The history of the Nebraska Cornhuskers is filled with legendary players, but the extensiveness of their success means these legendary players span decades.
From their most recent future hall-of-famers like Ndamukong Suh and Lavonte David to legendary giants of the game like Johnny Rodgers and Roger Craig, a plethora of players have carved out their legacy with the tool that is Nebraska football.
Nebraska Cornhuskers legend dead at 84-years-old
One legend of Nebraska football that helped build them into a juggernaut before they ever won a national championship was Noel Martin.
Martin, honored at the 400th sellout against the Illinois Fighting Illini, has a special place in Nebraska football history. In 1962, Martin scored the first touchdown of the sellout streak with an 88-yard pick-six.
Here you go Daniel…
Noel Martin scores the first touchdown of the sellout streak!
“…Noel is not fast…”🤣
(I know he would laugh at that!) https://t.co/oW7a40GDvx pic.twitter.com/Gkq4GkWH8Z— Paul Jake Jacobsen (@HuskerTapes) September 16, 2024
Martin was familiar with the nature of Husker nation for over five decades when he was honored, but the unwavering belief of Nebraska fans still caught him by surprise when he was honored in September.
WATCH: Noel Martin, who scored the first touchdown of the #Huskers sellout streak, describes the differences between sellout No. 1 and No. 400.
“Wow. I can’t believe it. But when you come to the stadium, you look and you cannot believe what you’re looking at.” @Channel8ABC pic.twitter.com/9NYpUKu001
— Andrew Ward (@AndrewWardKLKN) September 20, 2024
Martin explained what made the sellout streak so impressive in an article from KLKNTV.
“When you fill a stadium with over 90,000 people, nobody else can do that, that tells you a lot,” he said.
You can’t believe what you’re looking at, it’s tremendous,” he said. “We were here a few weeks ago and it was tremendous, the noise, the people getting involved, it was just beautiful.”
Martin started his coaching career quickly after his playing career. He had an extremely successful high school coaching stint before making his way back to the Huskers as a defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator, assistant wrestling coach and assistant professor.
Martin’s obituary explains what the family prefers instead of flowers.
“In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to CentraCare Hospice, Moffitt Cancer Center and St Cloud Red Cross blood bank.”
More NFL and College Football Articles from Andrew Kusleika on Gridiron Heroics:
- Beloved Denver Broncos WR, Broadcaster Dies After Battle With Illness
- Shedeur Sanders Wants Colorado Buffaloes to Give Him $10 Million
- Fans Rejoice as ESPN’s Exclusively-Streamed MNF Game is a Monumental Failure
- Star Los Angeles Rams WR Could Miss Even More Time With New Injury
Get More NFL and College Football Content from Andrew Kusleika
For more news and trends in the NFL and college football world, click here or follow me on Twitter @KusleikaAndrew.
Our Partners
Mayfield Sports Marketing
Call Mayfield Sports Marketing at 262-366-8188 to schedule Green Bay Packers players or alumni for your corporate appearance or product promotion. Our booking agents will work on your behalf to get you the best price for your desired sports speaker. Mayfield Sports Marketing has earned a reputation of being the one to call for booking top athletes to speak at events and trade shows. To learn more about Packers players or alumni appearance costs and booking fees, please call us today. www.MayfieldSports.com.
Radtke Sports
Wisconsin Sports Heroics is proud to partner with Radtke Sports to offer autographed memorabilia. Brett Favre, Rob Gronkowski, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and MORE Guaranteed Authentic Collectibles and Memorabilia, including signed jerseys, photos, and more at www.RadtkeSports.com USE promo code: WSH for FREE SHIPPING on your purchase. Some restrictions may apply.
Our Partners
