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File:Cy Sherman.jpg

Cy Sherman with Glenn Presnell, c. 1943

Charles "Cy" Sherman (March 10, 1871 – May 22, 1951) was an American journalist and is known as the "father of the Cornhuskers" after giving the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team the name "Cornhuskers" in 1899.

Origin of the Cornhusker name[]

During the 1890 through 1899 seasons, the Huskers had been called multiple names including Treeplanters, Rattlesnake Boys, Antelopes, Old Gold Knights and Bugeaters. The school was changing its school colors to scarlet and cream in 1892 and the Old Gold Knights no longer made sense. By 1892, the team's most commonly used nickname was the Bugeaters, named after the insect-devouring bull bats.[1][2]

Sherman was writing for the Nebraska State Journal in 1899 and was the first to use the name Cornhuskers to refer to Nebraska, which would become the only used name for the team in 1900. The reason for the change was that Sherman thought the name Bugeaters was unglamorous and was tired of referring to the Nebraska teams with that name. Sherman then became the sports editor of The Lincoln Star, later on and was made an honorary member of the Nebraska letterman's club for his contribution. He would help originate the Associated Press Poll for ranking football teams several years later.[1][2]

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