Jerry Murtaugh
 Murtaugh in 1970 | |
| No. 42 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | April 30, 1948 Omaha, Nebraska, USA |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 212 lb (96 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Omaha North |
| College: | Nebraska |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Jerry "Rat" Murtaugh (born April 30, 1948) was an American college football linebacker for the Nebraska Cornhuskers who was named a first-team All-American in 1970.
Murtaugh was a co-captain of the 1970 Nebraska team which won the 1970 National Championship by defeating LSU in the 1971 Orange Bowl to cap off an undefeated 11–0–1 season.
Biography
[edit]Early years
[edit]Jerry Murtaugh was born April 30, 1948, in Omaha, Nebraska.
Murtaugh attended Omaha North High School, where he was a star wrestler, winning a Nebraska state wrestling championship.[1] He also was an outfielder on the school baseball team, and played fullback[2] and linebacker for the North High football squad.[3]
Collegiate career
[edit]Murtaugh started for the powerful Cornhuskers team as a sophomore in 1968 and garnered honors as a unanimous All Big-Eight selection during his 1969 junior season.[1] As a junior he broke All-American Wayne Meylan's school record for tackles with 126.[1]
He entered his 1970 senior season highly touted, being named to the Playboy magazine and Football News preseason All-America teams.[1]
The 1970 Nebraska team was loaded with talent, including in addition to Murtaugh future Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers, running back Jeff Kinney, and quarterback Jerry Tagge, a 1972 first round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers.[4] Ahead of the season co-captain Murtaugh attracted attention with a Joe Namath-like "guarantee" that the Cornhuskers would finish the 1970 season undefeated.[4]
Murtaugh later recalled his September 1970 encounter with the 35 members of the press seeking flavorful news copy. "A bunch of reporters around, and they just asked me, bluntly: 'How do you think you're going to do?' And I just told them — I said, 'We're going to win it all — nobody's going to beat us.'"[4]
The 1970 team ultimately put their money where Murtaugh's mouth was, running the table to finish 11–0–1 — culminating with a 17–15 win on New Year's Day over the LSU Tigers and a first national title for the scarlet-and-white.[4]
Life after football
[edit]During the 2000s, Murtaugh assumed the unofficial role of coordinator of the Nebraska football program's alumni and fans of the team from around the country.[5] Working with the school's outreach director and president of the booster club, Murtaugh constructed and maintained a database of former players and their contact information with a view to coordinating speaking engagements for the players and bringing them to closer connection with the university and its athletics program.[5]
As of 2024, Murtaugh still stands as #2 on Nebraska's all-time tackles list, with 342, despite having had only three years of varsity football eligibility in accordance with NCAA rules of the day.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Don Bryant (ed.), Nebraska Football 1970 Radio-TV-Press Guide. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Sports Information Department, 1970; p. 32.
- ^ Conde Sargent, "North Capitalizes on Ryan's Errors," Omaha Evening World-Herald, Oct. 30, 1965, Sports p. 9.
- ^ Conde Sargent, "Return of Sanders to Boost North," Omaha World-Herald, Oct. 27, 1965, p. 17.
- ^ a b c d Chris Basnett, "'The Truth' About '70: Jerry Murtaugh's Bold Prediction Sets the Stage for Historic Season," Lincoln Journal Star, Sept. 10, 2020, pp. B1-B2.
- ^ a b John Martin Fey, "Murtaugh Begins Legends Connection," Omaha World-Herald, Aug. 27, 2008, p. 19.
- ^ Evan Bland, "Baptism by Fire, Then Water," Lincoln Journal Star, Jan. 7, 2024, p. C3.