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Husker Nickname, Traditions & More
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
The term husker might confuse college football fans that lack an understanding of
an ear of corn’s anatomy. If your only acquaintance with corn has been the
canned variety, then you might know that the starchy vegetable comes complete
with a husk. A husk is a thin dry covering of a seed or fruit and a husker is
something or someone that strips the husk away.
While Nebraska grows its fair share of corn, it was the University of Iowa’s football
teams that first were labeled the Cornhuskers. However Iowa followers preferred
Hawkeyes, opening the door for another school to adopt the name.
Sure enough the nickname finally ripened in 1900 when former Lincoln
sportswriter Charles S. (Cy) Sherman grew tired of Nebraska’s nicknames that
included Antelopes, Old Gold Knights and Bugeaters. Sherman was aware of the
Cornhusker nickname that Iowa had used and began applying it for his Nebraska
stories. The Cornhusker name grew tall in Nebraska circles and eventually
became the state’s nickname as well.
NEBRASKA: STANDING ROOM ONLY SINCE 1962
Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium is home to what many believe to be
college football’s greatest fans. In 1992 Sports Illustrated went as far
as to name Cornhusker fans as the “Best Fans in College Football.”
The red and cream faithful have earned this designation for two
reasons. First of all they are well know for great sportsmanship and
often cheer the efforts of visiting teams. If you’ve witnessed a game at
Florida’s Swamp or LSU’s Death Valley, you know that kind of
treatment for the opposition is a rarity.
You might argue that there’s nothing else to do in Lincoln on a
Saturday, but Nebraska fans have filled Memorial Stadium for every
game since 1962. That length of fan commitment easily outpaces 2nd
place Penn State by more than 80 games.
Memorial Stadium’s often-exceeded capacity is 72,700. Each Husker
home game attracts more than five percent of the state’s population
and the stadium becomes Nebraska’s third-largest city on game days.
The overflowing crowds get pumped up when the Huskers approach
the stadium. The team goes through the “tunnel walk,” down Big Red
Boulevard and onto the field with the music blasting and red-clad fans
screaming at a frenzied pitch. Nebraska fans also enjoy the
performances of the Nebraska Marching Band.
With the Big Red’s dominating style of play in the last few decades,
rooting for the Huskers usually pays off. “It’s incredible cheering for a
team that more than likely is always going to win,” said 1998 Nebraska
cheerleader Tommy Stockton. The stadium in Lincoln is a sea of red
and everybody sings and screams. It’s an incredible feeling.”
| Long-time Nebraska supporter, Herbie Husker |
Traditions, Mascot, Nickname & More |