Three former Huskers are preparing for Super Bowl LV as Lavonte David, Khalil Davis and Ndamukong Suh are all members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that won the NFC Championship last weekend.

David, a starting inside linebacker, is in his ninth season with Tampa Bay, while Suh, a starting defensive lineman, is in his second season with the Bucs. A defensive lineman, Davis is also a member of the Buccaneers' active roster and will get to experience Super Bowl Weekend during his rookie season.

In Tampa Bay's 31-26 win at Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game, David registered four tackles and a pass defended, while Suh also made two tackles. Suh will be competing in the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons, as he was a starter with the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.

David ranks second on the Bucs' squad with 117 tackles this season, including 82 solo stops. The 2011 Big Ten Linebacker of the Year, David has been both an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in his NFL career, totaling more than 1,100 tackles with 12 interceptions, 51 passes defended, 24 forced fumbles and 24.0 sacks since entering the league in 2012.

An 11-year NFL veteran, Suh has totaled 44 tackles this season with 6.0 sacks. The only defensive player in college football history to be named the Associated Press Player of the Year, Suh is a four-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro honoree. He has made more than 500 tackles in his career with 64.5 sacks.

Davis was the Bucs' sixth-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, and the rookie registered a pair of tackles in two games played this season.

Nebraska's three former defensive players on active Super Bowl rosters tie for the most of any school in the country, while the Huskers' three overall players on active Super Bowl rosters rank fifth among all schools.

Super Bowl LV is set for Sunday, Feb. 7, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. This year marks the 27th time in the last 28 years that Nebraska has had at least one player on a Super Bowl roster.

Most Defensive Players on Active Super Bowl LV Rosters
1.  Nebraska - 3
     LSU - 3
     Iowa - 3
4.  5 schools tied - 2
 
Most Total Players on Active Super Bowl LV Rosters
1.  LSU - 6
2.  Michigan - 4
     Clemson - 4
     Iowa - 4
5.  Nebraska - 3
     5 others tied - 3
 
Based on Chiefs' and Buccaneers' active website rosters as of Jan. 27

Edwards Named to Player of the Year Watch List

Nebraska senior outfielder Tristen Edwards was one of 50 players nationally named to the 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List, announced on Wednesday, Jan. 27. Edwards is one of only two Big Ten players to make the watch list, along with Northwestern's Danielle Williams.

A native of Murrieta, Calif., Edwards appears on the top 50 watch list for the second straight season. She was putting together an impressive season last spring before it was cut short due to the global pandemic. Edwards was able to come back for a fifth season in 2021 after the NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility to all spring sport student-athletes.

A 2020 Softball America All-American, Edwards hit .434 in 23 games last season with 10 doubles, 11 home runs and 22 RBIs. She was the only player in the country to produce double-digit doubles and home runs during the shortened season. In 2020, Edwards ranked third nationally in slugging percentage (1.000) and total bases (76), fourth in home runs (11) and home runs per game (0.48), 14th in doubles (10) and 15th in runs per game (1.22).

Her strong 2020 season came after she was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in both 2018 and 2019. As a junior in 2019, Edwards was also an all-region selection after batting .376 with 12 doubles, 15 home runs, 50 RBIs, a .578 slugging percentage and .497 on-base percentage.

In her illustrious career thus far, Edwards ranks second in Nebraska history in career slugging percentage (.677), fourth in extra-base hits (85), fourth in doubles (42) and home runs (42), sixth in batting average (.353), eighth in RBIs (140) and 10th in runs scored (140).

Bond Wins PWBA Hall of Fame Classic

Lincoln – Former Husker Julia Bond claimed her first professional title on Wednesday, beating a pair of former Husker bowlers on her way to the PWBA Hall of Fame Classic title.

Bond, a five-time Team USA member who was a four-time All-American (2015-18) and Most Outstanding Bowler at the 2015 NCAA Championships at Nebraska, won four matches in the stepladder finals en route to the title. In all, three of the top four finishers were former Nebraska bowlers.

"I'm extremely proud of myself and how far I've come," Bond told PWBA.com after her first title. "There's naturally going to be some doubt when you go to the next level, but being able to push through in such a pressure situation and come away with my first title feels amazing."

After beating fifth-seeded Dasha Kovalova (213-157) in the first round, Bond downed former Husker Erin McCarthy (213-191) in the second match before ousting second-seeded Jillian Martin (245-211) to reach the finals.  In the championship match, Bond defeated another former Husker in the top-seeded Lindsay (Baker) Boomershine. 222-210.

Boomershine, who competed with the team from 2004-08, matched her best PWBA finish with her runner up showing. As a Husker, she was a three-time All-American and 2006 NTCA National Player of the Year. 

McCarthy competed with the Huskers for two seasons, highlighted by an appearance in the Huskers 2009 Championship.

Rifle Announces Schedule Changes

Lincoln – The Nebraska rifle program announced a scheduling change and one addition to the 2021 schedule.

Nebraska's rifle match against Akron on Saturday, Feb. 6, will take place, but it will be in virtual format with both teams shooting from their respective home facilities. The match will begin at 8 a.m. and fans can watch the match live by visiting results.megalink.no.

The 2021 Great American Rifle Conference championship will now take place on Feb. 27-28, in a virtual format. This event, which was added to the Huskers' schedule, will also be available to watch live on results.megalink.no for both days. The smallbore competition will take on Saturday, Feb. 27, while the air rifle event will take place on Sunday, Feb. 28. The start time will be 8 a.m. both days.

The Huskers, who are 4-2 on the season, jumped from eighth to sixth in the latest CRCA poll released this week.

Husker Multi-Eventers to Compete at Illinois

A group of eight Nebraska track and field multi-event athletes will head to Champaign, Illinois for the Illini B1G Multi-Meet on Friday and Saturday. Friday's events will begin at 1 p.m., while Saturday's action will start at 10 a.m.

The Huskers will be competing against multi-event athletes from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Purdue and Wisconsin.

For the Nebraska men, Kolby Heinerikson, Zach Podraza and Cale Wagner will compete in the heptathlon. For the Husker women, Jamieson Battistella, Johanna Ilves, Kate Kadrmas, Kerrigan Myers and Teri Zanker will participate in the pentathlon. 

Live results for the meet can be followed at shazam.live. 

Heptathlon Schedule
Friday
1 p.m. - 60m
1:40 p.m. - Long Jump
2:45 p.m. - Shot Put
3:45 p.m. - High Jump
Saturday
Noon - 60m Hurdles
12:45 p.m. - Pole Vault
2:30 p.m. - 1,000m

Pentathlon Schedule
Saturday
10 a.m. - 60m Hurdles
10:40 a.m. - High Jump
12:30 p.m. - Shot Put
1:40 p.m. - Long Jump
2:50 p.m. - 800m