Disrespected. Not talented enough. Nightmare. Those were a few of the comments being thrown around social media over the weekend as the Nebraska football team saw its 54-year streak of multiple players being drafted, snapped. Nate Gerry became the only Nebraska player who was selected and the safety didn't go until the fifth round to the Philadelphia Eagles. Sure, several Husker football players signed UDFAs after the fact, but the pain was still there when looking at just how few Cornhuskers got drafted.
The good news is that while the talent level in Lincoln hit a bit of an ebb in the final years of Bo Pelini's tenure, there are still a couple of players Husker fans are going to enjoy watching dominate their peers on Sundays this fall.
Ameer Abdullah was just recently named the Detroit Lions' starting running back. Quincy Enunwa was the New York Jets' best receiver a year ago and for now, at least, he's poised to fill that role again.
Ameer Abdullah is on the comeback trail
Perhaps the most encouraging sign of the Detroit Lions making Ameer Abdullah the starting running back for the upcoming season is it hints that he is all the way back from the injury that sidelined him for most of the 2016 season. Considering the former Nebraska football player has been splitting time with other backs since he came into the league, it's also a statement on the confidence the team has in his ability to be the featured back. If he can indeed stay healthy, it's going to be interesting to see just what kind of a statement he can make.
If NFL teams learn to fear Ameer the way Nebraska opponents did, that will also be a positive for the University where he played.
Quincy Enunwa becoming the go-to guy
The Nebraska football team clearly has a focus on getting the best wide receivers in the country. It always helps when you can point to a former player at that position doing well in the NFL.
Quincy Enunwa certainly fits that bill. The New York Jets wide receiver went from having just 22 catches for 315 yards and no touchdowns in his first season, to 58 catches, and the team lead in receiving yards (857) and receiving touchdowns (4). Keep in mind the Jets' passing offense was hampered by some of, if not the worst quarterback play in the league a year ago. The Husker coaching staff being able to point to his leap into the spotlight to potential recruits can only help the school reel in the best of the best in the next few recruiting classes.
