Greatest Husker Athlete of All Time

[Frosty1980]

Joel Makovicka

Whole damn family!

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Rich Glover. We always forget him. He was actually responsible for a rule change on head slaps in the NCAA.

 

[cactusboy]

Growing up, I remember Jay Sims basically dominating the performance index for athletic testing, and nobody ever beat his numbers that I saw for as long as they published that, so I'll throw his name out there for pure athletic ability.

Strickland is a great choice too for someone who could have played any number of sports at the professional level.

The first 2 people I thought of and for the exact same reasons.

 

[2010sAreNeverComingBack]

The first 2 people I thought of and for the exact same reasons.

This makes me question my answer.

 

[MotorCityRed]

James Donald Raschke (Baron Von)

• • 1958 Nebraska State High School Heavyweight Championship (Omaha North High School)
  • 1962 Big Eight Conference Heavyweight Championship (University of Nebraska)
  • 1963 World Games Bronze medalist
  • 1964 Olympic Team qualifier
  • 1964 Amateur Athletic Union Freestyle Championship
  • 1964 Amateur Athletic Union Greco-Roman Championship
  • 1965 Worldwide Interservice Wrestling Championship (United States Army)
  • 1985 inductee to the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame

High school football

• • 1957 Nebraska State Championship – Omaha North High School

Professional wrestling

• American Wrestling Association
  • AWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Crusher Lisowski[4]
• Cauliflower Alley Club
  • Iron Mike Mazurki Award (2018)[9]
  • Other honoree (2004)
• Central States Wrestling
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Central States version) (1 time) – with Maurice Vachon[10]
  • NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Central States version) (1 Time) – with Harley Race[11][12]
• Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • NWA Florida Television Championship (1 time)[13]
• Georgia Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[4]
• International Wrestling Association
  • IWA International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• International Wrestling Institute and Museum
  • George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 2002)
• Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Television Championship (2 times)[3]
  • NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ivan and Nikita Koloff when Krusher Khruschev was injured
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (3 times) – with Paul Jones (2) and Greg Valentine (1)[14]
• NSW
  • NSW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tommy Jammer
• NWA Big Time Wrestling
  • NWA American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[15][16]
  • NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Texas version) (1 time)[17][18]
• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2013[19]
• Pro Wrestling America
  • PWA Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Ken Patera (1) and Brad Rheingans (1)[20]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him # 306 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
• St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2009
• World Wrestling Association
  • WWA World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[4]
  • WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ernie Ladd[21][22]

 

[Dotsee]

How about Dave Rimington? Don't remember all the stats exactly but 6'2" 300lbs, bench 425lbs, ran the 40 in 5.05 seconds and could dunk a basketball. I don't know how good of a all around athlete he was but definitely defined the position he played.

I was going to say either him or Jordan Burroughs...I mean Rimington has a trophy named after him, do any others?

 

[Huskerthom]

I was going to say either him or Jordan Burroughs...I mean Rimington has a trophy named after him, do any others?

yes https://thejetaward.com/winner/

 

[BigRedOhio]

Ahman Green

 

[akweasel]

LP.......hands down imo

Barron Miles.......did more with less and was one o the best big game players we ever had.

Mike Minter......one of the best athletes at NU even after his injury.

Ahman Green.....deceptive in every way and always loved his pad level low running style.

Eric Warfield......from what I recall he could’ve played bball for Arkansas when they were good but chose football at NU.

 

[huskermike]

James Donald Raschke (Baron Von)

...

 

[DuckTownHusker]

Carl Pelini

 

[Ronznotes]

It's definitely a case for best female athlete going against female competition. But the thread is best athlete.

wow. and the lifetime ban award goes to....

All athletes are compared to other athletes and time and across sports (is Jim Thorpe no longer considered a great athlete because he competed decades ago against guys that are weak and slow by todays standards?)

 

[Ronznotes]

Johnny Mitchell has to be in the conversation somewhere. Strick was a beast for sure.

I remember another player asking who was the best athlete on the team and said simply "ever seen someone dribble a football down the basketball court and then dunk it? Johnny could dribble a football.

 

[RedRum]

wow. and the lifetime ban award goes to....

Cancel culture much?

 

[Dotsee]

yes https://thejetaward.com/winner/

Well, had never heard of that until just now