Nebraska announces 2024 Football Hall of Fame inductees
Seven former Husker football standouts and one state college All-American will comprise the 2024 Nebraska Football Hall of Fame class, announced on Thursday.
The six former Huskers inducted into the Hall of Fame class were 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).
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The Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Board also selected former Husker defensive lineman Monte Johnson from the Legends category. Mike Miller, an All-American running back at Nebraska-Kearney in the early 2000s, is the state college representative in the 2024 class.
The group will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame during the weekend of NU’s match-up with Northern Iowa on Sept. 14.
Burkhead and Crick were a part of Nebraska’s most successful teams over the last 20 years
The two youngest selections into the Hall of Fame class are Burkhead and Crick. Burkhead was on teams that played for conference championships in three of his four seasons, while Crick was on two.
Burkhead rushed for 3,329 yards and 30 touchdowns in his Nebraska career. In 2011, he led the Big Ten in rushing with 1,357 yards and 15 touchdowns and was a unanimous first-team all-conference selection.
Burkhead played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots and Houston Texans and was part of two Patriot Super Bowl teams.
From 2009 to 2011, Crick was part of some of the most dominant defenses in recent history. He is the last Nebraska player to make the cover of Sports Illustrated in the summer of 2011, as the Huskers were transitioning to the Big Ten Conference.
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 of five sacks and seven TFLs in a win over Baylor in 2009.
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.
Kelsay joins his older brother Chad in the Hall of Fame
Former Husker defensive end Chris Kelsay will join his older brother Chad in the Hall of Fame.
Chad Kelsay was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2017, while Chris joins this year.
The former two-time All-Big 12 selection had 17 tackles for loss and five quarterback sacks in 2001, leading NU 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.
The Kelsay brothers now join brothers Cletus, Rex, and Pat Fischer in the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame. Linebacker Barrett Ruud, his father, Tom Ruud, uncle Bob Martin, and great-grandfather Clarence Swanson are also family members in the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.
