Rex Burkhead headlines Nebraska Football Hall of Fame class

One of the best running backs in school history is among the eight-player 2024 class to be inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.

Rex Burkhead, who rushed for over 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns from 2009-12, headlines the class, which also includes Keven Lightner, Tyrone Byrd, Terrell Farley, Chris Kelsay, Jared Crick, Monte Johnson and Mike Miller.

Johnson was selected from the “Legend” category, and Miller is this year’s state college inductee (Nebraska-Kearney).

The class will be inducted at a banquet on Sept. 13 in Lincoln and will be recognized during Nebraska’s home game against Northern Iowa on Sept. 14.

Burkhead’s big year came in 2011 when he rushed for 1,357 yards and scored 15 touchdowns to earn first-team all-conference honors. The 34-year-old enjoyed a 10-year NFL career, including two Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots. 

Crick was teammates with Burkhead for three seasons, anchoring the Huskers’ defensive line as a two-team first-team All-Big 12 pick and two-time second-team All-American. His breakout season came as a sophomore in 2009 when he posted 73 tackles and 9½ sacks. Crick played five seasons in the NFL.

Lightner helped power one of the top rushing attacks in the country in 1987 as a first-team All-Big Eight selection. Lightner, who played from 1985-87, went on to be an assistant football coach at various programs, including Omaha.

Byrd is still fifth in career interceptions at Nebraska (11). The Arizona native started from 1989-92, finishing with 209 tackles.

Farley played two seasons, including 1995, when he helped the Huskers go 12-0 and win the national championship. The linebacker had 62 tackles and five sacks that season — two of which came in the Fiesta Bowl win over Florida.

Kelsay is an Auburn native who logged 135 tackles over four seasons (1999-2002). He was a two-time All-Big 12 selection, including in 2001 when he had 17 tackles for loss and five sacks as Nebraska marched to the national championship but lost to Miami.

Johnson played on the defensive line for Bob Devaney’s final three seasons as head coach and was part of back-to-back national championship teams in 1970 and 1971.

Miller finished his career at Nebraska-Kearney as the program’s all-time leading rusher (4,818 yards).