Rex Burkhead, a veteran of the NFL who played running back for the Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, New England Patriots, and Nebraska Cornhuskers, is retiring from the league after ten season Cincinnati Bengals
During his four years of college, Burkhead was a member of the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. He assisted them in making the move from the Big 12 to the Big Ten.
Burkhead entered the league in 2013 following his 190th overall selection by the Cincinnati Bengals. Burkhead spent four years as a player with the Bengals before spending four more years as a player for the New England Patriots. Burkhead spent his final two seasons as a member of the Houston Texans.
During his four years with the team, former Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Rex Burkhead received a lot of attention. In his first season, Burkhead and Roy Helu Jr. split time in the backfield, totaling 81 runs on the ball.
Burkhead became the lead role between 2010 and 2011. His greatest season as a Nebraska Cornhusker was 2011, when he amassed 1,357 yards of total ground gain and 15 touchdowns on the ground. Burkhead divided the backfield with Ameer Abdullah in 2012 after amassing over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 2010 and 2011.
Burkhead’s 2011 comeback against the Ohio State Buckeyes, which saw the Huskers overcome a 21-point hole in the second half, was one of his best performances while at Nebraska. With just over five minutes remaining in the game, Burkhead’s game-winning run gave Nebraska their lone victory over the Buckeyes.
Burkhead was particularly well-known for his friendship with Jack Hoffman, a young player on the squad who was suffering from brain cancer. Hoffman scored the iconic touchdown in the spring game while sporting Burkhead’s jersey.
Rex Burkhead, a former Nebraska running back, began his career in Cincinnati and demonstrated in his fourth season that he could be a reliable contributor. In his first three years in the NFL, Burkhead only attempted 13 rushes; however, in his fourth year, he amassed 344 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
