25 Days Until Gameday – Day #69 (nice) Phelps County, Nebraska

HuskerInCarolina · Aug 11, 2026

We have 25 days until our first game of the 2026-2027 football season against the Ohio Bobcats on 9/5/2026.
Yesterday we looked at Perkins County, Nebraska.

https://www.on3.com/boards/threads/26-days-until-gameday-–-day-68-perkins-county-nebraska.8924663/

Phelps County, Nebraska

Established in 1873 and named for William Phelps, a steamboat captain and an early settler in the area.
License plate prefix #37.
The county is approximately 540 square miles.
The population is ~9,000 (2025) and has fluctuated throughout the years but has average around 9,500 since 1920.
Holdredge is the county seat and the largest city in the county.
The Platte River flows along the northern border of the county.
Most of the early settlers of Loomis were Swedish immigrants.
In 1914, Loomis was victim to a large fire in the village that destroyed 9 business buildings.
In 1934, 3 astronauts crash landed in a Loomis farm field owned by Rueben Johnson during an attempt to reach the stratosphere. It was launched from a canyon near Rapid City, SD. They used hydrogen to lift the gondola. The balloon naturally drifted south over Nebraska and a tear formed in the balloon. At 5,000 feet above Loomis, the hydrogen balloon exploded and sent the burning gondola to the ground. The 3 astronauts were able to jump out of the gondola and parachute to safety.
Camp Atlanta was located right outside Atlanta, NE during WWII and housed over 3,000 prisoners of war from Nazi Germany. The prisoners would work farms and municipal projects throughout the region. During the war, there were more prisoners at the camp than the town had in population during its entire existence. Some soldiers returned after the war to live in Atlanta and two of the German POWs applied for citizenship and returned to Atlanta after the war.
Holdredge was largely settled by Swedish immigrants.
Holdredge was named after George Holdredge, who was the general manager of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad Company. He constructed most of the line’s mileage through Nebraska.
In 1884, a campaign was started to move the county seat from Phelps Center to Holdrege, and an election was scheduled for October. By that time, the town had acquired a block of ground on which to erect a courthouse. With calm assurance of victory at the polls, Holdrege laid the cornerstone of the building intended to be the Phelps County Courthouse. At the special election, Holdrege received a majority of the votes but the legality of the election was questioned. So citizens of Holdrege went to Phelps Center, picked up the official records and books and hid them for two months pending the arrival of new county officials who would take over on January 1, 1885. Holdrege succeeded in becoming the county seat and the courthouse was completed.
The Nebraska Prairie Museum is located in Holdredge and averages over 23,000 visitors per year.
Lake Seldom Wildlife Refuge is the largest municipally owned wildlife refuge in Nebraska at 325 aces.

Former Huskers and Spotlights (years are letterman years)
According to University of Nebraska-Lincoln records, there have been 14 letterman football players from Phelps County, NE.

Todd Brown – SE 1979-1982, Holdrege, NE.

6’ 175lb split end wearing #29.
All-State player under Coach Ted Mills out of Holdredge HS.
State champion in long jump, triple jump, and 100yd dash.
Played at Nebraska from 1979-1982, lettering all 4 years.
Originally came to Nebraska to run track, switched to football and lettered as a true freshman.
Led the Huskers in receiving as a sophomore in 1980.
1980 Honorable Mention All-Big Eight
Finished his career with 65 catches for 1,092 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Selected in the 6th round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.

Brian Edgren - MG 1988, Holdredge, NE.

6’1” 250lb middle guard wearing #63.
All-State player for coach Fred Ivey out of Holdredge HS.
Played at Nebraska from 1986-1989, lettering in 1988.
Recorded 3 tackles his junior year.

Randy Florell – LB 1980, Holdredge, NE.

6’2” 235lb linebacker wearing #77.
All-State player for Coach Ted Mills at Holdredge HS.
Played at Nebraska from 1976-1980, lettering in 1980.
Reserve linebacker most of his career, he got in the rotation his senior year.
The Huskers went 29-7 his 3 years playing varsity football.

James Huge – RE 1960-1962, Holdredge, NE.

6’1” 185lb end wearing #85.
Lettered at Nebraska from 1960-1962.
1962 Academic All-American
3x Academic All-Big Eight
Had the highest GPA on the team in 1962.
Played basketball for the Huskers, lettering in 1961 and 1963.
Finished his career with 19 catches for 319 yards and 2 TDs.
Member of Bob Devaney’s 1st team and 1st bowl win.

Robert Manley – QB 1930-1931, Holdredge, NE.

170lb quarterback wearing #14.
Lettered at Nebraska from 1930-1931.
The 1930 team went 4-3-2 in Coach Dana Bible’s 2nd season.
The 1931 team went 8-2 and finished as Big Six champion in Coach Bible’s 3rd year.

