67 Days Until Gameday – Day #27 Dodge County, Nebraska

We have 67 days until our first game of the 2026-2027 football season against the Ohio Bobcats on 9/5/2026.
Yesterday we looked at Dixon County, Nebraska.

https://www.on3.com/boards/threads/68-days-until-gameday-–-day-26-dixon-county-nebraska.8879529/

Dodge County, Nebraska

• Population ~38,000 (2025)
• Dodge County is the 6th most populous county in Nebraska.
• Fremont is the county seat and the largest city in the county. With a population of ~27,500, Fremont is the 6th most populous city in Nebraska.
• License Plate prefix #5
• Established in 1854 and named after Iowa Senator Augustus Dodge, a prominent supporter to the Kansas-Nebraska Act. He is the one who introduced the bill that created the Nebraska Territory. (Perhaps we should appreciate Idiots Out Wandering Around a little more…)
• Approximately 543 square miles.
• The Elkhorn River flows through the northeastern part of the county and merges with the Platte River below the southeastern part of the county. The Platte River flows along the southern border of Dodge County.
• The population of Dodge County has been growing since 1990.
• North Bend is known as a ‘contract city’, which means it relies solely on the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office for police services. It does not have its own police department or city marshal like the other communities in the county.
• Ghost town of Jalapa holds a site marker for the ‘Pawnee War of 1859’. While not an actual war, there was a brief engagement between settlers’ militia and a large encampment of Pawnee, Omaha, and Ponca. 7 Pawnees had stolen ox, money, and whiskey from a settler. The Natives surrendered the 7 Pawnee without problem to avoid escalation, however an escape attempt from the 7 led to several deaths and injuries among those 7.
• Purple Cane, NE appeared on most Nebraska maps between 1872-1902, however all that remains today is a cemetery and 2 historic markers.
• Ames, Nebraska was originally named Ketchum.
• The first steam mill in Dodge County was located in North Bend.
• Hooper is home to a 24-foot obelisk with the town’s name on it, built due to concerns that the bypass on Rt.275 would leave the town forgotten and unnoticed.
• Fremont is the home of Midland University.
• In 1976, Fremont was rocked by an explosion from a natural gas leak in the Pathfinder Hotel. The building was predominantly used as apartments, mostly occupied by senior citizens. 20 people were killed in the explosion and fire.
• In 2025, a biofuels plant in Fremont exploded caused by an accidental dust fire, killing a man and 2 children.
• Freemont is known as a ‘bedroom community’ for Omaha.
• Hormel Foods in Fremont is the nation’s largest producer of spam.

Former Huskers and Spotlights (years are letterman years)
According to University of Nebraska-Lincoln records, there have been 29 letterman football players from Dodge County, NE:

• Lloyd Denslow – E 1905-1906, Hooper, NE.
  • Played for Nebraska from 1904-1906, lettering his last 2 seasons.
  • 1905 Team finished the year 8-2 and Nebraska State Champions going 3-0 against Nebraska schools.
• Herbert Dana – E 1919-1920, Fremont, NE.
  • After Nebraska, Herbert became a well-respected and premier college football referee.
• Marvin Paul – HB 1929-1931, Fremont, NE.
  • 170lb HB wearing #69 (nice)
  • Played his career under Dana Bible
  • 3x Big Six Conference Champion
• Ulysses Schlueter – T 1932, Fremont, NE.
• Arthur Ball – HB 1936, Fremont, NE.
  • 5’9” 170lb wearing #20
  • Played for Nebraska from 1935-1937, but only lettered in 1936.
  • 1936 Season was Dana Bible’s final year at Nebraska, going 7-2 and winning the Big Six Conference Championship
• Henry Rohn – FB 1939-1940, Fremont, NE.
  • 5’11” and 182lbh fullback wearing #15
  • Played at Nebraska under Biff Jones
  • 1940 Team finished the year 8-2, Big Six Conference champions, and played in the 1941 Rose Bowl against Stanford.
• Gerald Jacupke - G 1943 & 1946-1947, Fremont, NE.
  • 5’11” 175lb Guard wearing #74
  • Lettered his freshman year in 1943 and then left school to serve in the Navy during WWII.
  • After the war, he returned to Nebraska and lettered in 1946 and 1947 starting on the OL alongside future Husker Hall of Famer Tom Novak.
• Robert Tegt – T 1945-1946, Fremont, NE.
  • 6’ 215lb tackle wearing #62 (1945) and #63 (1946)
  • After Nebraska, Tegt climbed the corporate ladder with Hormel Foods in Fremont.

