Former Nebraska running back Roger Craig used his Hall of Fame moment Saturday to share difficult personal news, announcing that he has been diagnosed with vascular dementia.
Craig made the announcement during his induction speech, adding another layer to a day that marked one of the highest honors in football. The diagnosis, according to the source, is likely connected to his playing days.
The news lands hard because of what Craig has meant to Nebraska and to the sport. He was also named among the greatest players ever on the same day he revealed that his chosen profession will make life more difficult in the years ahead.
The concern over long-term player safety sits right there in the background of Craig’s story, and the source makes clear the hope that the work and research aimed at protecting players is moving the game toward a future where this kind of suffering is less common.
Craig’s announcement was part of a busy run of Nebraska-related football news. Ariana Akey, Nebraska’s first flag football commit, is set to arrive in Lincoln later in August and begin helping build a program from the ground up. Meanwhile, Rhule has added Damon Benning as director of player development, and Benning is the father of Nebraska sophomore DB Caleb Benning.
There is also a closer look at Nebraska’s offensive position groups, with the Huskers entering the season with a new quarterback and the chance to lean on a rebuilt offensive line. That unit is the one the source says is drawing the most attention, especially under new coach Geep Wade.
On the recruiting front, Nebraska made the top five for four-star 2028 defender Tayaun Lawrence on Sunday.
Elsewhere around college football, a broader look at the sport identified five programs under the most pressure in 2026, including former powers, struggling teams, and a school that needs a big season right away.
The source also notes a remark from Dylan Raiola, who said after finding more talent at Oregon, “It’s different. With coaches and players, we have a lot more talent than we did at Nebraska,” Raiola said.
“I don’t say that to knock on them, but I think everybody will know that.” The source says the comment was not malicious, but still unnecessary toward a program that invested heavily in him from the start.
Beyond Nebraska, the week also brought several major sports notes. Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson set an MLB record by going 111 games without an error, passing Baltimore’s Mike Bordick for the mark at the position.
Don Nelson, the Hall of Fame coach and five-time NBA champion as a player with the Boston Celtics, died Sunday, Aug. 9, at 86. And Lynx guard Kayla McBride exploded for 43 points and set the WNBA single-game three-point record with 10 makes in a 103-90 win over the Dallas Wings.
The source also points to a larger college sports fight in Washington, where the NCAA had asked Congress to clean up its mess, only to find itself caught in the middle of political forces as the Protect College Sports Act moved toward the U.S. Senate and possibly President Donald Trump’s desk.
And for a final nod to how much the internet has changed, one item revisits the pre-Google web and calls out how chaotic search really was: “Most people have completely forgotten how chaotic it really was.”
In Other News...
Nebraska Is Making A Real Push For A Rising Blue Chip Back
Nebraska is working to stay in the mix for rising running back Noel Washington, a blue-chip prospect who has drawn attention from several programs as his recruitment builds. The high school back has already picked up offers from Nebraska, Arizona and UCLA, and his athletic traits have made him one of the more intriguing names in the class for teams looking to add speed and upside in the backfield.
Washington has been the kind of recruit who tends to keep a lot of doors open early, which makes every programs next move matter. For Nebraska, the next step is getting him around the place in a setting that can leave a real impression, and the Huskers are expected to work toward that this fall as they continue their push. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Freaks List Snub Exposes A Talent Problem Fans Will Hate
Bruce Feldmans latest College Football Freaks list had a familiar Nebraska twist, even if the Huskers themselves were nowhere to be found. Three players with Nebraska ties showed up on the annual roundup of elite physical specimens, all of them now suiting up elsewhere: Oregon linebacker Devon Jackson, Iowa offensive lineman Kade Pieper and North Dakota offensive lineman Trace Thaden. For a fan base that prides itself on identifying and developing homegrown talent, seeing former Nebraska-area athletes pop up on a list like this is the kind of detail that lingers.
The more frustrating part is where those names landed. Jackson, Pieper and Thaden are all positioned to cross paths with Nebraska this season, which turns the snub into more than just a recruiting footnote. It is a reminder that the Huskers are still fighting for traction in the talent conversation, and that the players showing off the biggest physical upside right now are being discussed in connection with other programs instead. [Read more 🡒]