Nebraska football announces 2025 Hall of Fame class
Voted into the Hall of Fame by the chapter's membership include offensive lineman Tom Welter, running back Derek Brown, running back Dahrran Diedrick, kicker Brett Maher, and wide receiver Kenny Bell.
Linebacker Bob Nelson was also selected by the Hall of Fame board as a veteran inductee, while Nebraska-Omaha linebacker Tom Sutko is this year's state college representative.
Also, for the first time, a Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Legend Award will be presented by the Nebraska Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. Johnny Rodgers will receive the award.
Tom Welter was a third-team All-America and first-team All-Big Eight offensive tackle for the Huskers. In 1986, Welter helped Nebraska to a 10-2 season, becoming the second-best team in the nation in both rushing and scoring offense.
Derek Brown played three seasons with the Huskers, becoming one of the top running backs in school history. He racked up a career total of 2,699 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. In his final two seasons, he produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, becoming the fifth Husker to achieve the mark. Brown was also named Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year in 1992. He went on to play four seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints.
Dahrran Diedrick also tore up the field for Nebraska at running back. He played four seasons with the Huskers, starting in his final two seasons. He led the Big 12 in rushing in 2001, racking up 1,299 yards, earning first-team All-Big 12, and helping Nebraska to the BCS Championship Game. He finished his Husker career with 2,745 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns before playing in the NFL, then putting together a strong CFL career. Diedrick ran for 872 yards and six touchdowns off 179 carries across 130 games, winning four Grey Cups, three as a player and one as a coach.
Brett Maher both punted and kicked for Nebraska, winning Big Ten Kicker of the Year twice and being named Big Ten Punter of the Year in 2011. In 2012, Maher kicked 20 field goals, setting a Nebraska record for points scored by a kicker (119). His 20 field goals also placed him second in school history for the most field goals made in a single season. Maher played five seasons in the NFL and kicked 111 field goals out of 139 attempts, 34 being from 50 yards or more. He kicked a career-long 63-yard field goal in 2019 in his second season with the Dallas Cowboys. He is now a special-teams assistant for Nebraska.
Kenny Bell is one of the top receivers in Husker history, setting the school record in both career receptions (181) and receiving yards (2,689) at the time. He earned 49 career starts at Nebraska and earned first-team All-Big Ten in his senior year, before spending four seasons in the NFL.
Bob Nelson played three years at Nebraska, racking up 189 total tackles, including 73 solos. He totaled 79 tackles his junior year in 1973 before racking up 75 tackles in his senior year, earning him second-team All-Big Eight. Nelson then played 11 years in the NFL, becoming a two-time Super Bowl Champion with the Raiders.
Tom Sutko played three seasons for Nebraska-Omaha, earning 320 career tackles for the Mavericks to rank in the top 10 in school history. He earned first-team All-American in 1980 and was a three-time first-team All-North Central Conference selection.
Rodgers is a staple of Nebraska football history, being the team's first Heisman Trophy winner. He was then inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.
The 2025 class will be officially inducted in September, before being recognized during Nebraska's Week 3 clash with Houston Christian.
Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
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