Tag: Huskers in the NFL

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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Ndamukong Suh named to 2024 Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame class

The Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame announced the inductees for its 2024 class on Thursday afternoon.

The Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame announced the inductees for its 2024 class on Thursday afternoon. Leading the group is star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Suh earns his induction following 13 seasons on the professional level. He started his career with the Detroit Lions as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He won the 2010 NFL Rookie of the Year and was a five-time Pro Bowl selection in his career.

Suh played 199 games and delivered 600 total tackles, 71.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and one interception. Suh also won Super Bowl 55 with the Buccaneers, leading Tampa Bay to its first championship since 2002.

At Nebraska, Suh holds the distinction of being the only defensive player to be named the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year. He won the award as a senior in 2009 when he was also a Heisman Trophy finalist.

Suh also won the Outland Trophy, the Lombardi Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and the Chuck Bednarik Award in 2009. He also earned first-team All-American and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Suh totaled 215 tackles in his career at Nebraska, with 57 tackles for loss and 24 sacks. He ranks second all-time at Nebraska in tackles for loss and fourth in sacks. In his senior season, Suh led Nebraska with 85 tackles, along with 24 TFLs, 12 sacks, 10 pass breakups, and three blocked kicks.

Suh’s No. 93 jersey is retired at Nebraska, and he is a member of the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame. Suh joins the class alongside other stellar alumni, including Jordan Hooper, Carl Myerscough, Virginia Stahr, Mary Weatherholt, and Emily Wong.

 

Huskers in the NFL – Week Five

Week five of the NFL season has come and gone.

Week five of the NFL season has come and gone. The week saw nine former Huskers take the field on Sunday and Monday.

The weekend highlight for former Cornhuskers was cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, who scored his first NFL touchdown. The Cincinnati Bengal had an 11-yard interception in a 34-20 win at Arizona.

Another weekend highlight was for Edge rusher Ochaun Mathis making his NFL debut. Mathis missed the season’s first four games due to a knee injury.

Rams head coach Sean McVay talked about the rookie’s debut following the Rams loss at Philadelphia on Sunday.

“I thought it was good to be able to get his feet wet. He played a handful of snaps. There were some rush situations where you could see the length and the overall ability. It was obviously a great challenge with Jalen (Hurts) doing such a good job of being able to extend and create some things off schedule. I think you got to take into account that that was the first time he had even been in pads as a Ram this past week. Didn’t play in any preseason games and so thought it was a good step in the right direction. Definitely some learning opportunities, but (OLBs coach) Joe Coniglio does a great job with that room as a whole and it was good to get Ochaun back out there.”

Find an entire week five breakdown of Nebraska Cornhuskers in the NFL below.

Randy Gregory released by Denver Broncos

A former Nebraska football player has been released from his NFL team.

A former Nebraska football player has been released from his NFL team. OLB Randy Gregory has been released by the Denver Broncos.

It’s a shocking move, considering the team just signed Gregory to a five-year deal worth up to $70 million in 2022. He only played ten games for the Broncos, and in that time, he recorded only 21 tackles and three sacks.

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

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

He would play for Dallas from 2015-2021 before leaving for Denver in 2022. Find a photo gallery of Randy Gregory’s college career below.

 

Former Husker makes goal line touchdown catch on Sunday

A former Nebraska wide receiver made another highlight touchdown catch on Sunday afternoon.

A former Nebraska wide receiver made another highlight touchdown catch on Sunday afternoon. Trey Palmer caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay’s 26-9 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Palmer only made two catches for six yards during the game. For the season, the Louisiana native has made six receptions for 42 yards and two touchdowns.

In his one year at Nebraska, Palmer had 71 receptions for a school-record 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns. The receiver was taken in the sixth round, with the 191st pick overall in the 2023 NFL draft.

He’s only the second player to break 1,000 receiving yards in a season after Stanley Morgan Jr. (1,004 yards – 2018). Find a photo gallery of Trey Palmer below.

Former Husker catches first NFL touchdown

A former Cornhusker wide receiver caught his first career touchdown pass in week one of the NFL season.

