2024 NEMFCA 8-Man Hall of Fame Inductee Salutes - Jerry Liess, Indianola High School

Posted Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at 4:13 PM

JERRY LIESS – INDIANOLA HIGH SCHOOL

(Here is our 7th of twelve 2024 NEMFCA Hall of Fame inductees. Today we feature one of 8-Man football’s most recognizable Western Nebraska names, Jerry Liess from Indianola.)

As a backfield ace, Jerry starred on the gridiron at Indianola in the mid-1960’s. He excelled at both running back and quarterback for the Chiefs, while also roaming the secondary as a ball-hawking safety. Jerry’s career totals demonstrate his highly versatile skill-set, as he accumulated 2,585 yards rushing, 1,120 yards passing, 64 total offensive touchdowns, and added an additional 10 touchdowns on defense & special teams.

In that span, the Indianola program established itself as a Southern Nebraska 8-Man power- winning the Southern Frontier Conference and the Mid-Valley League Championship, while also going 10-0 in 1966 and claiming the consensus Eight-Man State Title. During his prep career, Jerry earned several honors that included: 1st Team All-Area, 1st Team All-State, and he was selected to play in the 1967 Nebraska Shrine Bowl Game (an extremely rare honor for eight-man players at the time).

Jerry went on to play Junior College Football in McCook and later made Eight-Man coaching stops in both Wallace and Weeping Water.

For his efforts, Jerry was known statewide as a talented athlete that excelled in all sports- but he was best known by his teammates and peers as an unselfish player who loved the game.

The NEMFCA is honored to now induct him into the 8-Man Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

1000 Yard Guy observations…..Jerry Liess had himself quite a senior football season at Indianola. While sparkling at the quarterbacking position, he led the Chiefs to that Number One rung in the Omaha World-Herald’s Final 8-Man ratings.

During that memorable season, Liess averaged 10 yards a pop every time he toted the football, sprinting his way to 849 yards rushing on just 84 carries. Jerry also completed 31 of 56 passes for 491 yards and 9 touchdowns. Liess was also Indianola’s 2nd leading tackler and returned an unheard of SIX punts back for touchdowns in 1966

Liess ended that magical 1966 season with 176 points scored.