LINCOLN — Nebraska celebrated two unlikely victories Tuesday with its own football season still yet to begin.
Former Huskers Thomas Fidone and John Bullock each made NFL 53-man rosters in achievements that were far from guaranteed following up-and-down college careers and lukewarm draft stocks in the spring.
NU coach Matt Rhule said he’s thrilled for both players he inherited for the 2023 and 2024 campaigns. Their stories are teaching lessons for the current squad.
“They did all we asked,” Rhule said. “Look at them now.”
Fidone, once a top national recruit in the 2021 cycle out of Council Bluffs Lewis Central, endured a pair of serious knee injuries at Nebraska and was drafted in the seventh round by the New York Giants. He finished the preseason with eight catches for 64 yards and a touchdown to make a big enough impression within a deep tight end group.
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“There was always a lot of flak for him that he had to deal with,” Rhule said of the 6-foot-6, 255-pounder. “I just love the guy. I thought he overcame the odds.”
Bullock’s story is perhaps more improbable. The Omaha Creighton Prep graduate walked on with Nebraska in 2019 but didn’t play until his third season. He was “forgotten about” as a reserve safety when Rhule arrived in December 2022 and considered moving on from football the following year.
Bullock instead completed a successful transition to being an every-down linebacker. He went undrafted but signed with Tampa Bay and carved out a role on special teams — he made three tackles in that phase last weekend.
“It’s a blessing,” Bullock told Bucs reporters Tuesday. “Not a lot of people get this opportunity and I’m just really honored. And I’m going to make the most of it.”
Rhule recently told his team that the process is undefeated for those who won’t be defeated. He said Bullock was on his mind when he shared that.
“He just kept pulling himself up,” Rhule said. “Nothing was handed to him.”
Rhule said Fidone and Bullock are examples of the rewards that come from being coachable. He also identified defensive lineman Jimari Butler, a former Husker who entered the portal when Rhule was hired but stayed for two years before transferring to LSU for a significant pay raise.
“The guys who do what we ask, they play pretty well,” Rhule said. “They get paid monetarily and they graduate usually and they have success.”
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