28 Days Until Gameday – Day #66 Otoe County, Nebraska

Exactly 4 weeks ladies and gentlemen!

We have 28 days until our first game of the 2026-2027 football season against the Ohio Bobcats on 9/5/2026.
Yesterday we looked at Nuckolls County, Nebraska.

https://www.on3.com/boards/threads/29-days-until-gameday-–-day-65-nuckolls-county-nebraska.8921505/

Otoe County, Nebraska

• Established in 1854 and named after the Otoe Tribe that lived in the area. The Otoe Tribe was a semi-nomadic group that travelled the lands around the Missouri River through Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri.
• License plate prefix # 11.
• The population is ~16,500 (2026) and has been growing since 1990.
• The county is approximately 619 square miles.
• Nebraska City is the county seat and largest city in the county.
• Nebraska City is the oldest incorporated city in the state.
• Nebraska City is the home of Arbor Day.
• The 3rd Secretary of Agriculture of the United States was J. Sterling Morton, landowner in Nebraska City.
• Mayhew Cabin in Nebraska City is 1 of 2 Underground Railroad sites in the state recognized by the National Park Service.
• The AppleJack Festival takes place every 3rd weekend of September in Nebraska City. Going on for over 40 years, it includes a parade, classic car show, carnival, AppleJack Fun run/walk, quilt and craft shows, food trucks, and more.
• There are many museums and exhibits to check out in Nebraska City. Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Mansion, Civil War Veterans Museum, Kregel Windmill Factory Museum, Missouri River Basin Lewis & Clark Visitor Center, Nebraska City Museum of Firefighting, and more.
• Nebraska City is the only municipality in the state that has a commissioner form of government.
• The first high school established in Nebraska was in Nebraska City in 1864.
• The Missouri River flows through the county as the eastern border.
• Most of Otoe County is committed to producing corn, soybean, milo, wheat, and fruit orchards.
• Dunbar used to be named ‘Wilson’, but was renamed to recognize the founder of the village. The village was a large freighting depot for good traveling west out of Nebraska City.
• In 1950, a flood killed two children, washed away 9 buildings and destroyed nearly the rest of the village
• On January 11, 1887, at 11:30 p.m., David Hoffman and James Bell derailed a passenger train carrying $17,000 in silver outside of Dunbar. The engineer was killed, and two people were severely injured. The two were arrested the next day. Hoffman was charged with first degree murder and sent to the gallows, while Bell was sentenced to ten years of hard labor in exchange for his testimony. On Friday, July 22, 1887, at 10:32, David Hoffman became the first person legally executed in Otoe County.
• Lorton was originally named ‘Delta’, but a year later the town was renamed to Lorton since there was another town along the railroad named Delta and to avoid repetition.
• Lorton and Burr used to belong to Nemaha Valley Schools, but in 2007 Nemaha Valley merged with Johnson County Central Public Schools.
• Otoe used to be named ‘Berlin’. The original settlers were German Lutherans. When the U.S. entered WWI, a large anti-German sentiment grew in the U.S. and towards the village of Berlin by those in the county and surrounding areas. In 1918, there were a series of fires that destroyed an entire block on Main Street caused by an anti-German arsonist. As the war was coming to an end, Berlin changed its name to Otoe.
• A tornado in 1913 destroyed most of the village, but it was quickly rebuilt.

Former Huskers and Spotlights (years are letterman years)
According to University of Nebraska-Lincoln records, there have been 17 letterman football players from Otoe County, NE.

Harry Johnston – HB 1943, Douglas, NE.
The 1943 team went 2-6 in head coach Adolph Lewandoski’s 1st year.


Dean Steinkuhler – OG 1981-1983, Burr, NE.
6’3” 270lb guard wearing #71.
Went to Sterling HS in Johnson County.
1983 All-Big Eight
1983 All-American – At the time made Burr the smallest hometown to ever produce an All-American.
1983 Lombardi Award winner
1983 Outland Trophy winner
Considered one of the greatest OL in Husker history.
Anchored the 1983 line for Mike Rozier to be the 2nd player in NCAA history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. The team averaged 401.7 yards per game and led the nation in scoring at 52 points per game.
#71 jersey is retired
Drafted 2nd overall in the 1984 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. Irving Fryar was the #1 overall pick and that marked the 2nd time in NFL history that the first two picks are from the same school.
The highest Husker lineman taken in the draft.

Charles Cotton - G 1902-1905, Syracuse, NE.
Played at Nebraska from 1902-1905.
The 1902 team went 9-0.
The 1903 team went 10-0.
The 1904 team went 7-3 and was Nebraska State Champions.
The 1905 team went 8-2 and was Nebraska State Champions.
All 4 team were coached by head coach Walter Booth.

Tyler Zahn – LB 1991, Syracuse, NE.
6’2” 225lb inside linebacker wearing #35.
Lettered at Nebraska in 1991


Bret Clark – S 1982-1984, Nebraska City, NE.
6’3” 200lb safety wearing #10
All-State player out of Nebraska City HS. Coached by Lloyd Maskell, he joined 3 other standouts from Nebraska City HS.
Played at Nebraska from 1980-1984, lettering from 1982-1984.
Finished his career with 143 tackles, 1 TFL, 5 fumble recoveries, 12 INTs.
1982 Sophomore All-American
1983 Honorable Mention All-American
2x All-Big Eight
1984 All-American
Set school record for career tackles for defensive back, career pass break ups.
Selected in the 7th Round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Raiders.