A former Cornhusker wide receiver caught his first career touchdown pass in week one of the NFL season. Trey Palmer caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Baker Mayfield in the third quarter of Tampa Bay’s victory over the Vikings.

Palmer finished the game with two receptions for eight yards and a touchdown. The Louisiana native has made an impact after being selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

In his one year at Nebraska, the Louisiana native had 71 catches for a school-record 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns. Palmer was taken in the sixth round, with the 191st pick overall in the 2023 NFL draft.

The receiver is only the second player to break 1,000 receiving yards in a season after Stanley Morgan Jr. (1,004 yards – 2018). Find a photo gallery of Trey Palmer below.

Former Husker announces retirement from NFL

After nine years in the NFL, a former Cornhusker is calling it a career.

After nine years in the NFL, a former Cornhusker is calling it a career. Linebacker Will Compton announced his retirement on Sept. 3.

Compton played for Nebraska from 2008-2012. In 48 career games as a Husker, he totaled 247 tackles, 13.0 for loss and 5.0 sacks.

The Missouri native signed with Washington as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He played for the franchise from 2013-2017.

He made the retirement announcement on social media.

“After 9, arguably 10, years in the NFL – I am officially retiring I truly can’t put into words how grateful I am for this game and the people who have been on this journey with me Thank you all so much”

Compton also spent time with the Titans, Saints, and Raiders. For his NFL career, he totaled 358 tackles, one sack, and three interceptions.

Find a photo gallery of Will Compton’s career below.

Former Husker placed on Injured Reserve by LA Rams

A former Nebraska Cornhusker football player was placed on Injured Reserve just before the start of the NFL season.

A former Nebraska Cornhusker football player was placed on Injured Reserve just before the start of the NFL season. Linebacker Ochaun Mathis has been placed on IR by the Los Angeles Rams.

Mathis was a sixth-round draft pick by LA. He has been dealing with a knee injury after missing all four preseason games.

He spent one year at Nebraska, playing in 12 games and making 48 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. The blackshirt player came to Lincoln after spending the previous four seasons at TCU.

Mathis will be eligible to return to the roster after the first four regular season games. The Rams will kick off the season.

Find a photo gallery of Ochaun Mathis’ playing career below.

Former Husker All-American announces retirement from NFL

A former Nebraska All-American has announced his retirement from the NFL.

A former Nebraska All-American has announced his retirement from the NFL. Prince Amukamara announced his retirement after 11 seasons.

Amukamara played at Nebraska from 2007 to 2010. He was a unanimous All-American and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year for the 2010 season.

He was taken in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft with the 19th pick overall. He would play for the Giants, Jaguars, and Bears during his professional career.

Amukamara appeared in 113 games, making 477 tackles with ten career interceptions and one touchdown. He also won Super Bowl XLVI with the New York Giants.

The cornerback signed a one-day contract with New York so he could retire as a member of the team that drafted him. Find a photo gallery of his playing career below.

Former Huskers perform well for Super Bowl champion in preseason action

The first week of the 2023 NFL preseason resulted in a slew of Huskers earning the opportunity for playtime.

The first week of the 2023 NFL preseason resulted in a slew of Huskers earning the opportunity for playtime. In the case of the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, two Nebraska players saw action for their showdown against the New Orleans Saints.

Defensive backs Dicaprio Bootle and Lamar Jackson earned significant playing time in the Chiefs’ nail-biting loss to the Saints. Both Bootle and Jackson finished the game with four total tackles. This put both former Huskers in third for most tackles in the game for the Chiefs, with the leading tackler being Cole Christiansen with six. Jackson also defended one pass in the game. 

The two were of many Huskers that saw preseason action over the weekend. Other Nebraska alumni hitting the field were wide receiver Trey Palmer, edge rusher Garrett Nelson and quarterback Adrian Martinez.

Jackson and Bootle played at Nebraska for four years and were then picked up as undrafted NFL free agents. Bootle was picked up by the Chiefs following the 2021 NFL draft and remained on the team for the last two seasons. 

Jackson’s journey, meanwhile, saw him venture throughout the country, playing with multiple teams. The New York Jets picked up Jackson as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL Draft. Jackson spent two seasons with the Jets before splitting the 2022 season with the Chicago Bears and the Denver Broncos.

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