Grant Wistrom
Rush End
1994-1997
Webb City, Mo.

• 1997 Lombardi Award Winner

One of the most feared defenders in school history, Grant Wistrom was the anchor of the Husker defense during one of the most successful eras in college football. During his career, the Huskers compiled a 49-2 record from 1994 to 1997, winning three national titles in that span (1994, 1995 and 1997), becoming only the second program in Division I history to win three national titles in a four-year period.

A two-time first-team All-American, Wistrom became Nebraska's fourth Lombardi Award winner as the nation's top lineman following the 1997 season. Wistrom, who holds the school record for tackles for loss with 58.5 for 260 yards and ranks second with 26.5 sacks, had his No. 98 retired during the 1998 season.

As a senior captain, the 6-foot-5 inch, 255-pound rush end from Webb City, Mo., finished with 51 tackles, including 8.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, leading the Blackshirts in both categories en route to earning Big 12 Defensive Player-of-the-Year honors. A finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Year, Wistrom helped the Huskers rank fifth nationally in total defense and second nationally against the run. He led Nebraska to a perfect 13-0 record and a share of the national title with Michigan.

In 1996, Wistrom was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, helping NU to top-10 rankings in all four major defensive categories. A first-team All-American and finalist for the Nagurski Award, Wistrom finished third on the team in tackles with 75, while leading the Huskers in both sacks (9.5-48 yards lost) and tackles for loss (20-74).

A third-team All-American as a sophomore, Wistrom recorded 44 stops, including a team-leading 15 tackles for loss, as Nebraska went 12-0 and repeated as national champions. He also had four sacks, earning first-team All-Big Eight honors as NU ranked second nationally against the rush, fourth in points allowed and 13th in total defense. During his freshman campaign, Wistrom made his presence known, earning Big 12 Newcomer-of-the-Year honors in helping the Huskers to their first national title since 1971. He played in all 13 games, recording 36 stops and 4.5 sacks, as one of only two true Husker freshmen to see time.

Wistrom was a two-time first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American and became the 13th Husker to win the NCAA's highest honor, the NCAA Top Eight Award, in 1997. He also earned the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Postgraduate Scholarship following his senior campaign and was the Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year for the 1997-98 season.

A first-round selection (No. 6 overall) by the St. Louis Rams in the 1998 NFL Draft, Wistrom played a reserve role as a rookie before earning a starting position in helping the Rams win the Super Bowl in 2000. He played six seasons in St. Louis from 1998 to 2003, before joining the Seattle Seahawks for the 2004, 2005 and 2006 campaigns. He made his third Super Bowl appearance with the Seahawks before retiring prior to the 2007 season.