Women's Gymnastics, 2015

Emily Parsons was an 11-time All-American during her distinguished career as a Husker gymnast from 2005 to 2008. She set a school record with 114 career event titles, and Parsons’ 11 All-America awards are tied for the most in Nebraska history. Parsons earned All-America recognition on multiple events in each of her four seasons. She was a first-team All-American in four different events, including the all-around. On the regional level, Parsons was a three-time regional gymnast of the year who was a four-time regional champion in the floor exercise, three-time winner on vault and two-time all-around champion. Parsons was also dominant on the conference level, where she was recognized as the 2005 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and the 2007 Big 12 Co-Gymnast of the Year. Parsons was named the Big 12 Gymnast of the Week 15 times during her career, and she was a seven-time Big 12 champion, including a dominant 2007 championship when she won titles in the all-around, vault, beam and floor exercise. Parsons earned her degree in sociology from the University of Nebraska in 2009.

Wrestling, 2015

Nebraska wrestling's first three-time All-American, Bill Scherr enjoyed tremendous individual and team success with the Huskers. Scherr won two Big Eight championships and one NCAA title while leading Nebraska to three consecutive top-10 finishes, a feat that has never been matched in the history of Husker wrestling. He ended his career as the program's all-time wins leader, and his 133 career victories stood as the most at Nebraska for more than a decade. He went 36-1 en route to the 1984 NCAA title at 190 pounds, posting the best season winning percentage in program history at the time. Scherr won 38 matches as a junior – then a program record – and added 37 wins as a sophomore to become the first Husker with three 30-win seasons. His national championship as a senior keyed Nebraska to a fourth-place team finish at the NCAA Championships, then the highest finish in program history. A year earlier, Scherr helped Nebraska to 11 consecutive wins, the longest winning streak in Husker history. Beyond Nebraska, Scherr was a Bronze Medalist at the 1988 Olympics. Scherr earned a Bachelor of Science in Education with a major in social science from the University of Nebraska in 1985.

Men's Gymnastics, 2018

Tom Schlesinger reached the pinnacle of his sport in every way possible during his four-year Husker career from 1985 to 1988. Schlesinger won two individual NCAA titles – including the 1987 all-around title – and was a key member of Nebraska's 1988 NCAA championship team, when he won the Nissen-Emery Award as the nation's top gymnast. In addition to being named the nation's top gymnast, Schlesinger was a seven-time All-American and five-time Big Eight champion. He was also an outstanding student, becoming the first Husker gymnast to be named an Academic All-American by claiming the honor as both a sophomore and senior. He also won an NCAA Top Six Award in 1989, presented to the NCAA's six most distinguished student-athletes across all sports and all divisions. Following his Husker career, Schlesinger made the 1988 United States Olympic team as an alternate and was a U.S. National Team member for seven consecutive years. He was inducted into the United States Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2006. Schlesinger earned his degree in chemistry from Nebraska in 1990 and went on to earn a Ph.D. in biochemistry and his medical degree.

Football, 2016

A member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame, Will Shields is one of the greatest offensive linemen to ever put on a jersey. Nebraska's first scholarship football player from the state of Oklahoma, Shields helped the Huskers win 37 games, two Big Eight championships and three NCAA rushing titles in his four seasons. He was named a first-team All-American in 1992, when he won the Outland Trophy as the nation's top interior lineman. Shields earned his speech communication degree from the University of Nebraska in the spring of 1993 and one year later, Nebraska retired his number (75). A third-round pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, Shields enjoyed a 14-year hall-of-fame NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs. Shields never missed a game during his career, playing in 224 games with 223 starts. A seven-time All-Pro, Shields was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his final 12 seasons. The 2003 NFL Man of the Year for his work in the community, Shields was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. He is one of three Huskers who are enshrined in both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. Will's son Shavon was a four-year starter for the Nebraska basketball team who concluded his career in 2016 with a second straight first-team CoSIDA Academic All-America honor.

Women's Gymnastics, 2015

From school records to national athletic and academic honors, Richelle Simpson did it all for the Nebraska women's gymnastics program. In perhaps the greatest accomplishment of her outstanding career, Simpson became the only Husker women's gymnast to earn first-team All-America honors on all five events in 2003, when she helped Nebraska to a fourth-place national finish, the best finish in program history. A two-time NCAA champion, Simpson totaled eight perfect scores in her career. She owns Nebraska's top all-time score on the vault (10.0 three times), balance beam (10.0 vs. Oklahoma in 2003) and floor exercise (10.0 four times), while also setting the program's top four all-around scores, including a school-record mark of 39.825 against Iowa State in 2003. The only Husker to score a perfect 10.0 on three different events, Simpson won two national titles and claimed nine All-America awards in her Nebraska career. In her second season at Nebraska in 2003, Simpson won NCAA titles in the all-around and floor exercise. Simpson was also crowned the 2003 Big 12 Gymnast of the Year, before an injury forced her to miss the 2004 season. She returned in 2005 to become Nebraska's first AAI Award winner, an honor annually given to the nation's top gymnast for athletic, academic and community achievement. Simpson was unable to compete at the 2005 NCAA Championships – missing out on adding to her All-America total – but she was rewarded for her performance in the classroom as a second-team CoSIDA Academic All-American. Simpson was also named the 2005 Big 12 Female Sportsperson of the Year and earned an NCAA Top 10 Award. Simpson was one of 10 national finalists for the 2004-05 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nebraska in 2005 with a double major in international studies and French.

