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.