Andy Means – CB 1978-1980, Holdredge, NE.

6’ 190lb defensive back wearing #34.
All-Conference player for Coach Ted Mills out of Holdredge HS.
Played at Nebraska from 1976-1980, lettering from 1978-1980.
His father, Arden, lettered at Nebraska in 1943 and from 1948-1950. While at the Merchant Marine Academy in 1944 and 1945, he starred on the offensive line and is a member of the US Merchant Marine Academy Hall of Fame.
1979 All-Big Eight
2x Honorable Mention All-Big Eight
2x Academic All-Big Eight
Finished his career with 89 tackles,85 INTs, and 1 fumble recovery.

Matt Strasburger – S 1985, Holdredge, NE.

6’2” 190lb safety out of Holdredge HS.
Lettered at Nebraska in 1985.
The 1985 team went 9-3, losing the Fiesta Bowl to Michigan in Coach Tom Osborne’s 13th season.

Scott Strasburger – DE 1982-1984, Holdredge, NE.

6’1” 205lb defensive end wearing #90.
All-State player for Coach Chuck Mills out of Holdredge HS.
Tom Osborne came to Scott’s home on Christmas Day to talk Scott out of going to an Ivy League school and walking on at Nebraska instead.
3x Big Eight champion
1984 All-Big Eight
2x Academic All-American
Set a defensive lineman single season record in 1984 with 7 pass breakups.
Finished his career with 113 tackles, 23 TFLs, 15 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, 2 INTs, 10 PBUs.
Nebraska Football Hall of Fame member
National Football Foundation Hall of Fame member
Selected in the 10th round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.
Instead chose to go to med school where he became an orthopedic surgeon practicing in Lincoln and has been one of the physicians for the university athletic department.

Caesar Swanson – G 1911-1912, Holdredge, NE.

185lb left guard for the Huskers in 1911 and 1912.
The 1911 team went 5-1-2 and was Missouri Valley Conference co-champion and Nebraska State champion in Coach Ewald Stiehm’s 1st season.
The 1912 team went 7-1 and was Missouri Valley Conference co-champion and Nebraska State champion in Coach Stiehm’s 2nd season.

HuskerInCarolina · Aug 11, 2026

Joey Robison – CB 2004-2005, Bertrand, NE.

5’9” 180lb cornerback wearing #19.
All-State player for Coach Brent Streeter out of Bertrand HS.
Played at Nebraska from 2001-2005, lettering from 2004-2005.
Played in 26 games in his career, standing out on special teams.
Finished his career with 13 tackles.
2005 Academic All-Big 12.

Kyle Larson – P 2001-2003, Funk, NE.

6’ 205lb punter wearing #19.
A native of Funk, he attended high school in Kearney.
All-State player at Kearney HS.
Walked-on at Nebraska and started from 2001-2003.
2003 All-American
Ray Guy Award finalist
2x All-Big 12
Played 5 years in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Set a Nebraska record with 45.1 yards per punt, that would later be broken by Sam Koch.

David Edeal – C 1988-1990, Loomis, NE.

6’2” 260lb center wearing #58.
All-State player out of Loomis HS.
Played at Nebraska from 1986-1990, lettering from 1988-1990.
1989 Academic All-American
2x Academic All-Big Eight
Played in 30 games on the offensive line.
In 1990, the Huskers led the Big Eight in rushing (340 ypg), total offense (444 ypg), and scoring (37.5 ppg).

Dennis Thorell – CB 1965-1966, Loomis, NE.
5’11” 175lb safety wearing #25..
3x All-State player out of Loomis HS.
Led Loomis to back to back undefeated state championships.
Head coach at Lexington HS for 29 years.
Bronze Star recipient in the Vietnam War.
Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame member.
Nebraska Eight Man Football Hall of Fame member.

Lance Thorell – DB 2008-2011, Loomis, NE.

6,1” 200lb defensive back wearing #23.
All-State player out of Loomis HS.
Former walk-on player.
Played in 52 games in his career, starting 9, finishing with 76 tackles and 1 INT.
3x Academic All-Big 12
Academic All-Big Ten

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

John Robert Brown – Born in Funk, NE. He graduated from Nebraska and got his J.D. from Michigan. He served as a judge, chief, judge, and senior judge on the 5th Circuit of the US Court of Appeals from 1955-1993. He was the last remaining judge appointed by President Eisenhower.

Charles Littel – Born and raised in Bertrand, NE. He graduated from Bertrand HS and UNL. He began teaching in Indianola, NE at 16 years old. At 21 he was elected county superintendent of public instruction in Hitchcock County. He helped found Centralia Junior College in Washington, Yakima Valley Junior College in Washington, Aberdeen and Hoquiam Junior College in Washington, and Bergen County Junior College in New Jersey.