• Don Boll – T 1950-1952, Scribner, NE.
  • After graduating from Scribner High School in 1945, Boll enlisted in the United States Marine Corps (OORAH) and finished is contract as a Sergeant (back bone of the Marine Corps).
  • After the USMC, Boll played for Nebraska from 1949-1952, lettering from 1950-1952.
  • There was no football at Scribner HS, so his first experience playing football was for the Quantico Marine Team.
  • 6’2” 250lb guard and tackle wearing #75
  • Blocked for All-American Bobby Reynolds
  • All-Big Seven 1952
  • Selected 49th overall in the 1953 NFL draft by Washington Redskins.
  • 1953 NFL Rookie of the Year
  • Played 8 years in the NFL, 7 with Washington.
  • 2nd Team All-Pro in 1956.
  • Nebraska Football Hall of Fame member
  • Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame member

• Dennis Emanuel – G 1951 & 1958, North Bend, NE.
  • 6’ 205 guard wearing #61
  • Nicknamed “Duke” and “The Pride of North Bend”
  • Played for Nebraska from 1950-1951 and then 1958.
  • He left in the middle of his career to serve in the Army.
  • Had a game saving tackle in the 1958 upset against Penn State.
  • Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.
• Dean Lux – E 1955, North Bend, NE.
  • 6’4” 195lb End wearing #86
  • Played for Nebraska from 1953-1955, lettering in 1955.
  • Played in the 1955 Orange Bowl against Duke.
  • After Nebraska, he served 10 years in the Army and 50 years as a volunteer fire fighter in North Bend.
  • Elected the 44th Mayor of North Bend in 2018. He held the position until he passed away in 2019 at the age of 85.
• Duncan Drum – C 1963-1965, Fremont, NE.
  • 6’ 235lb center wearing #55
  • 3x Big Eight Champion

• Dan Anderson – OG 1972-1973, Fremont, NE.
  • 6’1” 230lb Guard wearing #67
  • Played at Nebraska from 1970-1973, lettering his last 2 seasons.
  • 2x Academic All-American
  • NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship winner
  • Anchored the OL for Bob Devaney’s last 2 seasons.
  • Member of the 1971 National Championship team

• Ritch Bahe – WB 1972-1974, Fremont, NE.
  • 5’11” 180lb wingback wearing #24
  • 2x Academic All-Big Eight
  • 1973 2nd Team Academic All-American
  • Led the 1973 team in receptions (30)
  • Finished his career with 65 carries for 383 yards, 52 catches for 707 yards and 4 TDs.
  • Drafted in the 14th round of the NFL draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.
  • Graduated from Fremont HS in 1971 as a 2x All-State football player and a High School All-American in 1970.
  • Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame member

• Al Eveland – PK 1974-1976, Ames, NE.
  • Part of Tom Osborne’s first recruiting class.
  • 6’1” 205lb kicker wearing #43
  • Led Nebraska in scoring in 1976 with 76 points, kicking 11 FGs.
  • 1976 2nd Team All-Big Eight
  • Passed away in 2012 at age 58 after a battle with cancer.
• Randy Poeschl– DT 1976-1978, Fremont, NE.
  • 6’8” 270lb defensive tackle wearing #75
  • Played at Nebraska from 1974 to 1978, lettering from 1976-1978.
  • Drafted in the 11th round of the 1979 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.
  • 1978 team finished 9-3 and Co-Big Eight champions.

• John Havekost – OG 1977-1979, Scribner, NE.
  • 6’4” 230lb guard wearing #69 (nice)
  • A Leader of the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame 1974 Scribner Class C State Championship team that went 10-0 outscoring opponents 391-25 and shutting out 7 opponents.
  • Played at Nebraska from 1976-1979, lettering in 1977-1979.
  • In 1978, he anchored the offensive line for Nebraska to lead the nation in total offense at 501 yards per game.
  • Recipient of the Husker Power Strength and Conditioning Award
  • 1979 1st Team All-Big Eight
  • Selected in the 7th round of the 1980 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos.
  • Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Member.

• Tom Vering – LB 1977-1979, Fremont, NE.
  • 6’2” 210lb linebacker wearing #47
  • Known for being a hard hitting linebacker
  • Played at Nebraska from 1975-1979, lettering from 1977-1979.
  • Set Bergan Catholic school records with 588 career rushing attempts.
  • Member of the St. Patrick’s-Bergan Athletic Hall of Fame.
  • 1979 team would finish 10-2, losing in the Cotton Bowl to Houston.
• Bob Kingston – IB 1984, Fremont, NE.
  • 5’11” 190lb I-back wearing #37.
  • Provided depth in the Husker backfield behind Doug Dubose, Keith Jones, Tom Rathman.

