If you walked into a Nebraska bar in the late 1970s and mentioned the name Isaiah Moses, you might have gotten a few blank stares. But say the name I.M. Hipp Nebraska football fans would lose their minds. He was the ultimate walk-on success story before that was even a trendy thing to talk about. Long before the era of NIL deals and transfer portals, a kid from South Carolina showed up in Lincoln with nothing but a dream and a name that seemed destined for the back of a jersey.
Isiah Moses Walter Hipp didn't just play for the Huskers. He redefined what it meant to be a walk-on at a powerhouse program. He wasn't even supposed to start. In 1977, he was buried on the depth chart, yet by the end of his career, he was the school's all-time leading rusher.
The Name, The Myth, and the 1977 Breakout
People always ask about the name. Honestly, it was a marketing stroke of genius. While he was born Isiah, someone in the Nebraska sports information department realized that "I.M. Hipp" was way too cool to ignore. It sounded like something out of a comic book. Or a funk record. It fit the vibe of the late 70s perfectly, and once the fans caught wind of it, there was no going back.
But a cool name only gets you so far if you can't run the rock. Hipp could run.
His big break came in the third game of the 1977 season against Indiana. Rick Berns, the established starter, went down with an injury. Hipp stepped in and didn't just fill the void—he detonated. He rushed for a then-school record 254 yards in a single game.
Think about that.
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A walk-on sophomore who wasn't even on the radar two weeks prior suddenly owns the record books at one of the most prestigious football programs in the country. He finished that 1977 season with 1,353 yards. He was an All-American. He was the Big Eight Newcomer of the Year. He was, quite literally, the hippest thing in college football.
The Powerhouse Stats
Most fans remember the highlights, but the raw numbers tell a story of consistent, brutal efficiency:
- 1977: 1,353 yards and 10 touchdowns.
- 1978: 1,002 yards, making him the first Husker to ever have back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
- Career Total: 2,814 yards (official NCAA total at the time, though bowl games weren't included back then).
The 1978 season was particularly wild because both Hipp and Rick Berns topped 1,000 yards. It was the first time in Nebraska history that two backs hit that milestone in the same year. They were a two-headed monster that kept defensive coordinators awake at night.
Why I.M. Hipp Nebraska Football History Still Matters
You can't talk about the Nebraska "Walk-On" culture without starting with Hipp. He proved that the scouting services—which were much more primitive back then—could be dead wrong. He came from Chapin, South Carolina, a place that wasn't exactly a recruiting hotbed for Big Eight schools.
He was also a weight room freak. Long before every player had a personalized lifting program, Hipp was the 1977 Husker Power Lifter of the Year. He was famously known for lifting on game days. Yeah, you read that right. While other guys were getting taped up and listening to music, Hipp was reportedly in the weight room pumping iron to "wake up" his muscles.
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It worked. He ran with a low center of gravity and a 4.4-second 40-yard dash time that made him nearly impossible to arm-tackle.
The Turf Toe That Changed Everything
Every legend has a "what if" moment. For Hipp, it was his senior year in 1979. He was the Heisman hopeful. The face of the program. But injuries, specifically a nasty case of turf toe, slowed him down. He only managed 577 yards that year.
It was frustrating for the fans and devastating for Hipp. He lost his starting spot to Jarvis Redwine, another legend in his own right. By the time Hipp graduated, he held the career rushing record with 2,940 yards (counting all his yards across three seasons), but you always get the sense he could have hit 4,000 if his big toe hadn't betrayed him.
Life After the Big Red
The NFL was a bit of a rollercoaster. Hipp was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 1980 draft, but he didn't stick. He eventually landed with the Oakland Raiders and played in exactly one game.
One game.
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That’s all it took for him to get a Super Bowl ring, though. He was on the roster for the Raiders' Super Bowl XV victory. It’s a weird, poetic ending to a football career: a walk-on who became a college superstar, struggled in the pros, but still walked away with the ultimate hardware.
Today, Isiah Hipp lives a quiet life in Virginia Beach. He’s worked in property management for years, far away from the bright lights of Memorial Stadium. But in Lincoln? In the hearts of those who remember the 1970s? He’s still the guy who proved that a name and a dream could conquer the Big Eight.
Lessons from the I.M. Hipp Era
If you're a young athlete or a fan of the underdog, Hipp's story is basically the blueprint.
- Don't wait for permission. He didn't wait to be recruited; he showed up and forced them to look at him.
- Work in the dark. His legendary weight room sessions were the foundation of his 200-yard games.
- Adapt to the "Next Man Up." He took advantage of an injury and never gave the spot back.
- Legacy isn't just about the NFL. Even though his pro career was a blip, he’s a Hall of Famer in Nebraska.
If you want to truly appreciate Husker history, go back and watch the grainy film of the 1977 Indiana game. Watch the way he cuts. It wasn't just speed; it was a certain "hip" swagger that the program has been trying to recapture ever since.
To dig deeper into the stats that made him a legend, check out the official Huskers Archive or look up the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame induction class of 1995. You'll find his name right where it belongs: among the greatest to ever wear the scarlet and cream.