“The Sporting News” anointed Nebraska's 1971 national championship team as “College Football’s Best Ever”. That honor was bestowed on the same weekend that fabled ’71 Husker team celebrated its 40th anniversary reunion in Lincoln. Fifty-six players returned for the festivities and were honored at halftime of NU’s 2011 season-opener. Among returnees were captains Jerry Tagge and Jim Anderson, plus All-Americans Willie Harper, Larry Jacobson, Jeff Kinney and Johnny Rodgers. In addition to signing autographs for Big Red fans before the game at Husker Nation Pavilion, 1971 returning players signed helmets for a special auction. Huskers.com will auction five player-signed helmets – one per week for the next five weeks. Bidding for each helmet begins at $250 with minimum incremental bids of $10 per helmet. The auction for the first helmet begins at 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 17, 2011, and will end at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2011 – the same time the bidding will begin for the second helmet. Auction winners will receive certificates of authenticity from the NU Athletic Department. Shipping charges and appropriate sales tax apply to each winning bid.