Rik Bonness

American football player (born 1954)

American football player

Rik BonnessNo. 54, 53

Position:| Linebacker
Personal information
Born:|  (1954-03-20) March 20, 1954 (age 70)
Borger, Texas, U.S.
Height:| 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:| 220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:| Bellevue (Omaha, Nebraska)
College:| Nebraska
NFL draft:| 1976 / round: 3 / pick: 84
Career history

* Oakland Raiders (1976)
* Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1977–1979)
* New York Giants (1980)*

* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards

* Super Bowl champion (XI)
* Unanimous All-American (1975)
* First-team All-American (1974)
* 2× First-team All-Big Eight (1974, 1975)

Career NFL statistics
| Games played:| 59

|

Games started:| 2
Player stats at PFR

Richard Kyes "Rik" Bonness (born March 20, 1954) is an American former professional football player who was linebacker for four seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football as a center for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, earning consensus All-American jhonors in 1975. He played in the NFL 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–Lincoln 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]

During his rookie season, the Raiders won Super Bowl XI in January 1977.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ 2014 NCAA Football Records Book, Award Winners, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, pp. 10 & 14 (2014). Retrieved December 26, 2014.
2. ^ "Rik Bonness Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 23, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

*   * Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference

* v
* t
* e

1975 College Football All-America Team consensus selections

Offense|

* QB John Sciarra
* RB Ricky Bell
* RB Archie Griffin
* RB Chuck Muncie
* E Steve Rivera
* E Larry Seivers

OT Dennis Lick
* OT Bob Simmons
* G Randy Johnson
* G Ted Smith
* C Rik Bonness

Defense|

* DL Leroy Cook
* DL Jimbo Elrod
* DL Steve Niehaus
* DL Dewey Selmon
* DL Lee Roy Selmon

LB Greg Buttle
* LB Sammy Green
* LB Ed Simonini

DB Tim Fox
* DB Chet Moeller
* DB Pat Thomas

* v
* t
* e

Oakland Raiders 1976 NFL draft selections

* Charles Philyaw
* Jeb Blount
* Rik Bonness
* Herb McMath
* Fred Steinfort
* Clarence Chapman
* Jerome Dove
* Terry Kunz
* Dwight Lewis
* Rick Jennings
* Cedric Brown
* Craig Crnick
* Mark Young
* Calvin Young
* Carl Hargrave
* Doug Hogan
* Buddy Tate
* Nate Beasley

* v
* t
* e

Oakland Raiders Super Bowl XI champions

* 4 Fred Steinfort
* 8 Ray Guy
* 11 David Humm
* 12 Ken Stabler
* 14 Errol Mann
* 15 Mike Rae
* 20 Neal Colzie
* 21 Cliff Branch
* 24 Willie Brown
* 25 Fred Biletnikoff (MVP)
* 26 Skip Thomas
* 28 Clarence Davis
* 29 Hubert Ginn
* 30 Mark van Eeghen
* 31 Carl Garrett
* 32 Jack Tatum
* 33 Rick Jennings
* 34 Terry Kunz
* 36 Manfred Moore
* 39 Willie Hall
* 40 Pete Banaszak
* 41 Phil Villapiano
* 43 George Atkinson
* 44 Marv Hubbard
* 46 Warren Bankston
* 47 Charlie Phillips
* 49 Mike Siani
* 50 Dave Dalby
* 51 Rodrigo Barnes
* 52 Floyd Rice
* 54 Rik Bonness
* 58 Monte Johnson
* 60 Otis Sistrunk
* 61 Herb McMath
* 63 Gene Upshaw
* 64 George Buehler
* 66 Steve Sylvester
* 70 Henry Lawrence
* 72 John Matuszak
* 74 Dave Rowe
* 75 John Vella
* 77 Charles Philyaw
* 78 Art Shell
* 79 Dan Medlin
* 81 Morris Bradshaw
* 83 Ted Hendricks
* 87 Dave Casper
* 89 Ted Kwalick

* Head coach: John Madden

* Coaches: Tom Dahms
* Lew Erber
* Tom Flores
* Joe Scannella
* Don Shinnick
* Oliver Spencer
* Bob Zeman

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