Big Ten Countdown: 90 - Laces Out, Alex

by Ricky Smith on Apr 2, 2011 9:00 AM CDT in Husker Fans Guide to the Big Ten

Yesterday, we highlighted the under-appreciated Husker women's bowling team. Today we celebrate the #90. A lot of things come to mind, but the one surfaced to the top was the greatest Husker to ever wear that number.

Alex Henery.

I've argued this before, but I don't think it's a stretch to say that Henery was just as valuable to Nebraska football as Suh was. Not dominant like Suh, but valuable.

The kid had ice in his veins. As great as Suh was, he also had really good guys around him that made him even better. Crick, Turner and a top-notch secondary helped Suh toss quarterbacks around like rag dolls. Henery, however, was pretty much on his own.

Both guys were clutch, but did anyone...anyone...even remotely worry that Henery would miss that 52 yarder during this year's Big 12 Championship game? In his 3 years as a starter, did you ever think he was going to miss?

Every since he was thrust into the limelight as a sophomore, this team has leaned on #90 countless amount of times. When Pelini got hired, he and his brother shored up the defense in a hurry. The offense, though, was STILL trying to find an identity. And the only offensive consistency they had was Henery.

Need 4 field goals because your offense went AWOL...again? No problem.

Need a game-winning 57 yarder to validate your new head coach's first season? His response to his coach: "I made it in warmups. I've been hitting it good."

Oh yeah, we're going to need you to punt, too. If you could, we'd love it if you could have it just stop dead at the 2 (2:10 into the video). Just do that, OK? Fine.

Oh, and look at his kicking stats during his career at Nebraska:

He made 89.2 percent of his field goals (66-of-74. The NCAA record is 87.8 percent b Florida's Bobby Raymond.
He made 77.4 percent of his career field goals from 40 yards or longer (24-of-31). The NCAA record was72.1 percent by Georgia's Billy Bennet.
He has made 97.7 percent of field goals inside of 40 yards (42-of-43). The NCAA career record was 97 percent.
Henery was tied for the NCAA record with six career games with at least four field goals.
Henery combined to make 256 of 265 career kicks if you count PATs and field goals, a 96.6 percent accuracy record. The Division I record is 94.9 percent by Missouri's Jeff Wolfert.
The Omaha Burke grad holds the scoring record at Nebraska with 397 points.

For some unknown reason, Henery was not a Groza nominee or even First Team All Big 12 this year. Two glaring omissions in his otherwise spotless resume. That's OK. We'll just have guys like Kirk Herbstreit and his fellow colleagues call him "The Best Kicker in the History of College Football." Retire his jersey. Put #90 up on the wall next to Suh, Crouch, Rodgers and the other Husker greats. He deserves it just as much as those legends do.

Tomorrow: Bo's Last Season

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Comments

Absolutely.

The Groza snub still bothers me, and he is the greatest placekicker to have payed the college game. Oh, there is a typo in there. “Is” needs to be changed to “was” in a few places ;)

by Andy Davis on Apr 2, 2011 2:34 PM CDT reply actions

done and done

whoops. hopefully correctified. It’s a word….

by Ricky Smith on Apr 2, 2011 9:55 PM CDT up reply actions

Love this kid.

He will surely be missed this year. Hopefully not too much though.

I'm your huckleberry.

by Brizzle T on Apr 2, 2011 2:39 PM CDT reply actions

Retire his jersey - that is a great idea

We need a campaign to do so; someone who does Facebook (sorry, I don’t do Facebook) start a page or something. Or lets start something here – I don’t know what it takes to get the athletic departments attention, but if someone does, let’s do it.

by UltimaRatioRegum on Apr 2, 2011 2:51 PM CDT reply actions

That's a good idea.

I'm your huckleberry.

by Brizzle T on Apr 2, 2011 4:35 PM CDT up reply actions

Be A Way To Stick It In The Faces

Of the Groza selection committee or the Big 12 (always good) – show them up for ignoring a guy who broke so many NCAA records.

by UltimaRatioRegum on Apr 2, 2011 5:16 PM CDT up reply actions

I still don't understand the Groza snub

That was just disgraceful. To answer Ricky’s question, I thought that Henery’s 57 yard attempt against Colorado was going to be unsuccessful. I pretty much became a believer after that.

"My hardest job is to convince the people of Nebraska that 10-1 is not a losing season." - Tom Osborne

by jdhusker on Apr 2, 2011 7:15 PM CDT reply actions

If Alex

were compared to medical doctors, he would be a brain surgeon…absolute calm under pressure and rock- steady hands (foot, in Henery’s instance).

But, unlike brain surgeons, at least those portrayed on TV, he had none of the swagger and ego. What an absolutely wonderful young man he is. We’ve been blessed at Nebraska with some talented kickers, but he’s at the head of the class.

And yes, his lack of greater post-season honors is an absolute travesty.

Still, another another example of what in-state walk-ons add to our program.

They're 18 to 22...how perfect were you at that age?
The Power of Red begins with the Passion of Walk-Ons.

by redvalley on Apr 2, 2011 11:04 PM CDT reply actions

Greatest kicker in the history of college football

by far.

Glorious

by Presidentjlh on Apr 3, 2011 2:11 AM CDT reply actions

I wasn't going to comment, since you've all said it already.

But it bears repeating: NCAA records in nearly every category, and not on the Lou Groza list or all-conference. It shows, unfortunately, how little people pay attention to kickers.

"Wer viel Bier trinkt, schläft gut. Wer gut schläft, sündigt nicht. Und wer nicht sündigt, kommt in den Himmel!" Martin Luther

by Go Big Rev on Apr 3, 2011 10:15 PM CDT reply actions