Former Nebraska Football players Tommy Armstrong and Jordan Westerkamp knew it wasn't going to be easy catching on with an NFL club. Unfortunately, they may not have thought it would be this hard. Armstrong had been working out with the Minnesota Vikings and had been told they wanted to see what he could do in the defensive backfield. Westerkamp had gotten a tryout with the Tampa Bay Bucs after shocking many fans by not immediately signing a deal as a UDFA. After trying out for their teams, both players started the day on Friday having to start over.

What makes this even more heartbreaking for the former Nebraska Cornhuskers and their fans, is that they were two of the most popular players on the team in recent years. Sure, Armstrong had his faults. He wasn't a particularly accurate or savvy quarterback when it came to the pass. Still, he had the heart of a lion, always wanted to try and make the right play and was a true team leader in every sense of the word.

Jordan Westerkamp was a player who saw his career likely derailed by a few badly placed injuries and yes, a quarterback who had problems reading defenses and getting him the ball in Armstrong.

Still, there wasn't a game that Westerkamp didn't play in that didn't include a new addition to his personal highlight reel. This continued in his tryout for the Bucs as video of an incredible catch made its way around the Internet. That catch wasn't enough to get him a roster invite when the tryout was over. At this point, one has to wonder if any NFL is willing to take a chance on a receiver that has hands of glue but lacks both size and speed.

Armstrong always knew he was going to have some problems making an NFL team. He first needed to find himself a new position. There was literally no one, probably not even in the CFL that was going to be willing to give Tommy a shot at quarterback.

Armstrong knew this and accepted it. He told teams he would play wherever they wanted him to play. There was talk of running back and receiver and then defensive back.

If there is good news when it comes to Armstrong, his inability to catch on with the Vikings might have less to do with his athletic talents and more to do with learning a new position. This month marked minicamps but the former Nebraska football star still has some time to brush up on playing safety before fall camps begin. The future is quite a bit hazier for Westerkamp but every Husker fan knows, he's pulled off a miracle or two before.
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