Preseason
honors continued to roll in for senior I-back Rex Burkhead on Thursday, when he
was named a second-team All-American by Sports Illustrated. Burkhead was one of
four running backs tabbed as a preseason All-American, joining Wisconsin's
Montee Ball to give the Big Ten two All-America backs.
For
Burkhead, it was his second preseason All-America honor, as Athlon also tabbed
him as a second-team running back. A native of Plano, Texas, Burkhead is also
one of 50 players on the watch list for the Walter Camp Award (college football
player of the year) and one of 65 candidates for the Doak Walker Award (nation's
top running back).
Burkhead
carried 284 times for 1,357 yards last season in a workhorse role for the
Huskers. He posted the second-highest carry total in school history, while tallying
the seventh-highest rushing total in NU history and the highest by a Husker
I-back since 1997. Burkhead ranked 19th nationally in rushing last fall,
averaging 104.4 yards per game. He enters his senior season with 2,654 career
rushing yards, good for 12th place in school history. He is only 90 rushing yards
shy of moving into Nebraska's all-time top 10.
Burkhead
also set school records for single-game carries (38 vs. Iowa) and most
consecutive games with a touchdown (10) in 2011. He was a first-team All-Big Ten
selection and was one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award.
An
outstanding student-athlete, Burkhead is also a returning CoSIDA Academic
All-American, after earning first-team honors as a junior in 2011. Burkhead was
also chosen as one of Uplifting Athletes Champions of 2011-12 for helping to
put a national focus on helping children with rare diseases. An active member
of the community, Burkhead earned his third straight appointment to the Brook
Berringer Citizenship team this past spring.
