VOTE: Who was the best Northwestern punt returner over the last 25 years?

It's been 25 years since Northwestern's magical run to the Rose Bowl in 1995. WildcatReport is celebrating that Silver Anniversary by finding out who's been the best player at each position since that legendary team revitalized Wildcat football.

BEST IN 25 YEARS SERIES

OFFENSE: QB Dan Persa l RB Justin Jackson l WR D'Wayne Bates l TE Drake Dunsmore l T Zach Strief l G Ryan Padgett l C Rob Johnson

DEFENSE: DE Corey Wootton l DT Matt Rice l MLB Pat Fitzgerald l OLB Napoleon Harris l CB Sherrick McManis l S Ibraheim Campbell

We only included two players in this category. But man, what a pair they are.

Brian Musso was an artist, a quick, elusive return man who excelled at making the first tackler miss. Venric Mark was a rocket, an explosive home-run hitter who could take any kick to the house.

No one could change a game as quickly, on one play, than this dynamic duo. And they were both weapons at their regular positions, too.

Northwestern has had other effective punt returners over the last quarter century, Sam Simmons and Kunle Patrick among them. But this will be a match race between two of the best to ever wear purple.

Read about the careers of both candidates below, and then vote for the player you think was the best punt returner over the last 25 years on the WildcatReport Football Board. You'll find the link at the end of this story.

Reason he deserves it: Musso owns virtually all of the major punt return records at Northwestern.

The skinny: Just take a look at the school punt return records Musso holds: most punt returns (96), most punt returns per game (2.04), most punt-return yards (1,075) and most punt-return touchdowns (3, tied). He led the Wildcats in punt returns in all four years he played.

Musso had a couple memorable returns that are etched into Wildcat fans’ memories during the magic run to the Rose Bowl in 1995, when he was a sophomore. He averaged a career-best 14.0 yards on his 28 returns.

He had a 60-yarder for a touchdown against Iowa, when he fielded a bouncing ball, slipped a little on the slick, tundra-like carpet at then-Dyche Stadium, left the first man grasping for air with a stutter step and then streaked right down the middle of the field for the score. Against Indiana, he uncorked his career-long, an 86-yarder, and somehow didn't score, getting run down by the punter, of all people, at the Indiana 6.

In 1996, he averaged 11.2 yards per return on 25 punts, including a 55-yard touchdown against Duke.

While this contest is about punt returns, it's worth mentioning that Musso was no slouch as a wide receiver, either. He caught 132 passes for 1,709 yards and 11 TDs in his career.

In 1997, as a senior, he was NU's leading receiver, with 58 catches for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, and in 1996, he was No. 2 to only D'Wayne Bates on the Wildcats' co-Big Ten championship team.

Reason he deserves it: Mark's name is on the second-deck facade at Ryan Field for being named a first-team All-America punt returner in 2012.

The skinny: One of the most electric players in Northwestern history, Mark was a threat every time he touched the ball.

One of just two players to play as a true freshman in 2010, Mark averaged 12.9 yards per punt return and was named a first-team Big Ten All-Freshman and second-team Freshman All-American selection. In 2011, he was even better, averaging 15.9 yards on eight punt returns, but he did not have enough attempts to qualify for a national ranking -- if he had, he would have ranked third nationally and first in Big Ten. His high point was a 47-yarder against Texas A&M in the Meineke Car Car of Texas Bowl.

But 2012 was Mark's year as the Wildcats won 10 games and its first bowl game in 63 years. He averaged 18.7 yards per punt return on 15 attempts to top the Big Ten and make the FWAA first-team All-America team. In the opener at Syracuse, Mark set a school record with 134 punt-return yards on two returns, including an 82-yard touchdown that was NU's first since 2005. Against Penn State, he got to the sideline and outran everyone to the end zone for a 75-yard TD.

Mark also returned kickoffs and started at tailback for the Wildcats in 2012. He rushed for 1,366 yards and 12 TDs to earn second-team All-Big Ten honors at running back as well as the team's offensive MVP award.

Mark played in just three games due to injuries in 2013, including one as a linebacker against Michigan, believe it or not. He was suspended before the 2014 season and transferred to play his fifth and final year at West Texas A&M.

He remains NU’s all-time leader with an average of 16.3 yards per return.

Go to our Football Board to cast your vote. You can vote for Mark or Musso, or you can vote for "Other" and identify your write-in candidate in your reply the message.

Hurry! The poll will close on Monday at noon.

Ready? CLICK HERE TO VOTE