Rahul Sharma (Editor)

1953 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

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Conference
  
Big Seven Conference

Home stadium
  
Memorial Stadium

1953 record
  
3–6–1 (2–4 Big 7)

Head coach
  
Bill Glassford (5th year)

Offensive scheme
  
Single-wing formation / T formation

The 1953 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big 7 Conference in the 1953 college football season. The team was coached by Bill Glassford and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Contents

Before the season

Coach Glassford's fifth year began with uncertainty, as no clear pattern had yet emerged as to what to expect from the program under his leadership. After alternating losing and winning seasons since his arrival, any relief the Cornhusker faithful had felt at the improvement in fortunes since the dismal 1940s was fading as expectations held out for greater successes along the lines of what the program had been known for since its beginning. The coaching staff remained essentially intact with just one change as a former Pittsburgh head coach joined the program as an assistant.

After the season

The up and down alternating annual cycle that seemed to define coach Glassford's Nebraska career to date continued, as the Cornhuskers posted another losing season, his third in five years at the helm. Coach Glassford still retained an overall losing record at 20-25-3 (.448), and the 2-4 1953 conference slate dragged his conference career total below average, to 14-15-1 (.483). The football program's all-time conference record slipped to 134-52-12 (.707), and the overall record was now 336-173-34 (.650), the lowest percentage it had been since 1901.

Sentiment was growing for change at the top, from supporters and even apparently from players, and the pressure contributed to the resignation of Athletic Director (and former head football coach) George Clark. The board requested the resignation of coach Glassford, but his contract, coupled with out-of-state support, contributed to Glassford surviving the storm and staying on at Nebraska. Another former head football coach, Adolph J. Lewandowski, who had preceded Clark and helmed Nebraska football in 1943 and 1944, was named acting Athletic Director.

Future NFL and other professional league players

  • Charley Bryant, 1955 24th-round pick of the Green Bay Packers
  • Ted Connor, 1954 3rd-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles
  • Don Glantz, 1955 5th-round pick of the Washington Redskins
  • Jerry Minnick, 1954 9th-round pick of the Washington Redskins
  • Ray Novak, 1954 14th-round pick of the Detroit Lions
  • Bob Smith, 1955 15th-round pick of the Cleveland Browns
  • References

    1953 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team Wikipedia