulletin for one or all to claim the glory that surrounds Husker tight ends.
Think about it. You can go all the way back to the Bobfather days of the mid-1960s, and the tight end position at Nebraska has been a spotlight spot. No second banana here. We've had some memorable guys at that position, but we've hit kind of a dry spell over the last 4-5 years.
So, just to help refresh ourselves in this time of preseason musings, let's take a stroll down memory lane and get reacquainted with some of the best guys to wear the Scarlet and Cream who ever not only got down and dirty next to the tackle, but also broke free and sent our hearts and touchdown balloons skyward:
Mid-1960s---
Tony Jeter. #84. An Ohio boy (Steubenville--also the hometown of running back "Lighthorse" Harry Wilson). I think Jeter would be right at home in Shawn Watson's offense. He was on some awesome offenses, culminating in Devaney's first unbeaten regular season in 1965. And he capped that off by catching 3 TD passes in the national title Orange Bowl game against Alabama.
Dennis Morrison. #89. Took over after Jeter moved on to the NFL. Good hands and was willing to take and dish out a hit. Caught a winning TD pass against Colorado in a game at Boulder in 1966 that our guys won 21-19 because CU flubbed on two PAT efforts.
Late 1960s---
Jim McFarlane. #80. Went through the relatively lean years of '67 and '68 (when you didn't qualify for a bowl game if you won 60% of your games--as our guys did--but I digress). Figured in a VIP (very important play) late in the 4th quarter of the KU game in 1969 during the Devaney comeback season, when he drew a pass interference call on a deep ball with our guys down 14-9. We scored on that possession 16-14, KU coach Pepper Rodgers said something ultra-sensitive about the refs, and KU went into a 0 vs NU spell that didn't end until the Bill Callahan era (2005). McFarlane later served in the Nebraska legislature.
Early 1970s---
Jerry List. #85. He had speed, smarts and hands, and used those gifts to full advantage in the play-action passing game. His offensive coordinator at the time--Tom Osborne. The playcalling scheme to get List open was part of the Husker strategy doctrine for--oh--how about 30-some years.
Late 1970s---
Junior Miller. #89. In my opinion, the best we've ever had at the spot. Johnny Mitchell in the early '90s and Matt Herian pre-Mizzou '04 may have challenged Junior's deep-threat talent, but not his all-around "ath-a-lete-ness" (to paraphrase Barry Switzer). The NFL certainly rated him high---the Falcons picked him in the 1st round of the 1980 draft (7th overall). He also made a BUNCH of All-America teams.
Early 1980s---
Jamie Williams. #80. He was in the mold of Tony Jeter and Junior Miller. Williams made his presence known even with the "Triplets"--Gill, Rozier, and Fryar--dominating the scene. He caught the eye of the pros as well, and put in a solid career for some of the great 49ers teams.
Mitch Krenk. #89. I think of Mitch Krenk and I automatically think of the "Bouncearoosky" play against Oklahoma in 1982--where Turner Gill threw a lateral to Irving Fryar, but BOUNCED the ball on the turf on its way to Fryar. The idea was to make the Sooner D relax, thinking that they were seeing an incomplete pass. But it wasn't--and Fryar threw a strike that Krenk caught for a big gain in an early scoring drive. Krenk's play, overall, was very similar to Dennis Morrison in the mid-'60s.
Monte Engebritson. #83.
Todd Frain. #80.
Both were dynamite blockers with good hands and more speed than opposing defenses thought.
Frain came up with a HUGE play against Okie State during the '83 "Run To Miami Heartbreak" season (my moniker--the regular season was incredible). Our guys were trailing Okie State 10-7 in the 2nd half, when Turner Gill hit Tight End Todd Frain for a 50 yd plus TD. That was the closest call the Huskers had all regular season. (By the way--the Ok State coach that day--none other than Old Helmet-Hair himself, Jimmie Johnson).
Mid to late 1980s---A mix of guys in that spot--all solid team players. I remember Tom Banderas making some terrific catches.
Early '90s--Johnny Mitchell. #86. Speed and hands. Made a great catch and run for a TD against Colorado in a perfectly awful rainy game (which we wore down in and lost). Johnny could have matched Junior Miller, but went to the NFL early instead.
Mid '90s--Another good run of talent at the spot.
Mark Gilman. #87. Caught some big passes, including during the tremendous Orange Bowl comeback against Miami.
William Washington, #99 and Vershan Jackson, #34. I mention these two guys together because both excelled at blocking on the perimeter. In fact, Washington even made All-Conference just because of his blocking.
Sheldon Jackson. #88. He was more of the receiving-type tight end, but was still a capable blocker; thus, teams couldn't forget about the run game when he was on the field.
Late '90s-early 2000s:
Tracey Wistrom. #87. Eric Crouch's favorite target when it was big-play time. What I remember most about Wistrom is his ability to make the catch even when everyone--and I mean our guys, their guys, our coaches, their coaches, and all the fans--knew that he was the intended receiver.
Aaron Golliday. #99. An echo of William Washington with the same number and the same contribution.
Mid-2000s---
Pretty slim pickin's, folks. One guy--#11--Matt Herian. That's it. In full flight pre-Mizzou '04, he was as good as McFarlane, List, Mitchell, Sheldon Jackson and Wistrom. I still rate him a notch below Jeter and Miller, but that's pretty tall company. When Herian broke his leg, the tight end position basically broke down as well.
So, now we come to a new season. Here's hoping that one or more of the 8 candidates--Messrs. McNeill, Hetzer, Young, Hill, Cotton, Bechtold, Martin and Teafatiller-- will "claim the flame," so to speak, of a position that has been a big, big part of the Husker story.
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