4 Days Until Gameday – Day #90 Wayne County, Nebraska

We have 4 days until our first game of the 2026 football season against the Ohio Bobcats on 9/5/2026.
Yesterday we looked at Washington County, Nebraska.

https://www.on3.com/boards/threads/5-days-until-gameday-–-day-89-washington-county-nebraska.8955370/

Wayne County, Nebraska

• Established in 1870 by a proclamation of Governor David Butler.
• The county is named after Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne.
• License plate prefix #27.
• The population is ~10,000 (2025) and has remained rather consistently around 10,000 since 1900.
• Wayne is the county seat and the largest city in the county. La Porte was the first county seat and thriving with around 300 residents. In 1882, the railroad bypassed the town and the residents left for Wayne. Wayne used to be named Brookdale.
• Wayne County is approximately 443 square miles, the 14th smallest county in Nebraska.
• Wayne County is home to at least 7 towns that no longer exist.
• The county is home to 211 bridges.
• Wakefield is shared between Dixon County and Wayne County, but majority of Wakefield lies in Dixon County.
• Altona, NE is named after Altona, Germany and was settled by mostly German settlers.
• First Trinity Lutheran Church in Altona celebrated their 140th anniversary in 2021.
• Winside, NE got its name after competing with the town of Northside, about 3 miles away, to be a stop on the railroad from Norfolk to Wayne. The railroad chose the new town’s location and that new town was named “Winside” since they “won” the choice of the railroad coming to them.
• Hoskins, NE was originally named Donop in 1869. In 1881 when the railroad came to town, it was renamed to Hoskins.
• Carroll, NE was named for Charles Carroll, the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence. It was originally named Manning, in honor of an early settler.
• Michael Foods egg processing plant is the largest employer in the county at over 800 employees.
• The Wayne County Fair is held every year in late summer which provides a multitude of family friendly entertainment and events. 4-H Shows, Carnival, Saturday Concert, Demolition Derby & Tractor Pull. Trace Adkins performed at the 2026 County Fair.
• Wayne is the home of Wayne State College. In 1891, classes began at Pile’s Nebraska Normal College and tuition was paid in eggs, milk, and labor. In 1910, the state of Nebraska purchased the college and the name was changed to Nebraska Normal College at Wayne. Tuition was free at the time and dorms were $0.50 per week to rent.

Former Huskers and Spotlights (years are letterman years)
According to University of Nebraska-Lincoln records, there have been 3 letterman football players from Wayne County, NE.

Note: Melvin Collins and Clarence Swanson are also listed in Dixon County write up.

Melvin Collins – E 1923-1924, Wakefield, NE.

• Played end and quarterback for Nebraska.
• The 1923 team went 4-2-2 in Fred Dawson’s 3rd season, finishing as Co-Missouri Valley Conference champions.
• Defeated Coach Knute Rockne and the Four Horseman of Notre Dame 14-7. Those 4 studs in the backfield only lost 2 games in 3 years, both games to Nebraska.
• 1924 team went 5-3 in Dawson’s 4th and final season at Nebraska (23-7-2).

Clarence Swanson – E 1918-1921, Wakefield, NE.

• A 5’10” 170lb End from Wakefield, NE wearing #1.
• Played at Nebraska from 1918-1921 and is considered one of the best players from Nebraska’s early history.
• 1921 Team Captain
• 2x All-American (1920, 1921)
• Set a school record 18 career touchdown receptions that stood 50 years until Johnny Rodgers came through. Still sitting at tied for 5th with Jordan Westerkamp.
• Set the school record 3 touchdown receptions in a game (since tied with 9 other players for 1st)
• Nebraska Football Hall of Fame member.
• Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame.
• College Football Hall of Fame
• National Football Foundation Hall of Fame
• Served 3 terms on the Nebraska Board of Regents, and it was Swanson who pushed for Nebraska to hire Bob Devaney.
• Clarence E. Swanson Memorial Award is given annually to a football player "for outstanding contributions to the University of Nebraska and the Husker athletic department through personal service, personal support of athletic department programs and dedication to the Husker football program and intercollegiate athletics."
• It is said there are very few things Swanson loved more than the University of Nebraska and the football program.
• Passed away in 1970, less than 1 full year before Nebraska would win its first National Championship.
• Great-Grandfather of Barrett and Bo Ruud.