Karen Dahlgren Schonewise – Born and raised in Bertrand, NE. All-State volleyball and basketball player from Bertrand HS. Also 2x 100m hurdles champion in track. Karen Dahlgren played a key role in Nebraska’s 1986 national runner-up finish. A two-time All-American, Dahlgren was honored as a Honda-Sport Award winner in volleyball after being named to the Academic All-America team three straight years. Dahlgren holds school records for solo blocks in a match (6), season (46) and career (132). She ranks sixth on the all-time total blocks chart with 558. The Bertrand native is also third in school history with a career hitting percentage of .386. Dahlgren was also NU’s first volleyball Academic All-American, earning honors in 1984, 1985 and 1986. She was 4x All-Big Eight. She is a member of the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame and the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame. Her jersey is retired at Nebraska.

Warren Urbom – Born and raised in Atlanta, NE. After serving in WWII, he graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan and got his J.D. from Michigan. He was appointed as a judge of the US District Court for the district of Nebraska by President Nixon. He served as judge, chief judge, and senior judge from 1970-2017.

John Almquist – Born in Holdredge, NE, but moved to Pennsylvania as a child. Played a role in establishing a dairy breeding research center that focused on researching artificial insemination and was awarded the Wolf Prize in 1981 for early work on the addition of antibiotics to bull *****.

Tom Carlson – Born in Holdredge, Tom served 2 terms in the Nebraska Legislature from 2007-2015.

Mark Christensen – Born in Holdredge and grew up in Arapahoe. Graduated from UNL and served in the Nebraska Legislature from 2007-2015.

Joseph Cleland – Born in Holdredge and grew up in Omaha. A graduate of West Point, Cleland would climb the ladder to become a Major General in the US Army. He was awarded the Soldier’s Medal during WWII when he saw a downed US Pilot in the ocean near Bougainville Island and swam over half a mile in the sea towing a life raft to rescue the pilot who was stuck in his parachute. He would hold command of the 40th Infantry Division during the Korean War.

Ralph Cornell – Born in Holdredge and moved to California as a young adult. He would serve in the Army during WWI after graduating from Pomona College and Harvard University. He would become a landscape architect whose work is recognized on the campuses of Pomona College, Hawaii-Honolulu, and UCLA.

Susanne Jalbert – Born in Holdredge. Susanne is a notable activist for economic development and women’s rights. She received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Colorado State University and is a member of the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame.

Jerry Johnson – Born in Holdredge. Served as mayor of Wahoo. Served on the Nebraska Legislature from 2013-2017.

Harry Schmidt – Born in Holdredge. Served in the Marine Corps (OORAH) from 1909-1948. General Schmidt was the commanding general of the 4th Marine Division in the Battle of Kwajalein and the Battle for Saipan. He commanded the 5th Amphibious Corps for the Battle of Tinian Island and the Battle of Iwo Jima.

GO BIG RED

Resources:
https://storage.googleapis.com/husk.../ZD6pyAK8hFocPYXCFPaVccH8170tcm1uOYyc7u0R.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phelps_County,_Nebraska
https://phelpscounty.ne.gov/
https://visit37.com/

Poster FKA schuele · Aug 11, 2026

Several good Husker players from Phelps County, but Todd Brown was a really solid WR. Nearly unheard of for a true freshman, let alone a walk-on, to break through and get major playing time during that era.

dinglefritz · Aug 11, 2026

HuskerInCarolina said:
View attachment 1390591
Joey Robison – CB 2004-2005, Bertrand, NE.

5’9” 180lb cornerback wearing #19.

All-State player for Coach Brent Streeter out of Bertrand HS.

Played at Nebraska from 2001-2005, lettering from 2004-2005.

Played in 26 games in his career, standing out on special teams.

Finished his career with 13 tackles.

2005 Academic All-Big 12.

View attachment 1390592
Kyle Larson – P 2001-2003, Funk, NE.

6’ 205lb punter wearing #19.

A native of Funk, he attended high school in Kearney.

All-State player at Kearney HS.

Walked-on at Nebraska and started from 2001-2003.

2003 All-American

Ray Guy Award finalist

2x All-Big 12

Played 5 years in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Set a Nebraska record with 45.1 yards per punt, that would later be broken by Sam Koch.

View attachment 1390593
David Edeal – C 1988-1990, Loomis, NE.

6’2” 260lb center wearing #58.

All-State player out of Loomis HS.

Played at Nebraska from 1986-1990, lettering from 1988-1990.

1989 Academic All-American

2x Academic All-Big Eight

Played in 30 games on the offensive line.

