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This week in
Husker history

The week of Feb. 12-18, looking back in five-year intervals
 
francis_sam2 (4K)
«1937: The Chicago Bears obtain the rights to Sam Francis in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cornhusker All-American, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft two months earlier, says he might not even play pro football, but he would go on to spend four seasons in the league, two with the Bears. | Husker NFL draftees | Hall of Fame Huskers | Bio
 
1962: Dee Andros, a one-time assistant coach at Nebraska, is named head coach at Idaho. | NU assistant coaches, 1926-present
 
1967: The Sugar Bowl announces a payout of $236,000 each to Nebraska and Alabama, an amount that each school will share with its fellow conference members. In the Jan. 2 game, the Crimson Tide walloped the Huskers, 34-7.
 
1972: A month and a half after receiving the game ball from Nebraska's Orange Bowl win over Alabama, former Husker wide receiver Rex Lowe dies after a battle with Hodgkins disease.
 
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franklin_andra (12K)
1977: Andra Franklin, a running back from Alabama who spurned an offer from the Tide's Bear Bryant, is the headliner of the Huskers' recruiting class. Franklin would set an NU record for career rushing yards by a fullback (1,738) and would later start in the Super Bowl, but 14 of Neb­ras­ka's 27 signees would never earn a letter in Lincoln.
 
1987: Nebraska fans digest a mostly positive batch of recruiting news: After narrowing his choices to NU and Oklahoma, quarterback Mickey Joseph, a Parade and USA Today All-American, opted for the Huskers, signing his letter of intent a day after the rest of the Nebraska class. NU also signed Omaha Central running back Leodis Flowers but failed to reel in running back Emmitt Smith, who wore red and white to his signing event in Pensacola but went with the Florida Gators (1-2). | Class of 1987
 
1997: Lawrence Phillips is back in the news for the wrong reasons.
 
2002: Eric Crouch picks up his Davey O'Brien Award hardware – and hears encouraging words from Roger Staubach – at a ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas.
 
2007: Doak Ostergard is forced out as Nebraska head football trainer, a move that would alienate many fans and former players.
 
2012: St. Louis-area running back Ezekiel Elliott schedules a Nebraska visit as he considers multiple offers.
 
2017: Bob Elliott joins Mike Riley's staff as safeties coach, but cancer would take his life four months later. Also, Nate Gerry and Cethan Carter are the only Huskers to receive invitations to the NFL Scouting Combine.