Softball, 2015

The most dominant pitcher in Nebraska softball history, Lori Sippel excelled athletically and academically for the Huskers during her storied career. The first NU pitcher to earn All-America accolades, Sippel was a two-time All-American. She racked up 73 victories, a .760 winning percentage, 695.1 innings, a 0.54 ERA, 838 strikeouts, 39 shutouts, 80 complete games, 16 saves, six no-hitters and one perfect game, which all stood atop the Husker career charts until 2000. Sippel still holds Nebraska's all-time record in ERA, saves, no-hitters and perfect games. The first four-time, first-team all-conference selection in program history, Sippel was a finalist for the 1988 Honda Award, presented to the nation's top collegiate softball player. She was named the 1988 CoSIDA Softball Academic All-American of the Year, the only Husker to earn that honor. Sippel's pitching prowess helped lead Nebraska to a 151-49 record in her four seasons, totaling four Big Eight regular-season championships, four conference tournament titles and two trips to the Women's College World Series. Her No. 16 jersey is one of four retired jerseys in program history. Following her Husker career, Sippel was one of the sport's top international pitchers. A 2006 International Softball Federation Hall of Fame inductee, Sippel was Team Canada's ace at the 1996 Olympics. She then led Canada to a fourth-place finish at the 2008 Olympics as the Canadians' head coach. Sippel earned a Bachelor of Science in Education with a double major in coaching and special education-mild/moderately handicapped from the University of Nebraska in 1988. She immediately entered the coaching profession upon graduation, and Sippel has spent the past 26 seasons as a Nebraska assistant coach, serving as the Huskers' associate head coach since 2003.

Volleyball, 2024

Virginia Stahr was an All-American on the volleyball court and in the classroom as one of the greatest student-athletes in the history of Nebraska Athletics. On the court, Stahr was a two-time All-American, earning first-team honors as a junior in 1988 and second-team accolades as a senior in 1989, when she was also named the Big Eight Player of the Year. Stahr ended her career as Nebraska’s all-time leader in kills and aces and was second in program history in blocks. Nebraska went 116-20 in Stahr’s four seasons, including a 35-1 record in Big Eight Conference play. NU won four Big Eight regular-season titles in Stahr’s career, and she helped the Huskers to a pair of NCAA runner-up finishes. In the classroom, Stahr was a three-time first-team Academic All-American and was the first person to be a two-time Volleyball Academic All-American of the Year. An NCAA Top Six Award winner, Stahr earned her degree in elementary education from the University of Nebraska in 1989.

Bowling, 2022*

Bill Straub is the fifth head coach to be inducted into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame. Straub’s name is synonymous with Nebraska bowling, as he led the program for more than 35 years. He played a leading role in the advancement of bowling at both the institutional and national levels, helping elevate the program to varsity status at Nebraska and leading the charge for bowling to become an NCAA sport. Straub led the program from 1983 to 2019, first as a club sport (1983-95), then as a varsity sport (beginning in 1997-98) and finally an NCAA sport (beginning in 2003-04). Straub coached 16 seasons at the NCAA level before he retired following the 2019 season. He guided Nebraska to five NCAA titles and four runner-up finishes, including winning the first two NCAA Championships in 2004 and 2005. Straub led Nebraska to the NCAA Final in nine of the 16 seasons coaching at the NCAA level. He was a three-time National Coach of the Year (2005, 2013 & 2017), and Straub coached seven National Bowlers of the Year, including a stretch from 2000 to 2010 when a Husker was named the nation’s top bowler seven times. As a varsity sport, Nebraska won eight national titles and more than 100 tournaments under Straub. He also coached the men’s bowling program as a club sport from 1983 to 2003, winning two national titles on the men’s side. All told, Straub guided Nebraska to a total of 10 national championships. An outstanding bowler himself, Straub is a member of the Lincoln, Omaha and Nebraska Bowling Halls of Fame.

Football, 2024

One of the most dominant defensive linemen in the history of college football, Ndamukong Suh holds the distinction of being the only defensive player to be named the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year. He won the award as a senior in 2009, when he was also a Heisman Trophy finalist. Suh won a slew of major national awards in 2009, claiming the Outland Trophy, the Lombardi Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award. He was also a unanimous first-team All-American and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Suh totaled 215 tackles in his career with 57 tackles for loss and 24 sacks. He ranks second all-time at Nebraska in tackles for loss and fourth in sacks. In his stellar senior season, Suh led Nebraska with 85 tackles along with 24 TFLs, 12 sacks, 10 pass breakups and three blocked kicks. Following his Husker career, Suh was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. The 2010 NFL Rookie of the Year, Suh was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and a five-time All-Pro. Suh’s No. 93 jersey is retired, and he is a member of the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame. Suh earned his degree in construction management from the University of Nebraska in 2009.

Men's Gymnastics, 2019

Wes Suter was an individual and team national champion, the nation's top gymnast and an Olympian during his decorated career. As a freshman, Suter helped Nebraska to the 1983 NCAA championship team, the program's fifth consecutive national title. The Huskers finished in the top five at the NCAA Championships in each of Suter's four seasons, including first or second three times. Nebraska also won three Big Eight championships during Suter's career. As a junior, Suter had one of the most impressive seasons in NCAA history. He was the Big Eight all-around champion in addition to winning three of the six individual event titles. Suter then won three individual national titles at the NCAA Championships, where he was the NCAA all-around champion and also finished first on the floor exercise and on the high bar. As a senior, Suter won the Nissen-Emery Award as the nation's top gymnast. He won a pair of Big Eight individual titles and was an All-American in the all-around and on parallel bars, finishing his career as a six-time Big Eight individual champion and five-time All-American. Suter competed for the United States at the 1988 Olympics. He earned his degree in marketing from the University of Nebraska in 1987.