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Less than one week before Nebraska's epic 35-31 victory over Oklahoma in 1971, Larry Jacobson received a phone call from Monte Kiffin, his defensive line coach.
Kiffin was calling to inform the senior defensive tackle from Sioux Falls, S.D., that he had just been named the winner of the 26th Outland Trophy, annually presented to college football's top interior lineman. Because he wasn't even named honorable mention All-Big Eight his junior year, Jacobson said he had no idea he was under consideration for the award.
"He had to tell me how to spell it," Jacobson said. "I found out about this before any of the all-conference or All-America teams had been announced. That was the first thing I found out I won that year."
Turns out that was the first of many postseason awards for Jacobson, as he helped lead the Cornhuskers to their second consecutive national championship under Coach Bob Devaney. Nebraska fans who still remember how important Jacobson was to those teams placed him No. 30 among the 50 greatest Husker players of the 20th century.
By being NU's first Outland winner, Jacobson also started a tradition at Nebraska that no other school can match. Six other Cornhuskers have won the Outland Trophy (Dave Rimington won it in 1981 and 1982) seven times since Jacobson was selected.
The award is named the Outland Trophy, but winners in the first 30-plus years of the award presented by the Football Writers Association of America were given plaques. That oversight will be corrected for Jacobson when he will be presented with a trophy at the Jan. 12 Outland awards dinner in Omaha.
"I get a trophy this year," Jacobson said. "I'm finally going to get an Outland Trophy."
Husker fans also remember the fierce-looking publicity photo taken during Jacobson's junior year. Wearing his trademark black plastic glasses, Jacobson scowled and growled for a photo he said he didn't realize would be so widely distributed.
"It was at a photo day before the season when fans could bring their cameras and take pictures of the players," Jacobson said. "Some guy just told me 'Get down in your stance and look mean.' I didn't know it was for the university. It was kind of a goofy picture."
for the sports cover, goes with 2x box on 50 greatest Huskers
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