Ralph Brown Season 1996

• Selected in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the New York Giants
• December, 1999 Graduate in Communication Studies
• 1999 Co-Captain
• 1999 First-Team All-American (Walter Camp, Football News, Sporting News, ABC/BCS.com, Football Foundation)
• 1999 Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist
• Three-Time Jim Thorpe Award Candidate (1997, 1998, 1999)
• 1998 Third-Team All-American (AP, Football News)
• Three-Time First-Team All-Big 12 (1997, 1998, 1999)
• 1997 Big 12 Commissioner's Fall Academic Honor Roll
• 1996 First-Team Freshman All-American (Sporting News)
• 1996 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year (AP)
• 1996 Honorable-Mention All-Big 12 (AP, Coaches)

Ralph Brown's School Records

• Game - Seven Pass Breakups (vs. Colorado, 1996)
• Season - 15 Pass Breakups (1999)
• Career - 50 Pass Breakups (1996-99)
• Tied Record for PBUs in a Bowl Game - 3 in 1998 Holiday Bowl
• 52 Consecutive Career Starts.

In his final game as a Husker, first-team All-American Ralph Brown added yet another school record to his impressive repertoire.  The Hacienda Heights, Calif., native started his 52nd consecutive game, breaking the school record and moving to No. 2 in NCAA history.  Brown will go down in history as one of Nebraska's best corners and certainly the most decorated.  In addition to his consecutive starts record, he owns school records for pass breakups in a game, season and career.  In fact, he had more than double the pass breakups as Bret Clark (safety, 1983-84) who ranks second all time at NU with 21.  In his career, Brown broke up at least one pass in 27 of his 48 regular-season starts.  His 11 interceptions are tied for third on the Nebraska career chart (school record is 14 by Dana Stephenson, 1967-69).  His 253 interception return yards moved the Huskers the length of the football field twice and then some.  Brown led the Huskers in pass breakups in each of the last four seasons with 12 as a freshman, nine in 1997, a school-record 14 in 1998 and a school-record 15 in 1999.  He was the first Husker to lead the team in pass breakups for four consecutive years.  He had 143 career tackles and scored three touchdowns in his career (on an interception, a fumble return and a blocked punt).

Brown graduated in December, 1999, in just seven semesters at NU, and was named one of four team captains in 1999.  He was a quiet leader, had great confidence, saw the field well and didn't get rattled.  A preseason All-American, Brown was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which goes to the nation's top defensive back.  Brown joined fellow DB Mike Brown as a first-team All-American, which marked the first time NU had two defensive backs earn All-America honors in the same year.  The Browns (no relation) were the first defensive backs to earn first-team All-American honors since Bret Clark was honored in 1984 and gave NU multiple All-Americans  for the 26th time in the history of Husker football (15th time since 1980).  Ralph was the 20th Husker all time (first defensive back) to earn first-team all-conference status three consecutive years, the first since Grant Wistrom (RE) and Aaron Taylor (OG) in 1997.  Brown acquired honors dating back to his freshman year.  In 1996, Brown was named the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year and earned first-team freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News.  In 1997, Brown helped NU to its third national championship in four years.

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Tackles

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.

Fum.

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.

QB

Int.

Year

G/S

UT

AT

TT

TFL

Sacks

C-R

BK

PBU

PI

Hry.

Csd.

1996

12/12

15

13

28

1-1

0-0

0-1

0

12

4

0

0

1997

12/12

18

11

29

2-5

0-0

0-1

0

9

2

0

0

1998 

12/12

27

19

46

2-3

0-0

0-1

0

14

2

0

0

1999

12/12

28

12

40

2-9

0-0

1-1

0

15

3

1

0

Totals 48/48 88 55 143 7-18 0-0 1-4 0 50 11 1 0

1996 Orange Bowl vs. Virginia Tech: Tackles, 1 UT, 0 AT, 1 TT 1998 Orange Bowl vs. Tennessee: Tackles, 1 UT, 0 AT, 1 TT, 1 fumble caused  1998 Holiday Bowl vs. Arizona: Tackles, 1 UT, 3 AT, 4 TT, 3 PBU
2000 Fiesta Bowl vs. Tennessee: Tackles, 7 UT, 1 AT, 8 TT, 1-3 TFL, 1 PBU   Inteception Returns - 11-253-1 (1-83-TD vs. Oklahoma, 1996) Fumble Returns - 2-100-1 (1-74-TD vs. Kansas State, 1998)