Crimson Red Sports

How much is Rex Burkhead worth when he steps on Memorial Stadium's field on a fall Saturday?

Bo Pelini and about 86,000 fans in the stands would argue you couldn’t put a price tag on the Nebraska senior running back.

But if you attached a dollar figure to each item Burkhead wore on gameday — everything from helmet decals to cleats — the cash register would ring up to nearly $1,000.

That’s roughly the average amount needed to suit a Nebraska football player these days, according to a numbers breakdown provided with the help of Nebraska equipment manager Jay Terry.

Today’s look at what the Huskers wear begins the Journal Star’s four-part Cost of Athletics series that will detail some financial aspects of participating in athletic programs on various local levels.

The cost of jerseys and shoulder pads to Burkhead as an individual, of course, is nothing. Most of what he puts on comes from adidas, with whom Nebraska’s athletic department has an apparel contract.

It’s still a pricey deal, head to toe.

The helmets, which Nebraska gets from Riddell, are $300 to $325, Terry said. That includes face masks, chinstraps, jaw pads and crown piece. The helmets arrive already painted.

“Back in the day, we used to get the white helmet, and that was just the shell,” Terry said, “but about the past 10 years, we’ve been getting them painted. That adds a little bit more to it, but not much.” ...