Richard Kyes "Rik" Bonness (born March 20, 1954) is an American former college and professional football player who was linebacker for four seasons in the National Football League (NFL). A consensus All-American at Nebraska as a center , he played professionally for the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers .
Born in Borger, Texas , Bonness played high school football at Bellevue High School in Bellevue, Nebraska , a suburb south of Omaha . He graduated in 1972 and then received a scholarship to the University of Nebraska in Lincoln , the two-time defending national champions under head coach Bob Devaney . Bonness and played center for the Conrnhuskers on the offensive line under new head coach Tom Osborne .
Following his senior season in 1975 , Bonness was a consensus first-team All-American , having received first-team honors from Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), and Football News .[1]
The Oakland Raiders chose Bonness in the third round of the 1976 NFL Draft (84th overall). He played linebacker as a pro and appeared in 59 games across four seasons for the Raiders ( 1976 ), Tampa Bay Buccaneers ( 1977 – 1979 ) and New York Giants ( 1980 ). He saw no regular season action in 1980.[2]
References
↑ 2014 NCAA Football Records Book , Award Winners [dead link ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Rik Bonness . Retrieved December 26, 2014.
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