Dave Feit’s Greatest Huskers by the Numbers: 94 – Jared Crick and Patrick Kabongo

Dave Feit is counting down the days until the start of the 2025 season by naming the best Husker to wear each uniform number, as well as one of his personal favorites at that number. For more information about the series, click here. To see more entries, click here.

Greatest Husker to wear 94: Jared Crick, Defensive Tackle, 2007 – 2011

Honorable Mention: none

Also worn by: Damien Bauman, Dan Brock, Brian Brown, Barry Cryer, Khalil Davis, Brian Hiemer, Patrick Kabongo, Avery Moss, Cade Mueller, Bump Novacek, Pat Smith, Larry Townsend

Dave’s Fave: Patrick Kabongo, Defensive Tackle, 1999 – 2003

How do you view Jared Crick’s career?

Do you see him as one of the best defensive tackles in school history? Do you see him as a very good player who reaped the rewards of playing next to Ndamukong Suh? Maybe you see him as a cautionary tale for players who decide to come back for their senior season.

To me, all of these are true.

It’s easy to look at Crick’s sophomore year in 2009 – Ndamukong Suh’s senior season – and see how playing next to the legendary Suh benefited Crick. With Suh facing frequent double teams, Crick was able to use his explosive power and quickness to make plays.

Case in point: Nebraska’s 2009 trip to Baylor. The Bears were determined not to let Suh beat them, so they double-teamed him on every play. The good news: Suh had – by his 2009 Heisman Trophy worthy standards – a relatively quiet day: 5 tackles, including three for loss, and a sack.

But bad news for the Bears: Jared Crick put up video game numbers: 13 total tackles (10 solo), seven tackles for loss – including a school record FIVE sacks, a pass breakup, and a fumble recovery. The Blackshirts allowed just three points in a 20-10 win.

Nebraska's Jared Crick sacks Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill in 2009. | Thomas Campbell-Imagn Images

You can argue that Suh’s dominance allowed Crick to have a breakout game – and you’d probably be right. But here’s the thing: Crick’s five-sack masterpiece was a statement that he was an excellent player in his own right. Opposing offenses had to account for both of Nebraska’s defensive tackles, which undoubtedly helped Suh in the second half of 2009.

In 2010, Suh was playing for the Detroit Lions, and Crick was the star on the defensive line. Playing alongside sophomore (and first-time starter) Baker Steinkuhler, junior Terrence Moore, and redshirt freshman Thad Randle, Crick was now the one receiving the bulk of the double teams.

It didn’t matter.

Crick had a great junior season, putting up a team-high 9.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. He was an All-Big 12 selection again, this time as a unanimous pick. Crick was also a second team All-American.

Jared Crick lines up against Ohio State in 2011. He suffered a season-ending injury later in the game. | Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images

After the 2010 season, Crick was faced with a big decision. He could head off to the NFL, where he was likely to be a Day 1 pick, or he could come back for his senior season, finish his degree, and try to become a first-round pick like Suh. The Cozad native chose to stay at NU.

Unfortunately, Crick’s senior season did not go as planned. He tore a pectoral muscle in October and missed the final seven games of the year. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fourth round and played seven seasons in the NFL.

So, how do you view Jared Crick’s career?

I’m hopeful Crick is remembered as an excellent and athletic defender who performed admirably in Suh’s shadow and who showed tremendous loyalty in coming back for his senior season.  Those guys will always have a special place in my heart.

***

Few Huskers had a path to Lincoln like Watshidimba “Patrick” Kabongo. Born in Zaire and raised in Montreal, he is just one of seven Canadians to ever play for Nebraska. The others:

   • Peter Buchanan (Quebec)
   • Terris Chorney (Saskatchewan)
   • Sandro DeAngelis (Ontario)
   • Dahrran Diedrick (Ontario)
   • Barron Miles Jr. (Quebec)
   • David Knevel (Ontario)

You wouldn’t think a guy from that far away would be a big Husker fan. And yet, Kabongo may have been (physically and metaphorically) the biggest.

Kabongo was not a star player – or even a regular starter – at NU, but that’s not why he’s on this list. I loved his energy and passion.  If the game was close, the odds were good that Kabongo would be standing on a bench, jumping and waving a towel to get the crowd into the game. 

I always felt bad for the folks in the lower rows who could not see over his 6’6″, 315-pound frame as Nebraska’s biggest cheerleader did his thing from the top of the bench.

A defensive lineman throughout his time at Nebraska, Kabongo put together a 10-year career in the Canadian Football League as an offensive lineman, earning all-pro honors and playing on a Grey Cup-winning team.

Over the years, dozens of former Huskers have extended their football careers in the CFL. Barron Miles Sr. is in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Offensive lineman Jermarcus “Yoshi” Hardrick has won multiple Grey Cups. Jerry Tagge, Turner Gill, Steve Taylor, Tommie Frazier, Eric Crouch and others took snaps as CFL quarterbacks. Heisman winner Johnny Rodgers played for Montreal. Diedrick won three Grey Cups in a 10-year career. Recently, linebacker Eteva Mauga-Clements was the top overall pick in the 2024 CFL global draft.

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