Strengths: Has a motor that never quits...Good size...Should run well in workouts... Great instincts...Fiery and a team leader...Has a ton of experience and has been very productive... Smart and can be another coach on the field.
Weaknesses: Not an incredible pure athlete, even though he has good timed speed...Doesn't change direction well...Poor agility...Needs to get stronger.
Notes: Father Tom was a 1st Round Pick by the Buffalo Bills in 1975... Top linebacker prospect with just about everything you look for...Should be able to make an impact very early on in his pro career.

Pros: Has the size and speed you look for, and a fiery demeanor and great knowledge of the game to go with it. Has the ability to step in and start on opening day.
Cons: Doesn\'t have the raw talent of Crowder, but will be very good.
Draft Exchange Analysis:
2004 Preseason First-Team All-American (Blue Ribbon) 2004 Preseason Honorable-Mention All-American (Street & Smith\'s) 2004 Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 (Athlon Sports, Lindy\'s, Street & Smith\'s) 2004 Preseason No. 1 ILB in Big 12 (Sporting News) 2004 Preseason No. 10 ILB in Nation (Lindy\'s) 2004 Preseason No. 12 ILB in Nation (Sporting News) 2003 Second-Team All-Big 12 (Associated Press, FW Star-Telegram, Dallas Morning News) 2003 Third-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches) Two-Time First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2002, 2003) 2003 Butkus Award Watch List 2003 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (Texas A&M) Nebraska Season Record for Tackles (149 in 2003) 2002 Honorable-Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches) 2001 Second-Team Freshman All-American (Sporting News) Three-Time Big 12 Commissioner\'s Spring Academic Honor Roll (2002, 2003, 2004) 2002 Big 12 Commissioner\'s Fall Honor Roll

2004 Outlook Senior linebacker Barrett Ruud (pronounced RUDE) is set for his third season as Nebraska starting Mike linebacker and the anchor of the Blackshirt defense. Ruud had a solid sophomore year in 2002, but exploded last fall to produce one of the finest seasons ever by a Husker defender. He is primed to contend for conference and national honors this fall under the direction of first-year defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove.

Ruud is a physical run-stopper who also boasts excellent speed for his position, allowing him to make plays from sideline to sideline. The 6-2, 240-pounder has shown the skill and agility to drop into pass coverage when needed. The Lincoln Southeast graduate will be asked to take a strong leadership role this fall. Ruud is one of just two seniors among Nebraska\'s six returning defensive starters and he will be counted on to provide stability to a linebacking corps that lost outside linebackers Demorrio Williams and T.J. Hollowell to graduation.

Ruud showed the ability to dominate in 2003, with a NU season-record 149 tackles, breaking the previous record of 141, set by Lee Kunz in 1977. His standout junior season moved Ruud near the top of the Nebraska career tackle list. Entering his senior year, Ruud ranks second on the Husker charts with 289 career tackles, just 53 behind career leader Jerry Murtaugh, who had 342 tackles from 1968 to 1970.

Ruud was rewarded for his standout play last season. A preseason member of the Butkus Award watch list, Ruud was a second-team All-Big 12 selection by the Associated Press, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Dallas Morning News, and a third-team pick by the league coaches. Ruud was also honored for his work in the classroom, as he was named a first-team academic All-Big 12 selection for the second consecutive year. He carries a 3.329 cumulative grade-point average in business management and will be a contender for academic All-America honors this fall. Ruud is scheduled to graduate in May of 2005.

The Ruud family has a long history with Nebraska football. Barrett\'s father, Tom (1972-73-74) played for Nebraska, as did two of his uncles (Bob Martin, John Ruud) and his great-grandfather, Clarence Swanson. Barrett’s younger brother, Bo, is redshirt freshman Sam linebacker for the Huskers, and the siblings could possibly line up alongside each other this season.

2003 (Junior) Ruud started all 13 games at middle linebacker as a junior and made a school-record 149 tackles, including 78 unassisted stops. He recorded double figures in tackles nine times, including seven of the season\'s final eight games. Ruud recorded 14 or more tackles in each of the final four regular-season contests, including a career-high 17 stops at Texas and 16 in NU\'s victory at Colorado. Ruud finished the season tied for seventh nationally in total tackles.

In addition to his 149 total tackles, Ruud finished second on the team to Demorrio Williams in tackles for loss (14-39) and quarterback hurries (11), and ranked third on the team in sacks (2.5-21). He also forced a team-high four fumbles, and recovered three others, including a 15-yard return for a touchdown in NU\'s 17-7 season-opening win over No. 24 Oklahoma State.

An agile player for his position, Ruud was strong in pass coverage. He intercepted a pass against Texas A&M and returned the pick 27 yards for his second touchdown of the season, and also broke up five passes. The interception for a touchdown against A&M was part of Nebraska\'s school-record eight takeaways in the 48-12 rout. Ruud also had 10 tackles, a sack and a fumble caused in the contest and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. He was a key figure in a Husker defense that ranked in the top 15 nationally in four statistical categories, including 11th in total defense, first in pass efficiency defense and second in scoring defense. The Blackshirts also finished second nationally in takeaways with 47, pacing NU to a nation-best +1.77 turnover margin.

2003 Game-by-Game: Oklahoma State–Ruud made seven tackles, including a tackle for loss. He also scooped up a third-quarter fumble by Tatum Bell and returned it 15 yards for a score to give NU a 10-7 lead en route to a 17-7 win.

Utah State–Ruud made 11 stops, forced a fumble and broke up a pair of passes.

