Of the 2,880 NFL preseason participants, 26 held special significance across the Cornhusker State. After sporting the scarlet and cream for their collegiate years, these former Huskers competed in the preseason to prove they had what it took to play at football’s highest level.
The preseason helped several former Nebraska players obtain spots on their teams’ 53-man rosters and gave a handful who were waived or released a chance to strengthen their case for another opportunity.
However, three former Huskers stood out from the rest, earning meaningful to rotational regular-season roles after impressive preseason performances.
Emmett Johnson
As one of 13 running backs selected in the 2026 NFL Draft this spring — and the only former Nebraska rookie chosen — fifth-round pick Emmett Johnson carried perhaps the highest expectations of any former Husker. To earn regular-season playing time, Johnson needed the preseason to prove that his 3,162 total yards and 20 touchdowns in college could translate to the NFL.
“He’s a competitor, and that’s something I appreciated most about him,” Kansas City Chiefs Player Personnel Executive Jaylen Myrick said following the draft. “He wants to be a great player, and it means a lot to him. Bringing (someone like) Emmett here, that thrives here, is the competitive environment that coach promotes. Guys that show up and put the time in, they tend to have success in our program.”
In his first NFL preseason game, Johnson recorded the third-highest total yardage among drafted rookie running backs in their first games, tallying 69-total yards on 15 touches, only bested by Arizona Cardinals third-overall pick Jeremiyah Love and Washington Commanders sixth-round pick Kaytron Allen.
Several Chiefs coaches were impressed by Johnson’s opening performance.
“He did a nice job with it and ran hard and aggressive,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “Had some yards after contact there, which is a big thing. He was one of the positives coming out of this.”
Chiefs running back coach DeMarco Murray noted how Johnson left an encouraging first impression.
Murray praised Johnson for his physicality running the ball and versatility in the passing game, which impressed him during the rookie’s first professional outing. Although Johnson needed to clean up his footwork and improve his route depth, Murray was pleased with how he played.
In his next two games, Johnson scored his first rushing touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and registered three double-digit gains to record 54 total yards against the Seattle Seahawks.
Before their final preseason game, Emari Demercado was listed as the Chiefs’ backup running back behind Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III. Johnson, however, significantly outproduced Demercado in the preseason, outgaining him by 104 yards. Demercado was waived by the Chiefs, leaving Johnson as Walker’s backup.
“They can rely on me,” Johnson said following the Chiefs preseason finale. “Somebody that can be consistent and help the team win. I feel like ever since I got the phone call, that’s what I want to do is help the Chiefs win football games. I’m just going to keep doing that and showing that they can rely on me.”
Ty Robinson
Before the preseason, second-year Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Ty Robinson’s fate in the NFL remained uncertain after an underwhelming rookie season. Robinson played only 15% of defensive snaps last year, recording zero sacks and five tackles.
This was quite a contrast to his collegiate efforts, in which he registered 12 sacks and 134 tackles (26.5 for loss) over five years as a starter and was voted Second-Team All-Big Ten by the Associated Press in 2024.
Robinson was disappointed with his initial production and sought to make changes in his preparation.
“Last year wasn’t good enough,” Robinson said in a recent press conference. “So, I can’t do the same thing I did prior to that. Obviously I needed to change some things up. When I did my training in the offseason, I really focused on those key aspects I felt like I needed to improve. And then, just coming out here and trusting myself, and being confident that what I did in the offseason does work and (will) help propel me to get in that role.”
Robinson made an immediate impact in the preseason, registering his first sack in NFL action by taking down Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley early in the first quarter.
The following week, Robinson sacked New England Patriots quarterback Tommy DeVito twice in the first half, one of which resulted in a 12-yard loss. His early production helped him earn a spot on the 53-man roster as a part of the Eagles’ defensive front alongside Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo.
“He’s been on life support since he’s been here, but he came to life,” Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said following the 24-21 loss to the Patriots. “And hopefully that will continue.”
Ameer Abdullah
Few players have had more of a profound impact on Nebraska football than Ameer Abdullah. The sole recipient of the 2014 Senior CLASS Award (annually awarded to the top student-athletes per sport) is second in Husker football program history for career rushing yards, rumbling for an astounding 4,588 yards, trailing only Mike Rozier, who holds the school record with 4,780.
The preseason allowed Abdullah to show whether he still had gas in the tank entering his 12th season. The 2015 second-round pick is 33 years old and has registered 727 touches in the NFL across six franchises.
While he only suited up for one preseason game with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Abdullah recorded the highest total yardage for skill position players (excluding quarterbacks) for the Jaguars, tallying 82 total yards, including a 23-yard run after making Carolina Panthers cornerback Chau Smith-Wade miss.
“I think game action is the only way you can truly prepare for the game of football,” Abdullah said following the 34-17 loss to the Panthers. “Of course practice gets your timing down, but really taking on blocks, really taking on tackles, feeling yourself go through holes when guys are really trying to tackle you is the best way to prepare for the game. So I’m just glad I was out there and able to execute today.”
His standout preseason performance helped him secure a running back spot on the Jaguars behind Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and LeQuint Allen Jr. Abdullah’s production was critical for his season, as he has been waived once in his career by the Detroit Lions, and twice more at different times in the season by the San Francisco 49ers and the Minnesota Vikings.
Five others who made their rosters
Although their performances weren’t as significant, New York Giants tight end Thomas Fidone II and Indianapolis Colts cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt played in the preseason and secured roster spots.
Fidone II caught five receptions for 34 yards, including a 29-yard gain in the Giants’ 26-3 victory over the Dolphins. Taylor-Britt recorded seven solo tackles over all three games, however, he has a Week 1 suspension and will return to the field in Week 2.
Eagles center Cam Jurgens had possibly the easiest path to a spot on his 53-man roster of any former Husker. Jurgens helped Philadelphia win the Super Bowl in 2025 as the starting center and is a two-time Pro Bowler. He did not play in the preseason and was once again listed as Philadelphia’s starting center.
49ers linebacker Luke Gifford and Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Maliek Collins both made their rosters but didn’t play in the preseason due to injuries. Gifford suffered a hamstring injury in training camp, and Collins was managing a quadriceps tear he suffered last season.
More Opportunities
However, several of these players supplied notable preseason performances, boosting their chances of finding other NFL opportunities. Green Bay Packers wide receiver Isaiah Neyor caught 10 passes for 100 yards with no drops, and Denver Broncos wide receiver Dane Key caught three passes for 52 yards. Chiefs safety Deshon Singleton recorded 11 tackles, including seven against the Buccaneers and Tampa Bay linebacker Javin Wright registered nine tackles and a forced fumble. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Trey Palmer also accumulated 100 combined yards in returns.
Neyor, Key, Singleton, Wright, Palmer, Ben Stille, Henry Lutovsky and Ben Scott have already joined their previous teams’ practice squads, keeping their NFL opportunities alive. For the remaining former Huskers, the hunt continues as the regular season kicks off Wednesday, Sept. 9.
The preseason may have ended, but their efforts to earn spots in the NFL have not.