Former Nebraska quarterback Dennis Claridge dead at 76

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Dennis Claridge, the quarterback who helped College Football Hall of Fame coach Bob Devaney turn a moribund Nebraska program into a national power, has died. He was 76.

The university said Claridge died Tuesday after a three-year battle with cancer.

Claridge led the Cornhuskers to records of 9-2 in 1962 and 10-1 in 1963, Devaney's first two years in Lincoln. Claridge had been recruited out of Robbinsdale, Minnesota, by Bill Jennings, who was fired after going 3-6-1 in 1961. Claridge played on teams that won the Gotham Bowl over Miami and the Orange Bowl over Auburn.

Claridge joined the Green Bay Packers in 1964 and was a backup on the 1965 NFL championship team. He set up an…