• Bryan Siebler – S 1984-1986, Fremont, NE.
  • 6’ 195lb safety wearing #19
  • Played at Nebraska from 1982-1986, lettering from 1984-1986.
  • Remembered for his game-saving interception against South Carolina in 1986 with 38 seconds on the clock and Nebraska up by 3.
  • Academic All-Big Eight

• Chip Bahe – SE 1987-1989, Fremont, NE.
  • 5’9” 170lb split end wearing #82
  • All-State split end at Freemont HS.
  • Ran a state-record 1600m relay (3:17.05) alongside Gerry Gdowski Jr.
  • Played at Nebraska from 1985-1989, lettering from 1987-1989.
  • Primarily a reserve player, Bahe played in 25 games in his career and had 2 catches for 32 yards.
  • Known for being a good perimeter and downfield blocker, he aided the 1989 team in securing the NCAA rushing title with 375.3 yards per game.
  • After Nebraska, he went on to win over 200 games as a basketball coach at Lincoln Northeast, Omaha South, Millard North, Lexington, Grand Island Northwest, and St. Paul.

• Gerry Gdowski – QB 1987-1989, Fremont, NE.
  • 6’ 190lb quarterback wearing #14
  • 2x All-State football player, 1x All-State basketball player, and 3x Track & Field State Champion at Fremont HS.
  • Had 8 gold medals in the state track meets, the first athlete to accomplish that in Nebraska in over 50 years.
  • Played at Nebraska from 1986-1989, lettering from 1987-1989.
  • Sat behind Steve Taylor until 1989.
  • 1989 Team Captain
  • 1989 Co-Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year
  • 2x Academic All-American, 2x Academic All-Big Eight
  • Finished his career with 1,398 passing yards and 19 TDs on 77/146 passes with 2 INTs. Also had 152 rushing attempts for 1,211 yards and 17 TDs.
  • Broke or tied 11 school records in the 1989 season.
  • Selected in the 8th round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints.
  • Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame member.
  • Nebraska Football Hall of Fame member.

• Erik Wiegert – OT 1989-1991, Fremont, NE.
  • 6’5” 275lb tackle and guard wearing #61.
  • All-State defensive end at Bergan Catholic.
  • Played for Nebraska from 1988-1991.
  • Co-Captain of the 1991 team
  • 1991 All-Big Eight
  • Anchoring the OL to lead the 1991 offense to the NCAA rushing title with 353 yards per game.
  • Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.

• Zack Wiegert – OT 1991-1994, Fremont, NE.
  • 6’5” 305lb tackle wearing #72
  • All-State tackle from Bergan Catholic.
  • Played at Nebraska from 1990-1994, lettering from 1991-1994.
  • Started 46 games, allowing only 1 sack the entire time.
  • Led the OL for Nebraska’s 11th NCAA rushing title in 1994, averaging 340 yards per game.
  • 3x All-Big Eight tackle, he is 1 of 6 linemen and 1 of 17 players in Nebraska history to accomplish 3 consecutive 1st Team All-Conference.
  • 2x All-American
  • 1994 Outland Trophy Winner
  • 1994 Jim Parker Trophy Winner
  • 1994 National Champion
  • Earned 1 first place vote in the 1994 Heisman voting, finishing 9th overall.
  • Drafted in the 2nd round of the 1995 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams.
  • Started 137 games in the NFL across 12 seasons with the Rams, Jaguars, and Texans.
  • Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame
  • National Football Foundation Hall of Fame
  • Nebraska Football Hall of Fame
  • College Football Hall of Fame.
• Merritt Nelson – TE 1995, Fremont, NE.
  • 6’4” 210lb tight end wearing #91
  • Due to a severe back injury, Nelson changed roles within the program and earned his letter due to his contributions to the coaching staff during the 1995 season.
• Chris Saalfeld – OG 2000, North Bend, NE.
  • 6-2” 275lb guard wearing #79.
  • Played at Nebraska from 1996-2000, lettering in 2000.
  • 1997 National Champion
  • 2000 Academic All-Big 12
  • Former walk-on program member
  • Played in 8 games in his career.
• Wes Cody – OG 2000-2002, Fremont, NE.
  • 6’2” 295lb guard wearing #59.
  • All-State offensive and defensive lineman from Fremont Bergan. Honorable Mention All-American.
  • Played at Nebraska from 1998-2002, lettering from 2000-2002.
  • Multiyear contributor played in 32 games, starting 13.
  • Had 178 career pancakes (not from IHOP or Denny’s)

• Jake Wesch– PK 2005-2008, North Bend, NE.
  • 6’1” 205lb place kicker wearing #37
  • 2x All-State kicker and 1x All-State Punter out of North Bend Central HS
  • Played at Nebraska from 2004-2008, lettering in 2005-2008.
  • Kickoff specialist in 2005 and 2006.
  • Threw a TD from a fake FG in 2007 against Kansas State.
  • Holder for Alex Henery and Adi Kunalic.
  • In 2007 as the holder, Nebraska posted the first perfect kicking season in school history, going 46-46 on PATS and 9-9 for field goals.
  • Became Nebraska’s Assistant Director of Football Operations in 2011.

