Count former Nebraska football star Josh Banderas among the former Huskers who is looking for a new job. While he had looked like one who might be able to make the roster as an Undrafted Free Agent, the Denver Broncos announced on Monday they had cut the linebacker.
Tons of unrealized potential for former Nebraska football star
The release from the Broncos is just the latest setback in what has been a career full of unrealized potential. When Banderas was at Nebraska, he was often considered to be on the cusp of breaking out. The linebacker was often praised for his speed and nose for the ball.
Unfortunately, Banderas’ numbers rarely matched when his coaches thought he possessed in talent.
A large part of the reason Banderas struggled as a member of the Nebraska football team is that he was rarely able to get through a season uninjured. Those injuries definitely played a part in both slowing him down physically and keeping him off the field, making him play catch up. It didn’t help that he saw quite a few defensive coordinators during his time with the Huskers.
Despite some believing the former Nebraska football player had unrealized potential, he did manage to record 232 tackles over the course of his career. It was his speed that had some believing he could indeed make an NFL roster.
While that dream is far from dead, it’s certainly going to be harder now that he first has to find another team willing to take a risk on him.
Banderas hardly the only former Nebraska football player looking for work
Now that he’s a free agent again, the linebacker will join the likes of Jordan Westerkamp as far as talented former Huskers who cannot get an NFL team to give them a chance.
There was a time when it appeared that Tommy Armstrong was going to be in that group as well. So far, the Minnesota Vikings have decided the former quarterback at least has a shot to transition to defensive back.
The jettisoning of Banderas might be surprising because it’s so close to NFL training camps kicking off, but Westerkamp still not even getting a nibble from an NFL team has shocked some around the Nebraska football family.
Like Banderas, Westerkamp looked like he might at least get a chance to go through camp right after the draft, but it was not to be. Now it’s been months since he got much of a sniff from a professional team. It will be interesting to see if either of these former Cornhuskers can find a team to take a chance on them as we roll into the fall.
