Dave Feit’s Greatest Huskers by the Numbers: 99 - Neil Smith and Barry Turner

The countdown kicks off with the dominating Blackshirt from Louisiana and a celebration of Husker fan passion.

Counting down the greatest Nebraska football players by jersey number. / HuskerMax

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 99:  Neil Smith, Defensive Tackle, 1985 - 1987 

Honorable Mention:  Terry Connealy 

Also worn by:  Aaron Golliday, Peyton Newell, Mike Osborne, Dylan Parrott, Mike Petko, Ty Robinson, Ken Shead, Dave Stromath, Barry Turner, Jason Wiltz 

Dave's Fave:  Barry Turner, Defensive End, 2005 - 2009 


A great start to the countdown!   

Prior to 1985, only three Cornhusker players had ever come from the state of Louisiana:  Ernest English (1956), Laurie Green (1966 - 67), and Burton Burns (1973 - 74).  If you're unfamiliar with these names, I don't blame you.  None of these players earned a varsity letter.  For reference, by 1985, Nebraska had letterwinners hailing from 40 different states, including Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont. 

But Nebraska's fortunes in the Crescent State changed in the middle of the 1980s.  Ace recruiter Jack Pierce started working the state.  He built relationships and established a pipeline.  In the 40 years since 1985, there have only been three seasons (2003, 2004, 2021) without a Louisiana native on the roster. 

The players in the first few classes from Louisiana were pretty special.  LeRoy Etienne, Mickey Joseph, Reggie Cooper, and Tyrone Hughes all made a significant impact at Nebraska.* 

*You'll see some of those names again as this countdown rolls on… 

But none of them were as great as Neil Smith. 

Neil Smith during his fourth season with the Kansas City Chiefs. / RVR Photos-Imagn Images

Smith was a dominating defensive tackle and fearsome pass rusher.  A 1987 Sports Illustrated article described Smith as "a 6'6", 261-pound defensive tackle with a 7'1½" arm span and a 35-inch vertical jump, who can run faster than any previous Nebraska lineman."  He is easily on the short list of the greatest defensive linemen to ever play at Nebraska.   

As a junior in 1986, he recorded 10 sacks.  At the time, it was the 5th most in school history (currently tied for 10th).  In his senior season (1987), he earned All-Big Eight and All-America honors. 

How about this stat line from his final regular season game (1987 at Colorado):  12 total tackles, 9 solo, 2 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, and a blocked field goal.  That is a Rich Glover / Ndamukong Suh level of dominance. 

After his senior year, the Kansas City Chiefs traded up in the draft to select Smith with the second overall pick.  Smith had a long and successful NFL career with the Chiefs, Broncos, and Chargers, winning two Super Bowl rings. 

Neil's son Keelan is a redshirt freshman on the 2025 Nebraska team.  We'll also see more relatives throughout this series. 

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From Day 1, the passion of Nebraskans for their football team has never been in question.   

On Thanksgiving Day 1890, the Old Gold Knights played the first football game in the University of Nebraska's history, against the Omaha YMCA.  Dr. Langdon Frothingham was Nebraska's first head coach because a) he had seen the college game while at Harvard, and b) he brought a football with him.  There's some debate on which was a more important factor. 

The game was held in Omaha, but the crowd was described by the Omaha Bee as "quite large and extremely partisan".   

Back then, travelling the 60 miles between Lincoln and Omaha was not as easy as "go east on Interstate 80."  Remember:  1890 was 18 years before Henry Ford introduced the Model T automobile.  I-80 would not connect Nebraska's two largest cities until 1961.  The Nebraska fans who made the trip - estimated at 500 - travelled by train.   

It is estimated that 500 Nebraska fans were in attendance to watch something they likely had never seen before.  The Hesperian (a predecessor to the Daily Nebraskan) reported: "From the number of our color flags… it seemed as if we had appropriated the town."  Having had the pleasure of attending many road games over the years (notably, the 2000 game at Notre Dame and the 2002 Rose Bowl, along with watching Nebraska play in every stadium of the original Big 12 Conference), Husker fans having "appropriated the town" is a concept that I'm very familiar with. 

Nebraska fans have also been passionate about watching their team play at home. 

Nebraska's earliest home games were held at Antelope Field, which only had a few wooden benches.  Fans stood in a ring around the field.  Nebraska wanted a larger facility, and the land on which Antelope Field stood was going to be used for new academic buildings.  In 1909, Nebraska Field opened with a wooden grandstand and bleachers.  The field was located approximately where Memorial Stadium currently stands, but with the field oriented east-to-west.   

A portion of the crowd at Nebraska Field for the Huskers' 1922 game against Missouri. / UNL Archives via Twitter

The success of coach Ewald "Jumbo" Stiehm's teams led to large crowds.  The resulting gate revenues helped Nebraska draw some notable opponents, including Michigan, Minnesota, and Notre Dame.  The final game at Nebraska Field - against Notre Dame and the fabled "Four Horsemen" in 1922 - had an estimated attendance of 16,000.  Photographs show fans on top of roofs, on ladders, and in trees. 

By 1915, the Cornhuskers were in need of something permanent.  But the Stiehm's departure, World War I, and fundraising delays slowed the project.  Finally, after the 1922 season, enough money was raised to proceed.  Nebraska Field was torn down and construction began on what would be known as Memorial Stadium, honoring Nebraskans who served in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and WWI.   

The majority of the stadium was constructed in less than a year, and the first game (against Oklahoma) took place in October 1923.  The stadium largely stayed the same until the 1960s, when an exciting new coach named Bob Devaney started winning games.   

In November of 1962, Devaney's Cornhuskers hosted Missouri in their homecoming game.  Despite the game being televised on CBS, the stadium was sold out (36,501 fans).  Even though the Huskers lost that game, another sellout crowd arrived for the next home game, starting a streak that continues* to this day - over 400 consecutive home games and counting. 

*We won't get into the technicalities of tickets sold vs butts in seats, nor some of the asterisk-worthy ways the streak has managed to survive for 60+ years.  Instead, I'll note that Nebraska's sellout streak has become a cherished symbol of the undying love Nebraskans have for their Cornhuskers. 

Nebraska's Barry Turner tackles Virginia Tech tailback David Wilson in 2009. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

In 2009, Nebraska celebrated the 300th consecutive sellout.  The team wore 1962 throwback uniforms and dominated Louisiana 55-0 in the most recent shutout victory at home.  One of the stars of that game was senior defensive end Barry Turner, who had four tackles - including one for loss - and a quarterback hurry. 

Barry Turner exploded onto the scene in 2005.  As a true freshman, he played primarily as a third down pass rusher.  He only recorded 14 tackles, but half of those were tackles for loss, including six sacks.  Turner earned Freshman All-America honors and looked to continue the legacy of outstanding defensive ends at Nebraska. 

As a starter in 2006, he had splash plays in back-to-back games.  He blocked a field goal at Texas A&M that kept hope alive for a game-winning drive to clinch the Big XII North title.  Against Colorado, he caught a 29-yard touchdown pass from Joe Ganz on a fake field goal. 

Turner suffered a broken leg early in the 2008 season, leading to a medical redshirt year.  He returned in 2009 and had his best year with 51 tackles, 16 TFL, 5.5 sacks, and 13 quarterback hurries. 

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