Category: Huskers in the NFL

Huskers alum signs two-year deal with Patriots

Ochaun Mathis will be in New England for the future.

Former Nebraska football player Ochaun Mathis was signed to a two-year contract by the New England Patriots on Friday. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported that the linebacker was added to the 53-man roster from the practice squad earlier this week.

Mathis played one season at Nebraska. In 2022, he played in 12 games and recorded 48 combined tackles, 3.5 sacks, and two pass deflections. One of the highlights of his time in Lincoln was a six-tackle performance against Purdue.

He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft. Over the course of his NFL career, he has appeared in 11 games.

Mathis could provide stability to a Patriots linebacker group that is currently experiencing a youth movement. The two-year deal signals that the Patriots have him in their future defensive plans.

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Former Husker promoted to active NFL roster

The tight end played at Nebraska from 2016-2020.

A former Nebraska Cornhusker has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster. Tight end Jack Stoll was promoted by the Philadelphia Eagles.

This is Stoll’s second stint with Philly. He previously played there from 2021-2023 before briefly joining the New York Giants this past offseason.

Stoll has 20 career receptions for a total of 183 yards. His best season came in 2022 when he started in 11 games and had 11 catches for 123 yards.

The tight end played at Nebraska from 2016-2020. He appeared in 43 games and had 61 receptions for 657 yards and six touchdowns.

It’s no surprise that the Eagles would make a move to resign the tight end once he became available. Stoll will be a valuable addition to the Eagles running game, which ranks third in the NFL for the 2024 season.

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Former Nebraska quarterback signed to New York Jets practice squad

Adrian Martinez is one of 17 players to sign with the New York Jets practice squad..

A former Nebraska quarterback has signed with an NFL practice squad. Adrian Martinez is one of 17 players to sign with the New York Jets.

Martinez threw for 270 yards, 0 touchdowns, and one interception. He completed 53.2% of his passes in four games.

The quarterback signed with the Jets after a successful spring season with the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League. He was the league MVP while throwing for 1,749 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Martinez also led the league in rushing with 528 yards. The Stallions defeated the San Antonio Brahmas 25-0 in the inaugural United Football League Championship Game.

The California native played at Nebraska from 2018-21 before transferring to Kansas State for the 2022 season. In five seasons, he threw for 9,391 yards and 49 touchdowns with 30 interceptions.

Martinez also ran for 2,847 yards and 44 touchdowns. He went undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft.

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Former Husker signs with Cincinnati Bengals

Defensive tackle Carlos Davis returns to the NFL after spending last season with the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League.

A former Nebraska defensive lineman has signed a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. Defensive tackle Carlos Davis returns to the NFL after spending last season with the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League.

Davis played at Nebraska from 2016 to 2019. In 48 career games, he recorded 125 tackles, 14.0 for loss, and 9.5 sacks. Following his career in Lincoln, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL draft.

Last season with Birmingham, he appeared in nine games and recorded 23 tackles. He also had four tackles for loss and seven sacks for the Stallions.

After two seasons in Pittsburgh, he would also spend time with the Atlanta Falcons. His brother Khalil Davis is a defensive tackle for the Houston Texans.

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Adrian Martinez signs with New York Jets ahead of 2024 season

The New York Jets announced on Saturday that it signed UFL MVP Quarterback Adrian Martinez ahead of the 2024 season.

A former Husker is returning to the NFL following an MVP season in the UFL. On Saturday, the New York Jets announced that it signed UFL MVP Quarterback Adrian Martinez ahead of the 2024 season.

Martinez played for the Birmingham Stallions in the United Football League. He earned UFL MVP honors by throwing for 1,749 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 528 yards. Martinez’s performance helped Birmingham to a UFL Championship, where he was named the game’s MVP.

Martinez entered the UFL after being undrafted and signed by the Detroit Lions in 2023. The Lions waived Martinez during the final roster cuts before picking him up by Birmingham. He now joins a Jets quarterback room that includes Aaron Rodgers, Tyrod Taylor, Jordan Travis, and Andrew Peasley.

Martinez played four seasons at Nebraska before transferring to Kansas State in 2022. In his final season with the Huskers, Martinez threw for 2,863 yards and 14 touchdowns, becoming the first player in school history with four 1,000-yard passing seasons.

He also averaged 308.0 yards of total offense per game, breaking his school record set during his freshman season. In his lone season at Kansas State, Martinez threw for 1,261 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 627 yards and ten touchdowns.

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Former Husker defensive end fails to report to Tampa Bay training camp

Randy Gregory did not report to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp earlier this week.

A former Nebraska defensive end has failed to report to NFL training camp. Randy Gregory did not report to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp earlier this week.

