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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Former Husker signs with the Houston Texans following USFL Championship season

A former Husker is making a return to the NFL after spending one season in the USFL.

A former Husker is making a return to the NFL after spending one season in the USFL. Defensive tackle Khalil Davis signed a 1-year, $940,000 deal with the Houston Texans on Monday afternoon one month after wrapping up his season in the USFL.

Davis played for four seasons at Nebraska after redshirting freshman year. He finished his collegiate career with 106 tackles, 26 tackles for loss and 13 sacks through 47 career games.

He was then drafted 194th by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft. Davis remained on the Buccaneers until part way through the 2021 season and was a part of their Super Bowl LV championship team. He bounced around the NFL through the 2021 and 2022 seasons, making stops in Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles. 

He joined the Birmingham Stallions for the 2023 USFL season, in which he played nine games. Davis racked up a total of 29 tackles and one sack, which came in the USFL Championship against the Pittsburgh Maulers. 

Davis joins a Texans’ team coming off a 4-13 season. It finished 30th in total yards allowed and 27th in total points allowed. 

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinion.

Former Husker signed by Houston Texans

The Houston Texans have signed a former Husker to their roster.

The Houston Texans have signed a former Husker to their roster. Khalil Davis was signed by the AFC team on Monday afternoon.

Davis made 11 starts in 47 games in Lincoln. The defensive lineman totaled 106 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and one fumble recovery.

He would be an Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten by the media in 2018 and 2019. Davis would also earn a selection to the All-Big Ten Third-Team by the coaches for the 2019 season.

He was taken in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After leaving TB he would spend time with the Colts, Steelers and Rams.

Davis has also spent time in the USFL and with the Birmingham Stallions.