The University of Nebraska started playing football in 1890. In those days, college football teams didn’t go by nicknames, but over the years, the decades since.

We’ve been told as Husker fans that our football team was referred to as the Antelopes. Old Gold Knights, tree planters, rattlesnake boys and bug eaters before settling on the name we have today - the Nebraska. Cornhuskers.

We were also told we stole the nickname Cornhuskers from the University of Iowa.

Is all of that true?

Did Nebraska really go by all of those names?

No.

Most of the history written about Nebraska’s nicknames is blatantly wrong.

In this college football history video, I’ll examine what really happened and if you stay tuned till the end, I’ll tell you a bonus nickname for Nebraska football you’ve probably never heard before.

Chapters in this video:

00:00 Intro

01:51 Old Gold Knights

04:30 School Colors

05:32 Rattlesnake Boys

07:16 Antelopes And Tree Planters

09:34 Bugeaters and Cornhuskers

16:36 Cy Sherman

21:53 Bonus Nickname You’ve Never Heard!

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