THE NEBRASKA 100

After three years of seeing Ed Weir play against his teams, legendary Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne made a pretty bold statement: Weir was the greatest tackle he had ever seen.

Higher praise would be hard to find.

Weir helped Nebraska beat Notre Dame and its famed "Four Horsemen" in 1923 and 1925. So respected was Weir that years later he was invited to a Horsemen reunion in New York.

Weir's honors included being a two-time All-American and the first Husker enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame (1951). Sports Illustrated picked him for its greatest players of the first half-century.

Weir never left the field in a 24-0 win over Oklahoma when Memorial Stadium was dedicated on Oct. 13, 1923. In 1925, he played a major role in shutting down Illinois' Red Grange in a 14-0 victory.

"He was one of the most renowned players in Nebraska history," said Don Bryant, NU's sports information director emeritus. "Everybody in the country knew him."

Weir played three pro seasons with the Frankford Yellow Jackets. His stay with the suburban Philadelphia team included an NFL championship in 1926 and a stint as co-head coach in 1927.

In track, Weir won five events for Superior at the 1920 Class B state meet, then was a standout hurdler for Nebraska. The NU track stadium has carried his name since 1974.

-- Rich Kaipust