All Huskers

Hall-of-Famer Zach Wiegert Spreads the Credit Around

Former Nebraska offensive tackle salutes teammates and coaches before induction ceremony, hopes for Husker O-line revival

Joe Hudson

In this story:

Tuesday was induction night for former Husker great Zach Wiegert.

The ceremony for Wiegert and the 20 other new members of the College Football Hall of Fame took place in Las Vegas. The evening induction was preceded by an afternoon press conference and individual interviews, during which the former All-America tackle credited his teammates on the offensive line and his coaches, particularly O-line coach Milt Tenopir and head coach Tom Osborne.

Wiegert said he hoped to see the Huskers get back to winning games and winning at the line of scrimmage. "We used to be an offensive line factory," he said, "and we need to get back to being that." The offensive line was dominant the latter stages of the national championship game against Miami in the 1995 Orange Bowl, which Wiegert said was the most memorable game of his college career.

As a senior on Nebraska’s 1994 national title team, Wiegert won the Outland Trophy and placed ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting. United Press International and the Touchdown Club of Columbus (Ohio) both named him the national lineman of the year, and he was a first-team All-Big Eight selection for a third consecutive season.

A generation later, Wiegert becomes the 20th former Husker player to be immortalized in the hall. In the video at the top of this page, he is introduced by Archie Griffin at the Tuesday night event, and a highlight reel is shown as Wiegert receives his plaque. Hear what Wiegert had to say earlier Tuesday in the videos below, provided by the National Football Foundation.

Interview

Press conference

Related

In action as a junior / Nebraska Athletics
On the media guide cover / Nebraska Athletics
The 1994 “Pipeline” / Nebraska Athletics
With the Outland hardware / Nebraska Athletics
Talking with reporters / ZachWiegert.com
Before the 1995 Orange Bowl / Nebraska Athletic Communications
Blocking Miami’s Kenny Holmes / Nebraska Athletic Communications
Miami’s defense is getting worn down / Nebraska Athletic Communications
As a Jacksonville Jaguar / ZachWiegert.com
As a Houston Texan / © Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
With the family / ZachWiegert.com
Officially a Hall-of-Famer / Nebraska Athletics via Twitter
Tweeted by Trev Alberts / Nebraska Athletics via Twitter
1995 media guide bio / 1995 Nebraska Football Media Guide
Interview on induction day / National Football Foundation
Receiving his plaque on induction night :: National Football Foundation photo/Josh Hawkins
A thumbs-up from Wiegert :: Josh Hawkins/National Football Foundation
2022 class photo (Wiegert standing at center) / National Football Foundation

Get your Huskers tickets from SI Tickets here.

Published
Joe Hudson
JOE HUDSON

Joe Hudson has operated a Husker-related website since 1995 and joined forces with David Max to form HuskerPedia (later renamed HuskerMax) in 1999. It began as a hobby during his 35 years as a newspaper editor and reporter, a career that included stints at the Lincoln Star, Omaha World-Herald, Philadelphia Inquirer and Denver Post. In Denver, Joe was chief of the copy desk during his final 16 years at the Post. He is proud to have been involved in Pulitzer Prize-winning projects in both Philadelphia and Denver. Joe has been a Nebraska football fan since the mid-1960s during his childhood in Omaha. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in journalism and economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1976. He resides a few freeway exits north of Colorado Springs and enjoys bicycling and walking his dogs in his spare time. You can reach him at joeroyhud@outlook.com.

Home/Football