Nebraska Football Announces 2024 Hall of Fame Inductees

Seven Husker standouts will be recognized for their Nebraska tenures as members of this year's Hall of Fame class.

Oct 6, 2012; Columbus, OH, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Rex Burkhead (22) runs the ball in the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. / Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Seven Husker football alums will be recognized in September as part of the 2024 Nebraska Football Hall of Fame class.

The 2024 inductees were announced Thursday. They include offensive lineman Keven Lightner, safety Tyrone Byrd, linebacker Terrell Farley, defensive end Chris Kelsay, defensive tackle Jared Crick, running back Rex Burkhead and lineman Monte Johnson.

The state college representative for this year's class is Mike Miller, an All-American running back for Nebraska-Kearney in the early 2000s.

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.

Lightner, a tackle in the mid-1980s, was a first-team All-Big Eight selection in 1987 and a three-year letterwinner. Byrd was a safety in the early 1990s, just missing Nebraska's championship window in that decade. The defensive back was a first-team All-Big Eight selection as a senior in 1992.

Sept. 28, 2002: Iowa State quarterback Seneca Wallace sprints in the open field as Chris Kelsay's tackle attempt fails for Nebraska. Seneca Wallace And Chris Kelsay 2002 / Rodney White/THe Register, Des Moines

Farley, a linebacker in the mid-1990s, was a standout Blackshirt who earned first-team All-Big Eight honors and was the Big Eight Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 1995 when the Huskers earned the national title. Kelsay, a defensive end from Auburn, Neb., was a two-time All-Big 12 selection and aided the Huskers to the 2001 BCS National Championship Game.

Crick, a Cozad native, was a member of the legendary 2009 Blackshirts and earned two All-Big 12 selections and was a second-team All-American while with Nebraska. He later played for the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos.

Burkhead ended his Husker career as one of the top running backs in school history, having rushed for 3,329 yards and 30 touchdowns and earning All-Big 12 honorable mention as a sophomore, being named first-team all conference and honorable mention All-American as a junior. He played on two Super Bowl teams in New England during his 10 NFL seasons, which also included stints with the Bengals and Texans.

Nov 20, 2010; College Station, TX, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive tackle Jared Crick (94) sacks Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) during the second quarter at Kyle Field. / Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

In the Legends category, Johnson was a standout defensive lineman for Bob Devaney in his final three seasons as a head coach. He was selected in the second round of the NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders and was the starting middle linebacker in Super Bowl XI when the Raiders defeated the Minnesota Vikings.

Nebraska football will honor the 2024 class with the official induction and banquet Sept. 13 in Lincoln, and the new members will be honored at the home game against Northern Iowa.

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