Chad Daffer – LB 1983-1985, Nebraska City, NE.
6'1" 230lb linebacker wearing #46.
All-State player out of Nebraska City HS for Lloyd Maskell. Class B defensive player of the year in 1981.
Finished his career with 89 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 TFL, 3 INT, 2 fumble recoveries.

Kenneth Dermann – G 1944, Nebraska City, NE.
The team went 2-6 in head coach Lewandowski’s 2nd year.


Mitch Krenk – TE 1981-1982, Nebraska City, NE.
6’4” 225lb tight end wearing #89.
All-State player out of Nebraska City HS for Lloyd Maskell.
Played at Nebraska from 1978-1982, lettering from 1981-1982.
1981 Nebraska Lifter of the Year
Finished his career with 18 catches for 250 yards and 2 TDs.
In 1982, he caught a 37-yd fingertip catch from Irving Fryar to set up the go-ahead touchdown in Nebraska’s 28-24 victory over Oklahoma to clinch the Big Eight title.
Signed free agent deal with the Chicago Bears where he won Super Bowl XX.


Greg Orton – OG 1983-1984, Nebraska City, NE.
6’1” 260lb guard wearing #67.
All-State lineman out of Nebraska City HS for Lloyd Maskell.
Played at Nebraska from 1980-1984, lettering from 1983-1984.
Played guard and tackle for the 1983 line, considered one of the most dominant offensive lines in college football history.
1984 All-Big Eight

Ronald Poggemeyer – S 1965-1966, Nebraska City, NE.
5’8” 180lb safety wearing #26.
Played at Nebraska from 1963-1966, lettering from 1965-1966.
The 1965 team went 10-1 in head coach Bob Devaney’s 4th year. Also Big Eight champions.
The 1966 team went 9-2 in Devaney’s 5th year, repeated as Big Eight champions.
Served in the Army for 24 years and retired as Lt. Colonel.
Passed away in 2019 at 75 years old.

Budge Porter – DB 1976-1977, Nebraska City, NE.
Played at Nebraska from 1974-1976, lettering from 1976-1977.
Coming into the 1976 spring season, Porter went to tackle I.M. Hipp and broke his neck, resulting in total paralysis.
2015 Ron Gustafson Inspiration Award winner.
A third generation Husker.

Grove Porter – QB 1914, Nebraska City, NE.
QB from Nebraska City who lettered in 1914.
The first of 3 generations of Huskers who would play and letter at Nebraska.
Managed a 300-acre orchard in Nebraska City that became part of Arbor Day Farm.

Morton Porter – G 1943, Nebraska City, NE.
Lettered at Nebraska in 1943.
Owned the 300-acre orchard in Nebraska City that later became part of Arbor Day Farm.


Scott Porter – FB 1983-1984, Nebraska City, NE.
6’ 220lb fullback wearing #36.
Younger brother of Budge Porter.
Also a 3rd generation Husker to letter at Nebraska.
Shared fullback duties with Tom Rathman in 1984.

Patrick Rooney – HB 1943-1946, Nebraska City, NE.
Originally came to UNL to play in the band.

Robert Schneider – E 1943, 1948, Nebraska City, NE.
6’1” 180lb end wearing #36.
Lettered at Nebraska in 1943 and 1948.

Eugene Sim – T 1942, Nebraska City, NE.
6’3” 230lb tackle wearing #29.


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

David Hoffman - the first person legally executed in Otoe County.


Sam Francis – Born and raised in Dunbar but graduated high school in Oberlin, KS. He is listed on Nebraska records as from Kansas. Sam Francis is one of Nebraska’s All-Time greats across all sports. 6’1” 205lb fullback wearing #38. He played at Nebraska from 1933-1936, lettering from 1934-1936. Francis was a 2x All-Big Six player, 1936 All-American, 2x Big Six champion, 1 of 4 Huskers to be 1st Team All-American in football and track. 1936 Heisman runner-up. 2x Big Six Indoor Shot Put champion, 2x Big Six Outdoor Shot Put champion, 1937 NCAA champion for Indoor and Outdoor Shot Put. Selected 1st overall in the 1937 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Member of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, and the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.

Francis served in the Army during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, retiring as a Lt. Colonel.

George Heinke – Born in Dunbar and grew up in Douglas. Graduate of Nebraska Law and became the prosecuting attorney for Otoe County from 1919-1923 and 1927-1935. He served in Congress from 1939-1940. He was killed in a car accident on his return to DC after Christmas holiday in 1940.

William Harrison – Born and raised in Dunbar. Moved to Wyoming after graduating from Nebraska State School of Agriculture. He built the first gas station in Pine Bluffs, became the mayor of Pine Bluffs, and later served in the Wyoming House of Representatives.

Anthony Dexter – Born in Talmage, NE. He was an actor who starred in roles from 1950-1967.

Monroe Hayward – Born in New York but after the Civil War, he homesteaded in Nebraska City and was a member of the Nebraska State Constitutional Convention. He later became a judge of the district court of Nebraska. He was elected as a US Senator for Nebraska, but died shortly before taking the oath of office.

William Hayward – born and raised in Nebraska City. After graduating from UNL, he practiced law in Nebraska City. He served in the Army during the Spanish-American War. Hayward moved to New York practicing law afterwards and when WWI began, he re-entered active duty and created the 15th New York Infantry, better known as the Harlem Hellfighters. The regiment fought on the front for 191 days, longer than any other American regiment.



GO BIG RED



Resources:
https://storage.googleapis.com/husk.../ZD6pyAK8hFocPYXCFPaVccH8170tcm1uOYyc7u0R.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otoe_County,_Nebraska