Head coach Todd Bowles confirmed that Gregory has been placed on the team’s Did Not Report List.

“We’re gonna talk about the players that are here. He’s not here. We’ll deal with that internally. And obviously he’s on the do not report list and we’ll go from there.”

ESPN reported back in April that Gregory signed a deal worth a base salary of $3 million, with incentives that could escalate the contract to $5 million. Gregory signed with the Bucs after spending part of the 2023 season with the San Francisco 49ers.

Gregory played for Nebraska for only two seasons. In 24 games during the 2013 and 2014 seasons as a Husker, he recorded 120 total tackles, 29.0 tackles for loss, and 17.5 sacks.

He was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten member and a third-team All-American in 2014. The Dallas Cowboys selected the Jacksonville native in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft.

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Former Husker named to the NFL’s ‘The Top 100’

Linebacker Lavonte David was named No. 99 in the annual countdown of the league’s top players. 

A former Blackshirt was named one of the National Football League’s Top 100 Players for last season. Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David was named No. 99 in the annual countdown of the league’s top players.

In 12 seasons in Tampa Bay, David has amassed 1,480 career tackles, 33.5 sacks, 28 forced fumbles, 18 fumble recoveries, 12 interceptions, and three defensive touchdowns. Last season, he appeared in 15 games, recording 134 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

Before having a successful career in the NFL, David had one of the more successful careers in Blackshirt history. Over the course of two seasons, David was named first-team All-Big 12 (2010), first-team All-Big Ten (2011), and a 2x first-team All-American (2010, 2011).

In 27 games, he recorded 285 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, two interceptions, 12 passes defended, three forced fumbles, and two fumbles recovered. His 285 career tackles currently rank him fifth in program history.

David is now one of eight players in NFL history with 1,400+ tackles, 30+ sacks, and 10+ interceptions.

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Nebraska tight end commit trains with NFL quarterback

Class of 2025 commit Bear Tenney caught for quarterback Zach Wilson of the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon. 

A Nebraska tight end commit worked out with an NFL quarterback over the weekend. Class of 2025 commit Bear Tenney caught for quarterback Zach Wilson of the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon.

Wilson is in his first season in Denver after spending his first three seasons with the New York Jets. The former BYU Cougar was selected with the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

Tenney recapped the experience on social media. He committed to Nebraska in April.

In 2023, he caught 27 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns as a junior at Lucas Lovejoy High School in Texas. Tenney was the sixth commitment to Nebraska’s class of 2025 and the first tight end.

Tenney’s commitment was somewhat of a surprise as the tight end did not name Nebraska among his top five schools when he released the group in February. He listed Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Utah, and Washington.

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Former Husker quarterback’s jersey displayed in Pro Football Hall of Fame

The jersey worn by Adrian Martinez of the Birmingham Stallions during their victory in the inaugural UFL Championship Game is now being shown in Canton. 

A former Nebraska quarterback has had his jersey displayed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The jersey worn by Adrian Martinez of the Birmingham Stallions during their victory in the inaugural UFL Championship Game is now being shown in Canton.

Martinez and the Stallions defeated the San Antonio Brahmas 25-0 in the inaugural United Football League Championship Game. He was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after the victory.

The quarterback played four seasons at Nebraska, from 2018-21, before transferring to Kansas State to finish his career. While in college, he threw for 9,391 yards and 49 touchdowns with 30 interceptions. Martinez also ran for 2,847 yards and 44 touchdowns.

A game ball and a jersey Martinez wore in the UFL title game have been placed on display in the Hall of Fame’s “Pro Football Today Gallery.”

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Looking back at the career of Ndamukong Suh

Former Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was named the 2024 University of Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame class on Thursday, June 27. 

Former Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was named the 2024 University of Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame class on Thursday, June 27. Suh played for Nebraska from 2005-2009.

His 2009 season is one of the great individual seasons in Nebraska football history. In 14 games, he recorded 85 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, and 12.0 sacks.

Suh finished in fourth place for the Heisman Trophy and was named the AP Player of the Year for 2009. To this date, he is the only defensive player to have won the award.

2024 Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame Class

  • Jordan Hooper, Women’s Basketball (2011-14)
  • Carl Myerscough, Track & Field (2000-04)
  • Virginia Stahr, Volleyball (1986-89)
  • Ndamukong Suh, Football (2005-09)
  • Mary Weatherholt, Women’s Tennis (2009-13)
  • Emily Wong, Women’s Gymnastics (2011-14)

The 2024 Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame class will be inducted in a ceremony on Friday, October 4. Below is a brief photo gallery of Ndamukong Suh’s Nebraska career.