Nebraska football: 5 great players who didn’t live up to the NFL hype

A speedster on the outside, Kenny Bell was a force from the moment he got on the field for the Cornhuskers — which was quite a bit. The wide receiver played in 53 games throughout his college career and started in 49 of those games. That began as a redshirt freshman in the 2011 season when the fast wide receiver played a small part in the offense, catching 32 balls for 461 yards and three touchdowns in his first time seeing the field at this level.

The next season, however, Bell came up with a big-time breakout campaign. He led Nebraska with 50 catches that went for 863 yards and eight touchdowns, putting himself on the map as one of the better big-play threats in the country. He did have a down year in comparison as a junior, though. Yes, Bell had 52 receptions but they went for just 577 yards and four scores.

For his final act with the Huskers, Bell bounced back to look more like he did as a sophomore. He finished the year with 47 receptions, 788 receiving yards and six touchdowns. However, for all of his work on the field, he finished his career as Nebraska’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards while finishing top-three in receiving touchdowns. Though he’s since been passed, his spot in Nebraska history is undeniable.

Despite his speed and college production, Bell slipped into the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him. After going on IR as a rookie, though, he was cut before the following season and, due to more injuries and otherwise, never played a down in the NFL.