2004 Outlook Senior Steve Kriewald (pronounced KREE-wald) has served as Nebraska's top reserve at fullback behind Judd Davies for each of the past three seasons. Davies has graduated, leaving Kriewald as a strong contender to take over the starting job. He enters fall camp in a battle with sophomore standout Dane Todd for the top spot on the depth chart, and both players should see extensive action in the fall.

Kriewald has proven himself as a powerful runner and outstanding lead blocker and worked diligently during spring practice to refine his receiving skills. Husker running backs will be asked to play a key role in the passing game in a new offensive system under first-year Head Coach Bill Callahan.

In his junior season, Kriewald played in all 13 games, totaling 99 yards and a touchdown on 19 rushing attempts. The Scotia, Neb., native has also served on special teams throughout his Nebraska career and has appeared in 38 games with three starts entering the 2004 campaign. He has rushed for more than 200 yards in his career, while being thrown for only one yard in losses on 43 career carries.

Kriewald is a standout in the classroom and the community. He has earned second-team academic All-Big 12 honors three consecutive years, and has made the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll seven times. Kriewald earned his undergraduate degree in construction management in May, and will play the 2004 season as a graduate student. Kriewald is also active in Nebraska's community outreach efforts and has been named to the Brook Berringer Citizenship Team each of the past three years.

2003 (Junior) Kriewald played in all 13 games last season and finished with 99 rushing yards on 19 carries, including a one-yard touchdown at Kansas. Kriewald was not thrown for a loss on any of his attempts and averaged better than five yards per carry. Kriewald's most productive game was at Kansas, when he had a career-high six carries for 27 yards, just one off his career high. He had 19 yards on two carries at Missouri, when he had his only reception of the season (six yards). His lone carry against Texas A&M went for a season-long 16 yards. Kriewald also played a role on Nebraska's specialty units.

2002 (Sophomore) Kriewald played in all 14 games with a start against Iowa State. He finished the season with six carries for 19 yards, including two carries against Arizona State and one carry in four other contests. He also saw extensive action on special teams and finished the year with four tackles.

2001 (Redshirt Freshman) Kriewald backed Davies at fullback and earned two starts (Oklahoma, Kansas) when Davies was out with an ankle injury. Kriewald played in 11 games overall, missing the Texas Tech game with an ankle injury of his own, and finished the year with 18 carries for 96 yards. He scored his only career touchdown on a career-long 24-yard run at Colorado. He had a career-best 28 yards on two carries at Missouri, and had three carries three other times (Troy State, at Baylor, at Kansas). He also made one tackle on special teams vs. Iowa State and saw action in the 2002 Rose Bowl.

2000 (Redshirt) A scholarship athlete, Kriewald redshirted in 2000.

Before Nebraska (North Loup-Scotia HS) Kriewald was a standout two-way performer for Coach Troy Unzicker at North Loup-Scotia. A fullback and linebacker, Kriewald is believed to be only the seventh in-state recruit in the last 35 years to play eight-man football and earn a scholarship to Nebraska immediately following high school. Kriewald earned first-team all-state honors as a senior from the Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha World-Herald, was the Class D-2 Offensive Player of the Year by the Journal Star and was a first-team All-Nebraska selection by the World-Herald. He also earned honorable-mention All-America honors from USA Today. He rushed for 1,117 yards and 15 touchdowns and caught 11 passes as a senior. He ran for 655 yards and 10 scores as a junior. As a linebacker, Kriewald had 377 tackles and 38 tackles for loss his final two seasons. He picked NU over Colorado, Notre Dame and Michigan, and was also recruited in track. He won the all-class gold medal in the shot put in 1999 and 2000, and also played basketball, averaging 13 points and 13 rebounds per game as a senior.

Personal The son of Gordan and Phyllis Kriewald, Steve graduated in May with 3.132 grade-point average in construction management. He was born on Sept. 4, 1981, in Ord, Neb., and will celebrate his 23rd birthday when Nebraska opens the 2004 season against Western Illinois. Kriewald has earned second-team academic All-Big 12 honors the past three seasons and is a three-year member of the Brook Berringer Citizenship Team. Kriewald has been a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board, and his volunteer activities have included Special Olympics, Halloween Fun Night, School is Cool,Friendship Home, the Husker E-mail Literacy Program and Meals on Wheels.