This year's safeties have taken a lot of heat from Nebraska fans (and especially from me). As a result, I thought it might be helpful to try and put their performance into some type of historical perspective. The results are below.
A few things to keep in mind: First, when we examine the statistics we must remember that these reflect four different defensive coordinators, each with his own system. Secondly, these statistics do not summarize all that is expected or required of a safety. Third, the performances include those of a "once in a generation" type player in Mike Brown along with 3 other players who made NFL rosters at one time or another. Fourth, I am not privy to film sessions or to how the performers graded out in the eyes of the coaches. And finally, the 2006 season is the only one of those included, in which both safety spots were filled by first-time starters.
2006| Player | Games | Tackles | TFL | INTs | FF | FmbRec |
| Tierre Green | 13 | 48.5 | .5 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Andrew Shanle | 13 | 47.5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
2005| Player | Games | Tackles | TFL | INTs | FF | FmbRec |
| Daniel Bullocks | 12 | 83 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Blake Tiedtke | 12 | 68 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
2004| Player | Games | Tackles | TFL | INTs | FF | FmbRec |
| Josh Bullocks | 11 | 68 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Daniel Bullocks | 11 | 58 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
2003| Player | Games | Tackles | TFL | INTs | FF | FmbRec |
| Phillip Bland | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Bullocks | 13 | 49 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Daniel Bullocks | 13 | 59 | 4 |
2 | 1 | 1 |
2002| Player | Games | Tackles | TFL | INTs | FF | FmbRec |
| Philllip Bland | 13 | 84 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Josh Bullocks | 13 | 48 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Shane Siegel | 14 | 14 | 1 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aaron Terpening | 14 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2001| Player | Games | Tackles | TFL | INTs | FF | FmbRec |
| Dion Booker | 12 | 62 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Willie Amos | 9 | 28 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Phillip Bland | 10 | 24 | 1 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
2000| Player | Games | Tackles | TFL | INTs | FF | FmbRec |
| Joe Walker | 11 | 44 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Dion Booker | 11 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Troy Watchorn | 11 | 27 | 2 |
5 | 0 | 0 |
| Clint Finley | 11 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1999| Player | Games | Tackles | TFL | INTs | FF | FmbRec |
| Mike Brown | 12 | 96 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 1 |
| Dion Booker | 12 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Clint Finley | 12 | 27 | 0 |
1 | 0 | 1 |
| Joe Walker | 10 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
1998| Player | Games | Tackles | TFL | INTs | FF | FmbRec |
| Mike Brown | 12 | 102 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Clint Finley | 9 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Joe Walker | 12 | 50 | 5 |
3 | 1 | 0 |
After looking things over, my take is that our safeties performed average to a little below average by way of statistical analysis. Shall we say, I don't know...mediocre? What do you guys think?
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