• Cole Conrad – OL 2016-2018, Fremont, NE.
• 6’5” 300lb tackle and center wearing #62
• All-State lineman from Bergan Catholic
• 2016 Academic All-Big Ten
• Former walk-on turned scholarship player
• Very versatile offensive lineman who could play any position.
• Played in 27 games and making 16 starts.

Other Notable or Prominent People from/born in Dodge County:

• Reuben Gaylord – One of the earliest missionary pioneers in the Nebraska Territory. Considered the father of congregationalism in Nebraska. Established and preached at the church in Jalapa. Also played a key role in establishing the first Nebraska University in Fontanelle.
• Fannie Brown Patrick – Musician and music teacher in the late 1800’s. Lived in Fremont and was married in Jalapa. Later moved to Nevada, where she spent most of the early 1900’s playing a key role in the women’s suffrage movement in Nevada.
• Oswald Hoffmann – Radio broadcaster for The Lutheran Hour that reached over 1200 radio stations in America and 30 nations around the world. Born in Snyder, he and his family moved to Illinois at the age of 8.
• George Dern – 52nd U.S. Secretary of War under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. 6th Governor of Utah Co-inventor of the Holt-Dern Roaster, a furnace for recovering silver and gold from low-grade ores. Born in Scribner, NE, and married in Fremont. Also played football for Nebraska from 1893-1894, making him the 20th player to letter in football at Nebraska.
• J. Martin Klotsche – First chancellor for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a professor there from 1946-1973. Born in Scribner, NE and a UNL alum.
• Gregg Olson – Born in Scribner, NE, but attended high school at Omaha Northwest HS. Former MLB pitcher who pitched 14 seasons in the MLB. All-American baseball player for Auburn University. 1st round draft pick by the Baltimore Orioles in 1988. First reliever to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award. Set AL rookie record with 27 saves. 1990 MLB All-Star. Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame member. Finished his career with 217 saves, 40-39 record, 588 strikeouts, 3.46 ERA in 672 innings.
• Marg Helgenberger – Actress, known for her role in CSI. 1990 Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Supporting Actress on the show China Beach. Born in Fremont and grew up in North Bend. Went to college at Kearney and then transferred to Northwestern University. Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• Charles Purcell – Born in North Bend, NE. One of the most distinguished civil engineers of the 1900’s. Chief engineer for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. As California Director of Public Works, he oversaw the construction of the first freeway west of the Mississippi. Oversaw the first stack interchange in the world in Los Angeles. Played a big role in persuading Congress to authorize the Interstate Highway System. UNL alum.
• Eddie Watt – Former MLB pitcher who spent 10 years in the leagues. Finished career with 38-36 record with 462 strikeouts, 80 saves, and a 2.91 ERA. Originally from Iowa, his 2nd wife is from North Bend. When they married in 1972, he spent his offseasons and winters in North Bend. Used to work at the Pops-Right Popcorn Factory in North Bend.
• Lillian Boyer – Aerial wing walker, dare devil, and stuntwoman from 1921-1929. Born in Hooper, NE. Performed 352 shows in 41 states including 143 speeding car to plane jumps and 37 parachute jumps.
• Jordan Larson – Need I say more? Born in Fremont and raised in Hooper. 4x US Olympian medalist leading US to its first ever gold medal in women’s volleyball. Considered one of the greatest players in the history of USA Volleyball. Nebraska Gatorade High School Player of the Year 2004. Owns several state records for volleyball. 3x High School All-American. 3x NCAA All-American, leading Nebraska to the 2007 National Title. First player to win Big 12 Player of the Year and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Finished her career with 1,600 kills and 1,410 digs.
• Donald Schwab – Medal of Honor recipient from WWII. Born in Hooper, NE. Served in the Army and fought in France. Survived the war and lived out his days in Hooper, NE as a farmer. Posthumously awarded the MOH after the Defense Authorization Act in 2002 called for a review of ~600 Jewish American and Hispanic American veterans of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam to ensure no prejudice was shown in the determinations of awards. In total, 5 service members were awarded the MOH from the review, including Schwab. The Medal of Honor was awarded to him in 2014 by President Obama.
• William Armstrong – Born in Fremont and a graduate of Lincoln Northeast. Moved to Colorado in his 20’s where he later became a Senator and Congressman for Colorado.
• Robert Beerbohm – From Fremont, he was prominent in the growing comic convention scene in the 1960’s-1980’s. UNL alum.
• Harold Edgerton – Nicknamed ‘Papa Flash”, he was a scientist and professor of electrical engineering at MIT. Heavily involved with the sonar and deep-sea photography development. Born in Fremont, grew up in Aurora and Lincoln. UNL Alum.
• Charlie Janssen – From Fremont, served 2 terms as Auditor of Nebraska from 2015-2023.
• Jason Licht – Born in Fremont, but grew up in Colorado. Played football for Nebraska from 1989-1991, lettering in 1991. Listed as from Yuma, Colorado in his Husker profile. Transferred to Nebraska Wesleyan where he was an All-Conference defensive tackle. Has been the General Manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2014.
• James Milliken – Born and raised in Fremont, he was the 6th President of the University of Nebraska from 2004-2014. Has been the Chancellor at the University of Texas and at the City University of New York. Currently the President at the University of California. UNL alum.
• Ben Sasse – Born in Plainview and raised in Fremont. Served 2 terms in the Senate for Nebraska. President of Midland University from 2010-2014. President at the University of Florida from 2023-2024, resigning due to health issues with his wife. Ben was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer at the end of 2025.
• Jessica Shepard – born in Fremont and graduate of Fremont HS. Won a state title in women’s basketball with Lincoln Southeast in 2013. Played basketball for Nebraska from 2015-2017 earning 2x All-Big Ten honors and Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2016. She transferred to Notre Dame after 2017 where she won an NCAA title and was the 16th pick of the 2019 WNBA draft. She has been in the WNBA since, currently with the Dallas Wings.
• Julie Sommars – Born in Fremont, but raised in Iowa and South Dakota. Actress throughout the 1960’s-1970’s. Won a Golden Globe Award for her role in The Governor & J.J. Also known for her roles in The Great Sioux Massacre, The Pad and How to Use It, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo. She also appeared on shows like Gunsmoke, The Loretta Young Show, Felony Squad, and more.
• Hollis John “Sloppy” Thurston – Former MLB pitcher who played 11 seasons in the majors from 1923-1933, but played professionally from 1920-1938. Born in Fremont and moved to California in his childhood. In 1923, he was the 5th pitcher to ever throw an immaculate inning. He was the only White Sox pitcher to do it until 2024. Finished his MLB career with an 89-86 record with 306 strikeouts and a 4.24 ERA.