Penn State–Ruud’s fumble recovery midway through the fourth quarter stopped a PSU drive, and Nebraska capitalized with a field goal for an 18-10 lead. Ruud also had a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry to go along with eight tackles.

Southern Miss–Ruud made 10 tackles in a 38-14 victory. He also recovered a third-quarter fumble, and Nebraska converted the miscue into a touchdown. The fumble recovery was his third of the season, tying the previous season record for fumble recoveries by a linebacker, ironically held by his father.

Troy State–Ruud made eight tackles, including a career-high 1.5 sacks for 12 yards, caused a fumble and had two hurries in Nebraska’s 30-0 shutout. Ruud had two tackles for loss, starting a streak of nine straight games with at least one tackle for loss.

Missouri–Ruud posted 12 tackles, starting a streak of seven straight double-figure tackle games. He added two tackles for loss and a career-high three hurries.

Texas A&M–Ruud had a complete game with a team-high 10 tackles, a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown, a fumble caused, a sack and a pair of tackles for loss. His effort earned Ruud Big 12 Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors. Ruud also passed his father, Tom, on the Nebraska career tackle list in the win.

Iowa State–Ruud tied his then-career high with 12 tackles in Nebraska\'s second shutout in four games (28-0). He added a tackle for loss and a hurry.

Texas–Ruud made a career-high 17 tackles in a 31-7 loss, his fourth straight game with 10 or more tackles. He added two tackles for three yards lost.

Kansas–Ruud continued his torrid play with 14 tackles, including 10 solo stops. He also forced his fourth fumble of the season and had a hurry in a 24-3 victory.

Kansas State–Ruud again easily reached double figures in tackles with 15 stops, including nine solos. He also had two quarterback hurries and a tackle for loss.

Colorado–Ruud closed the regular season with 16 tackles in NU\'s 31-22 victory over the Buffaloes. Ruud had a career-best 12 unassisted stops and added a tackle for two yards lost, while moving into second on the single-season tackle list.

Michigan State–Ruud had nine tackles as the Nebraska defense dominated Michigan State, holding the Spartans to just 179 yards of total offense in a 17-3 win. His second tackle allowed him to set a school season tackle record.

2002 (Sophomore) Ruud started all 14 games at Mike linebacker, and had 91 tackles (36 solo), one off the team lead of Demorrio Williams. Ruud had 12 tackles for loss, and added two sacks and four PBU on the year. His 13 quarterback hurries ranked third on the team and his two fumbles caused tied for the team lead.

Ruud had six games with eight or more tackles, beginning with an eight-tackle outing against Arizona State, when he added a pair of TFL. Ruud broke his left hand early in the first quarter vs. Troy State, but returned to action in the contest. Despite playing with a cast the following week against Utah State, Ruud had four tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, a fumble caused and two quarterback hurries. He played the next several games with a cast on his hand, but still compiled impressive statistics before battling a leg injury late in the year.

Ruud had eight tackles and a pair of pass breakups against McNeese State, then produced his best play of 2002 in the final five games. He posted a season-high 12 tackles, including three tackles for loss and a sack against Texas, then finished the season with nine stops and two tackles for loss at Kansas State, followed by a 10-tackle effort against Colorado, when he forced a fumble. He had nine tackles in the Independence Bowl against Ole Miss.

2001 (Freshman) Ruud played in every game as a true freshman and made 49 tackles, the most among non-starters. His tackle total included 18 solos, six tackles for loss, half a sack and one quarterback hurry. His play earned him recognition from The Sporting News, which tabbed him as a second-team freshman All-American. Ruud was one of three true freshmen to see action in 2001, joining Philip Bland and Mike Stuntz.

Ruud had seven games with four or more tackles, with a season-high 10 against Troy State. He had five tackles in his first collegiate game against TCU, before his Troy State outing that included four solo stops, keying an NU defense that held the Trojans to minus-25 yards rushing. He had seven tackles against Rice, including a season-high two tackles for loss. He had four tackles each against Iowa State and Baylor, before making five tackles each against No. 2 Oklahoma and Kansas. He played in the 2002 Rose Bowl, but did not have a tackle.

Before Nebraska (Southeast HS) Ruud played I-back and linebacker for Lincoln Southeast. A four-year letterman, he helped Chuck Mizerski’s teams to a 48-2 record, and four state playoff appearances. The Knights won Class A state titles in 1997, 1998 and 2000. Ruud was a two-time All-Nebraska honoree by the Omaha World-Herald and a two-time super-state pick by the Lincoln Journal Star. The World-Herald named him honorary captain of the offense, while the Journal Star named him the offensive player of the year, defensive player of the year and prep athlete of the year. He earned All-America honors as a linebacker from PrepStar and Student Sports.

Personal The son of Tom and Jaime Ruud, Barrett was born on May 20, 1983. He majors in business management and has a 3.329 cumulative grade-point average. He assisted with the FFA Youth Leadership Conference in 2001 and has been a volunteer speaker during American Education Week. No stranger to Nebraska football, Ruud follows his father, Tom (1972-73-74), two uncles (Bob Martin, 1973-74-75; and John Ruud, 1978-79) and his great-grandfather Clarence Swanson (1918-19-20-21) to the Husker gridiron. Tom Ruud was an All-Big Eight linebacker for the Huskers and earned academic all-conference honors two years. He was a first-round draft pick in 1975 by Buffalo and played three years for the Bills (1975-76-77) and two years for the Cincinnati Bengals (1978-79).