Brent Pick – OT 1990, Wayne, NE.

• 6’5” 265lb OT wearing #51.
• Played and lettered at Nebraska in 1990.
• 3rd on the depth chart at LT.

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

James Davis – Born and raised in Wayne. Davis would graduate from Wayne City HS and the Naval Academy. He would serve in the Air Force from 1958-1993, retiring as a General. He has received 3 Legion of Merits and 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses. Serving in the Vietnam War, he flew over 270 combat hours.

Emily Kinney – Born in Wayne but moved around the country as a child. She graduated from Wayne State College and moved to New York to pursue a Broadway acting career. She is most known for her role as Beth Greene in The Walking Dead.

Don Meyer – Born in Wayne. He played basketball for Northern Colorado and was a 1966 NCAA All-American. He coached college basketball from 1968-2010, retiring with a 923-324 (.740) record. 1986 NAIA National Champion coach at Lipscomb University. He held the record for most wins by a men’s basketball coach until he was passed by Coach K at Duke in 2011. Tennessee Women’s Basketball Head Coach Pat Summitt credits Meyer as a major influence on her coaching career and success. He is a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame, South Dakota Hall of Fame.

Kirk Bovill - Born in Wayne and graduated from Aurora HS and UNL. He is an actor, writer, and producer seen in shows such as Sons of Anarchy, Criminal Minds, CSI, Shameless, Young Sheldon, Grey's Anatomy, and movies like Vice, Get On Up, Contraband, and more.

Audrey Stevens Niyogi - Grew up in Wayne and attended Wayne State College. She became a biochemist known for co-discovering RNA polymerase, an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactions that synthesize RNA from a DNA template strand.

Nicholas Schumacher - Born and raised in Wayne. Played baseball for Wayne State College where he was a 2008 All-American. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres and was in their farm system for 3 years. He played for Spain in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.



GO BIG RED



Resources:
https://storage.googleapis.com/husk.../ZD6pyAK8hFocPYXCFPaVccH8170tcm1uOYyc7u0R.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_County,_Nebraska
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne,_Nebraska
https://www.waynecountyne.gov/
https://nebraskacounties.org/nebraska-counties/county/wayne.html
https://www.waynecountyne.gov/69/History

Jost Van Dyke said:

Thank you @HuskerInCarolina for these posts the last several weeks. It’s been interesting reading about all the different counties. Are you originally from Nebraska? If so which county?

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Thank you! I am not "from" Nebraska, but all of my family is. They mostly reside in Keith County or in Lincoln, though I have some in Norfolk or Gretna. Have some that were from Lexington, Hartington, and for a very long time my great grandfather farmed in Seward after WWII. We always came back to Nebraska every summer for the 4th and would go into Seward where my great-grandfather was the VFW Post Commander for many years.

As for me, I never had a hometown. I grew up on military bases across the country and in a couple spots internationally. I went to 14 different schools by the time I graduated HS. If anything, I guess I would claim Camp Pendleton, CA since it was my most formative years and where/how I developed my fandom for the Dodgers, Lakers, and Raiders. But anytime we visited family, it was always Nebraska so I've always considered Nebraska "home". I lived in Omaha for a few years after I got out of the Marine Corps and got one of my masters from UNL. Then my current job brought me back to South Carolina. But I still have season tickets and get back to Nebraska a few times a year and to a couple games as well.

Poster FKA schuele said:

He passed away about 10 years ago, but Mark Ahmann was probably the most recognizeable person ever from Wayne County. Nearly everyone who grew up in Nebraska pre-internet would have gotten their high school sports scores and Husker news from his 10/11 broadcasts. Wasn't a native of Wayne, but lived there for many years.

Mark Ahmann

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Thank you for sharing him! He's also in the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame. What a career for him!!