GO BIG RED

Resources:
https://storage.googleapis.com/husk.../ZD6pyAK8hFocPYXCFPaVccH8170tcm1uOYyc7u0R.pdf
https://dodgecounty.nebraska.gov/
https://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/12/07/us/HOOPER.html
https://huskers.com/news/2012/01/18/eveland-loved-huskers-fishing

Donald Schwab - U.S. Army, Medal of Honor Recipient


Medal of Honor Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:

First Lieutenant Donald K. Schwab distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as the Commander of Company E, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, during combat operations against an armed enemy near Lure, France on September 17, 1944. That afternoon, as First Lieutenant Schwab led his company across four hundred yards of exposed ground, an intense, grazing burst of machinegun and machine-pistol fire sprung forth without warning from a fringe of woods directly in front of the American force. First Lieutenant Schwab quickly extricated his men from the attempted ambush and led them back to a defiladed position. Soon after, he was ordered to overwhelm the enemy line. He rapidly organized his men into a skirmish line and, with indomitable courage, again led them forward into the lethal enemy fire. When halted a second time, First Lieutenant Schwab moved from man to man to supervise collection of the wounded and organize his company’s withdrawal. From defilade, he rallied his decimated force for a third charge on the hostile strong point and successfully worked his way to within fifty yards of the Germans before ordering his men to hit the dirt. While automatic weapons fire blazed around him, he rushed forward alone, firing his carbine at the German foxholes, aiming for the vital enemy machine-pistol nest which had sparked the German resistance and caused heavy casualties among his men. Silhouetted through the mist and rain by enemy flares, he charged to the German emplacement, ripped the half-cover off the hostile firing pit, struck the German gunner on the head with his carbine butt and dragged the German back through a hail of fire to friendly lines. First Lieutenant Schwab’s action so disorganized hostile infantry resistance that the enemy forces withdrew, abandoning their formidable defensive line. First Lieutenant Schwab’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_K._Schwab
https://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/valor24/recipients/schwab/