Nebraska announces six 2023 inductees into Husker Football Hall of Fame
Nebraska football announced six members in its 2023 class to be inducted into the Husker Football Hall of Fame.
The inductees include defensive tackle David Clark (1980s category), linebacker Troy Dumas (1990s category), punter Sam Koch (2000-06 category), defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (2000-06 category), quarterback Taylor Martinez (2007-13 category) and offensive guard Spencer Long (2007-13 category).
Former Husker head coach W.C. “King” Cole and quarterback Leon G. Warner were also selected by the board from the Legends category. Cole went 25-8-3 as the Huskers’ head coach from 1907-10. Nebraska won its first two conference championships, winning the Missouri Valley in 1907 and 1910.
Warner was the quarterback for Cole’s 1910 and 1911 teams. The school’s first dual-threat QB led the Huskers to the 1910 Missouri Valley championship and was recognized as the top quarterback in the conference.
All-American offensive guard Dan Klepper, who played Nebraska-Omaha in the 1960s, is a part of the 2023 class of inductees as well.
The Husker inductee who has waited for the longest to be chosen is defensive tackle David Clark. He is a three-time letter winner from Odessa, Texas. During his senior season in 1980, he recorded 40 tackles with nine for loss and recovered two fumbles. He was a first-team All-Big Eight selection after a stand-out senior season and earned honorable-mention All-America honors.
Next is linebacker Tony Dumas who was a part of Nebraska’s 1991-94 teams. He also had a huge senior season after being moved from secondary to linebacker. The 1994 national champion had 69 tackles, four tackles for loss and seven quarterback hurries as a senior. With Dumas at linebacker, the Huskers ranked in the top 10 nationally in all four major defensive statistical categories. He was a first-team All-Big Eight selection in ’94.
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2023 Nebraska Football Hall of Fame inductee, Sam Koch, is one of the best punters in the game’s history, not just at Nebraska. As a Husker, Koch set the school record with a 46.51-yard season punting average. The record, which was set in 2005, earned him a first-team All-Big 12 selection and he was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award. He averaged better than 44 yards per punt, the second-best in Nebraska history. Koch played 16 years in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens.
Kyle Vanden Bosch is the other defensive lineman inducted in the 2023 class. The defensive end from 1997-2000 played in 50 games over his career with more than 140 tackles, including 34 tackles for loss and 13 sacks. As a senior in 2000, Vanden Bosch has 17 tackles for loss and 26 quarterback hurries. The Larchwood, Iowa native was a two-time second-team All-Big 12 selection and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection during a 12-year NFL career. Vanden Bosch was awarded the National Football Foundation’s Draddy Trophy, which is commonly known as the academic Heisman.
Nebraska in the 2007-13 category is quarterback Taylor Martinez. Martinez led the Huskers to 30 wins as a starting quarterback from 2007-13. He was a first-team All-Big Ten pick as a junior after setting a Nebraska season record for 3,890 yards of total offense with 33 touchdowns. Martinez was a freshman All-American and 2010 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year. The two-time captain helped Nebraska transition to the Big Ten and finished his career with over 10,000 yards of total offense.
Finally, offensive guard Spencer Long was a three-year starter on the pipeline from 2011-13. As a junior in 2012, he was selected as a second-team All-American. The Huskers were among the nation’s top rushing offenses, with Long at guard for all three seasons. As a senior, Long was named a first-team Academic All-American.
