The Blackshirts are the starting defensive players for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team.
The Blackshirts are the starting defensive players for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team.
The term dates back to the 1960s, and was inspired by the black jerseys that Nebraska's first-string defenders began to wear during practice. Recent NCAA rule changes permitted two-platoon football teams (different players dedicated to offense and defense), and head coach Bob Devaney ensured the two squads would be visually distinguishable during practice by having the offense and defense wear contrasting colors. Assistant coach Mike Corgan was tasked with obtaining the new jersey pullovers. The sporting goods store he visited reportedly gave him a good deal on black, because the color had not been selling well. [1] The new jerseys were assigned to be worn by the defense.
The black jerseys immediately helped the coaches quickly identify starting players. The unmarked jerseys were collected each day for laundering and then redistributed during the next practice. After a time, the black jerseys were only given to the defensive players who practiced and performed well. "There probably wasn't a day when we didn't make switches," said George Kelly, Nebraska's defensive line coach from 1960 to 1968.
Long-time sports information director Don Bryant credits much of Blackshirt mystique to Kelly, who was often heard yelling and exhorting the Blackshirts during practices and scrimmages. Eventually, the rest of the coaches began calling the top defensive unit by the same name, and by the time Kelly retired and was succeeded by Monte Kiffin, the "Blackshirts" had become a widely recognized name for Nebraska's defensive starters.
The choice of black to bring about the name "Blackshirts" was not intentional. Said Kelly in later years, "Honestly, it was an accident of availability".
Blackshirts are awarded to defensive starters and other key defensive players. Punters have also occasionally been honored for their individual efforts when covering punts, including Jesse Kosch and Alex Henery. Besides the black practice jerseys, which today have each player's name and number imprinted on them, the Blackshirts also have a black circle on the back of their helmet. These players will often cross their arms in an "X" across their chests, representing the skull and crossbones, a longtime logo for the Blackshirts. This is called "throwing the bones." The defensive players not awarded a Blackshirt wear red practice jerseys, while offensive players wear white practice jerseys.
The student section at Memorial Stadium is named the "Boneyard" after the Blackshirts. The Blackshirt logo and the "throwing the bones" motion is often displayed there. [2]
On October 16, 2007, the defensive players and coaches made a joint decision to remove the Blackshirts. [3] The first player to remove his Blackshirt was senior captain Zackary Bowman, who felt he wasn't playing up to the standards of the Blackshirt tradition. [4] On November 11, 2008, the Blackshirts were given back to the eleven defensive starters by new head coach Bo Pelini, three days after a win against a strong Kansas team. The win also made the Cornhuskers bowl eligible. [5]
The Blackshirt jersey was temporarily suspended again after Nebraska yielded 271 rushing yards to the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 2013, a game which snapped Minnesota's 16-game losing streak to Nebraska [6] [7] and knocked the #24 Huskers out of the AP and USA Today college football rankings.
Thomas William Osborne is an American former football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and politician from Nebraska. He served as head football coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 1973 to 1997. After being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999, Osborne was elected to Congress in 2000 from Nebraska's third district as a Republican. He served three terms (2001–2007), returned to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as athletic director in 2007, and retired in 2013.
The 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and was the national champion of the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Cornhuskers scored 638 points while only allowing 174. Their average margin of victory was 38.7 points, and their lowest margin of victory, against Washington State, was 14 points. The Cornhuskers successfully defended their 1994 national championship by defeating 2nd ranked Florida 62–24 in the Fiesta Bowl, at the time the second largest margin of victory ever between a No. 1 and No. 2 school. The team is widely regarded as the greatest college football team of all time. By beating Nick Saban’s Michigan State Team 50-10 on September 9, 1995, Tom Osborne became the one and only Head Coach in NCAA History to beat both Paul “Bear” Bryant and Nick Saban. On September 17, 1977, Tom Osborne’s Nebraska Cornhuskers beat Bear Bryant’s Alabama Crimson Tide 31-24.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers football team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, representing the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the Big Ten Conference. Nebraska has played its home games at Memorial Stadium since 1923 and sold out every game at the venue since 1962.
The 2008 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bo Pelini and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 2009 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cornhuskers played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska and were led by head coach Bo Pelini. The Cornhuskers finished the season 10–4, 6–3 in Big 12 and were Big 12 North Division champions and represented the division in the Big 12 Championship Game, where they lost to Texas 13–12. Nebraska was invited to the Holiday Bowl, where they defeated Arizona 33–0.
The 1972 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 1972 NCAA University Division football season. The team was coached by Bob Devaney, in his eleventh and final season with the Huskers, and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.
The 1969 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 1969 NCAA University Division football season. The team was led by eighth-year head coach Bob Devaney and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. In his first year as offensive coordinator, Tom Osborne instituted the I formation.
The 1981 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1994 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and was the national champion of the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Cornhuskers offense scored 459 points while the defense allowed 162 points.
The 1984 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1980 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1976 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the Big Eight Conference during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. The Cornhuskers were led by tenth-year head coach Bob Devaney and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.
The 1968 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. The team was coached by Bob Devaney and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.
The 2013 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bo Pelini and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The 2014 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bo Pelini and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. They were members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 9–4, 5–3 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for second place in the West Division. Following losses to both Wisconsin and Minnesota and a come from behind win in overtime at Iowa, Pelini was relieved of his coaching duties following the conclusion of the regular season on November 30, 2014. On December 4, 2014, Mike Riley was announced as the next head coach of the Nebraska football team, and would begin his duties immediately. However, he would not coach the Huskers in the Holiday Bowl, with that job instead handled by Barney Cotton. The Cornhuskers lost the Holiday Bowl to USC.
The 2017 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska during the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by third-year head coach Mike Riley and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. They competed as members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 4–8, 3–6 in Big Ten play to finish in fifth place in the West Division.
The 2015 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by first-year head coach Mike Riley and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. They were members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference.
The 2016 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by second-year head coach Mike Riley and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. They were members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference.
The 2018 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by first-year head coach Scott Frost and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. They competed as members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference.