// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Rik Bonness a good golfer? Bonness to be wild.

Games played	59
Games started	2
	Stats at Pro Football Reference

Rik Bonness
No. 54, 53
Position	Linebacker
Personal information
Born	March 20, 1954 (age 72); Borger, Texas, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school	Bellevue (Nebraska)
College	Nebraska
NFL draft	1976 (3rd round, 84th overall pick)
Career history
	Oakland Raiders (1976); Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1977–1979); New York Giants (1980)*;
	* Offseason or practice squad member only
Awards and highlights
	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
Games played	59
Games started	2
	Stats at Pro Football Reference

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) with the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football as a center for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, earning consensus All-American honors in 1975.

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).^[2] 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.^[3]

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

References

↑ 2014 NCAA Football Records Book, Award Winners, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, pp. 10 & 14 (2014). Retrieved December 26, 2014.
↑ "1976 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
↑ "Rik Bonness Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 23, 2024.

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 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 71 Kelvin Korver 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