Eric Crouch won a Heisman Trophy. In fact, this marks the 20th anniversary of his peak season at Nebraska.
But that isn’t all. The former Husker quarterback’s playing achievements are enough to overstuff a football playbook.
Yet, there was something extra special about Friday at Memorial Stadium, where Crouch was officially inducted into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame.
“This award for me, it drives home,†Crouch said. “I’ve had other awards, maybe at a national level, but I think being at Nebraska and being born and raised in Nebraska and being recognized by the university, it means a lot.â€
Then there’s Jordan Larson, one of the most decorated volleyball players in school history. She has an Olympic gold medal.
“It’s just quite an honor,†Larson said of entering the NU Hall of Fame. “And something that a lot of people have come before me in order for me to have the platform and just the ability I’ve been able to have for a long time. I’m just thankful for that.â€
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Heisman trophies. Olympic medals. These are the highest of honors.
Still, for Crouch, Larson and the many others forming the 2020 and 2021 induction classes, there’s no place like Nebraska.
“Just to be recognized by your university, but also recognized by some of the other athletes that played other sports, I just think that’s unique,†Crouch said. “It’s really cool.â€
A Hall of Fame ceremony did not take place last year, so Nebraska honored two classes Friday at East Stadium, and it’s quite a collection.
The 2020 class includes Crouch, Larson, Maurtice Ivy (women’s basketball, 1985-88), Sam Francis (football and track, 1935-37), Amanda Burgoyne (bowling, 2004-07) and legendary volleyball coach Terry Pettit.
Cathy Noth (volleyball, 1981-84), Kesley Griffin (women’s basketball, 2006-10), Bob Cerv (baseball, 1947-50), Larry Jacobson (football, 1969-71), Jordan Burroughs (wrestling, 2007-11) and Therese Alshammar (swimming, 1998-99) make up the 2021 class.
Each of them elevated Nebraska athletics, and some had decorated athletic careers that expanded beyond NU. Larson, Burroughs, Francis and Alshammar were Olympic athletes.
Inductees such as Pettit put Nebraska volleyball on the map. Pettit had his name put on the Nebraska volleyball court a handful of years ago and, “That was more than enough recognition for me.â€
Watching Larson and Noth, who played for Pettit, enter the NU Hall of Fame meant a lot to the coach, more so than his own induction.
“It’s special, but it’s really special for me with Cathy and Jordan going in, and everybody knows about Jordan,†Pettit said. “Very few people, unless you follow volleyball, know how dominant a player Cathy was. Cathy could have been an All-American at any position in the court.â€
Ivy was a dominant player, too.
She was the first Husker women’s basketball player to be named Big Eight player of the year, and she led NU to historic firsts (first Big Eight title and first NCAA Tournament appearance). Ivy’s number hangs inside Pinnacle Bank Arena.
A spot in the Nebraska Hall of Fame puts it in full circle, Ivy said.
“You look at athletes across the country to be able to go into the Hall of Fame … it’s a university — that’s at top of the food chain,†she said. “It’s definitely one of the biggest honors I’ve had in athletics in my lifetime.
“I’ve had a lot of accolades, but this is probably the top.â€