In 1990, the Huskers led the Big Eight in rushing (340 ypg), total offense (444 ypg), and scoring (37.5 ppg).

Dennis Thorell – CB 1965-1966, Loomis, NE.
5’11” 175lb safety wearing #25..
3x All-State player out of Loomis HS.
Led Loomis to back to back undefeated state championships.
Head coach at Lexington HS for 29 years.
Bronze Star recipient in the Vietnam War.
Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame member.
Nebraska Eight Man Football Hall of Fame member.

View attachment 1390594
Lance Thorell – DB 2008-2011, Loomis, NE.

6,1” 200lb defensive back wearing #23.

All-State player out of Loomis HS.

Former walk-on player.

Played in 52 games in his career, starting 9, finishing with 76 tackles and 1 INT.

3x Academic All-Big 12

Academic All-Big Ten

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

John Robert Brown – Born in Funk, NE. He graduated from Nebraska and got his J.D. from Michigan. He served as a judge, chief, judge, and senior judge on the 5th Circuit of the US Court of Appeals from 1955-1993. He was the last remaining judge appointed by President Eisenhower.

Charles Littel – Born and raised in Bertrand, NE. He graduated from Bertrand HS and UNL. He began teaching in Indianola, NE at 16 years old. At 21 he was elected county superintendent of public instruction in Hitchcock County. He helped found Centralia Junior College in Washington, Yakima Valley Junior College in Washington, Aberdeen and Hoquiam Junior College in Washington, and Bergen County Junior College in New Jersey.

Karen Dahlgren Schonewise – Born and raised in Bertrand, NE. All-State volleyball and basketball player from Bertrand HS. Also 2x 100m hurdles champion in track. Karen Dahlgren played a key role in Nebraska’s 1986 national runner-up finish. A two-time All-American, Dahlgren was honored as a Honda-Sport Award winner in volleyball after being named to the Academic All-America team three straight years. Dahlgren holds school records for solo blocks in a match (6), season (46) and career (132). She ranks sixth on the all-time total blocks chart with 558. The Bertrand native is also third in school history with a career hitting percentage of .386. Dahlgren was also NU’s first volleyball Academic All-American, earning honors in 1984, 1985 and 1986. She was 4x All-Big Eight. She is a member of the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame and the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame. Her jersey is retired at Nebraska.

Warren Urbom – Born and raised in Atlanta, NE. After serving in WWII, he graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan and got his J.D. from Michigan. He was appointed as a judge of the US District Court for the district of Nebraska by President Nixon. He served as judge, chief judge, and senior judge from 1970-2017.

John Almquist – Born in Holdredge, NE, but moved to Pennsylvania as a child. Played a role in establishing a dairy breeding research center that focused on researching artificial insemination and was awarded the Wolf Prize in 1981 for early work on the addition of antibiotics to bull *****.

Tom Carlson – Born in Holdredge, Tom served 2 terms in the Nebraska Legislature from 2007-2015.

Mark Christensen – Born in Holdredge and grew up in Arapahoe. Graduated from UNL and served in the Nebraska Legislature from 2007-2015.

Joseph Cleland – Born in Holdredge and grew up in Omaha. A graduate of West Point, Cleland would climb the ladder to become a Major General in the US Army. He was awarded the Soldier’s Medal during WWII when he saw a downed US Pilot in the ocean near Bougainville Island and swam over half a mile in the sea towing a life raft to rescue the pilot who was stuck in his parachute. He would hold command of the 40th Infantry Division during the Korean War.

Ralph Cornell – Born in Holdredge and moved to California as a young adult. He would serve in the Army during WWI after graduating from Pomona College and Harvard University. He would become a landscape architect whose work is recognized on the campuses of Pomona College, Hawaii-Honolulu, and UCLA.

Susanne Jalbert – Born in Holdredge. Susanne is a notable activist for economic development and women’s rights. She received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Colorado State University and is a member of the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame.

Jerry Johnson – Born in Holdredge. Served as mayor of Wahoo. Served on the Nebraska Legislature from 2013-2017.

Harry Schmidt – Born in Holdredge. Served in the Marine Corps (OORAH) from 1909-1948. General Schmidt was the commanding general of the 4th Marine Division in the Battle of Kwajalein and the Battle for Saipan. He commanded the 5th Amphibious Corps for the Battle of Tinian Island and the Battle of Iwo Jima.

GO BIG RED

Resources:
https://storage.googleapis.com/husk.../ZD6pyAK8hFocPYXCFPaVccH8170tcm1uOYyc7u0R.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phelps_County,_Nebraska
https://phelpscounty.ne.gov/
https://visit37.com/

Dang. That bullet point story about the “astronauts” is WILD.

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25 Days Until Gameday – Day #69 (nice) Phelps County, Nebraska

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