Following the 1949 season, the N Club voted to retire jersey No. 60 in honor of Tom "Train Wreck" Novak's stellar career with the Cornhuskers. Novak, the first Nebraska player to earn this honor, had been a four-time All-Big Seven choice and a 1949 All-American.

Novak was the only NU player to have the distinction of a retired number, until Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers earned the distinction. Rodgers allowed his number to return to circulation when his son, Terry, joined the Huskers, but it has since returning to permanently retired status.

In 2004, College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bob Brown's No. 64 joined Novak's hallowed No. 60 and Rodgers' No. 20, among the permanently retired numbers at Nebraska. Brown, whose jersey retirement ceremony occurred during NU's game with Colorado in 2004, became the 16th player in Husker history to have his jersey retired.

All-American Ndamukong Suh - one of the most decorated defensive players in college football history - joined Nebraska's list of retired jerseys in 2009. Suh won the Outland, Lombardi, Nagurski and Bednarik award in 2009, while becoming the first defensive player in history to win the Associated Press National Player-of-the-Year award.

All major national award winners at Nebraska automatically have their jerseys retired, but their numbers will still be available to active Huskers.

Nebraska's group of 17 players with retired jerseys certainly ranks among the best in the nation. Huskers who have earned the distinction of jersey retirement include three Heisman Trophy winners (Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier, Eric Crouch), eight Outland Trophy winners with nine awards (Larry Jacobson, Rich Glover, Dave Rimington (2), Dean Steinkuhler, Will Shields, Ndamukong Suh, Zach Wiegert, Aaron Taylor), five Lombardi Award winners (Rich Glover, Dave Rimington, Dean Steinkuhler, Ndamukong Suh, Grant Wistrom), one Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner (Tommie Frazier), one Davey O'Brien Award winner (Eric Crouch), one Butkus Award winner (Trev Alberts), one Bronko Nagurksi Award winner (Ndamukong Suh), one Chuck Bednarik Award winner (Ndamukong Suh) and one Rimington Trophy winner (Dominic Raiola).