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Former Husker Says Emmett Johnson Should Go Pro After This Season

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4 months ago

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Former Husker Says Emmett Johnson Should Go Pro After This Season


One of the top running backs in Nebraska football history believes the current lead-back is ready for the next level.

Speaking on Hurrdat Sports Live on Friday, former Huskers Ameer Abdullah and Kenny Bell joined hosts Damon Benning and Ravi Lulla. With three-time All-Big Ten running back and 11-year NFL veteran Abdullah on the show, the conversation quickly turned to Emmett Johnson.

“The similarities I see in Emmett is just the dynamic ability to do so many things,” Abdullah said after former teammate Kenny Bell said they had someone able to do it all from the running back position during their time in Lincoln. “You see the screen that he took for 56 (yards) last week. It’s just scratching the surface of what his potential can be as a weapon.”

Ameer Abdullah was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2013, making the second team in 2012 and 2014.

Ameer Abdullah was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2013, making the second team in 2012 and 2014. He was taken in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Abdullah believes Johnson is displaying abilities that will earn him a spot at the next level.

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“When you look at the NFL landscape, I know scouts are going to be drooling about a guy like that who can make guys miss in space,” Abdullah said. “I think what is most similar in our games is his anticipatory nature. He sees it before it happens.”

Abdullah said being able to anticipate and manipulate the defenders is a sixth sense that you have to have for success.

“You can’t really coach that for a back who can do it really consistently,” Abdullah said. “I feel like that’s what I had at Nebraska, which allowed me to have my senior year, tons of long runs. You saw that jump for Emmett this year, where it went from just marginal gains to boom, big runs, because that anticipation is right on mark.”

Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Emmett Johnson

Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Emmett Johnson is recognized after becoming a Maxwell Award semifinalist and launching a Heisman Trophy campaign during the first half against the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks at Pinnacle Bank Arena. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Johnson is expected to be in the running for the Doak Walker Award, and the university has put together a Heisman Trophy campaign for him. He’s just the second Husker to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season since Abdullah, and in the UCLA game became the first Husker running back to notch rushing and receiving yards of more than 100 yards each.

“I’m proud, man, because it’s been a while since I could look at that backfield and be like, ‘That’s a guy.’ And Emmett is a guy. It took a while for a lot of people to really believe that, but he just shows up every single week,” Abdullah said.

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Abdullah and Johnson have built a relationship over the past couple of years, with the current Husker seeking advice.

“He sought me out,” Abdullah said. “I didn’t go to him. He messaged me online and was like, ‘Dude, give me any game you can. Whenever you come back, let’s rap.’

“He came and volunteered at my camp two years in a row without asking for anything. He just wanted to be around me and soak up the energy and soak up the knowledge in any way that he could.”

Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Emmett Johnson

Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Emmett Johnson is the second Husker to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since Ameer Abdullah. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

As for that knowledge Johnson is soaking up, Abdullah is using his own experience to offer advice at a critical junction for the younger back.

“The advice I got was, ‘Go back and finish your degree,’” Abdullah said. “But if I could go back, I probably would have left early and the reason why is because I’m in my 11th year in the NFL and I play running back. It’s just a very gruesome position.”

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Abdullah noted that he’s the only running back remaining from his draft class in 2015, and he’s the longest-tenured running back in the league.

“I just know from a wear-and-tear standpoint what could have been… if I had taken that one year off of my body in college,” Abdullah said. “I understand now the landscape of the NIL changes things.

“But when it comes to EJ, I definitely think that, looking at this draft class of running backs, looking at the year and the momentum that he has, I definitely think he needs to take advantage of this opportunity.”

Ameer Abdullah has rushed for more than 2,000 yards in his NFL career, adding nearly 1,500 yards via receptions.

Ameer Abdullah has rushed for more than 2,000 yards in his NFL career, adding nearly 1,500 yards via receptions. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Abdullah noted that a number of teams in the league have aging running backs and need a player who can do it all from the backfield, like Johnson has shown this season. The 2026 NFL draft is scheduled for April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.

Nebraska’s regular season continues Saturday with a night game at Penn State, before closing with a Black Friday affair at home against Iowa.

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Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.



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Nebraska

Nebraska Lottery results: See winning numbers for Powerball, Pick 3 on March 2, 2026

Published

1 hour ago

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March 3, 2026

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The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Monday, March 2, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 2.

Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing

02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 2 drawing

21-28-58-65-67, Powerball: 25

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 2 drawing

7-5-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 2 drawing

03-08-09-17-25

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Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning 2 By 2 numbers from March 2 drawing

Red Balls: 14-26, White Balls: 17-18

Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning MyDay numbers from March 2 drawing

Month: 05, Day: 03, Year: 23

Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 2 drawing

28-41-42-50-55, Bonus: 02

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Nebraska Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 3, 5: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
  • Lucky For Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
  • 2 By 2: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
  • MyDaY: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9:15 p.m CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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NioCorp to start work on its minerals mine in southeast Nebraska

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13 hours ago

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March 2, 2026

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NioCorp to start work on its minerals mine in southeast Nebraska


NioCorp announced Monday that it plans to start work on its critical minerals mine in southeast Nebraska.

The project, which the company is calling its mine portal project, will involve building a main entrance to the Elk Creek underground mine and will serve as the primary access point for personnel, equipment, and materials for the underground mining operations. It also will include excavating bedrock, drilling and blasting to establish the twin mine ramps, on-site access road construction, and construction of on-site supporting infrastructure.

The project, which will cost nearly $45 million, is set to get underway before the end of the month. It marks the first time Colorado-based NioCorp will actually start any significant work on the main mine, from which the company hopes to extract niobium, scandium, titanium and other minerals.

“Given the size of this excavation work, the portal project really marks the beginning of a major pre-construction activity at the Elk Creek Project site and is an important step toward preparing for underground development,” Scott Honan, the company’s president and chief operating officer, said in a release.

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Mark A. Smith, Niocorp’s chairman and CEO, called the project, “a significant milestone.”

Niocorp has spent more than 15 years trying to develop the mine on land in Johnson County, about 65 miles southeast of Lincoln.

The company still needs to raise a significant amount of money to make the $1.2 billion mine a reality, though. In December, NioCorp said it had raised about $360 million, or a little more than a quarter of the total cost. It is still waiting for approval of a $780 million debt financing application from the Export-Import Bank of the United States.



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Nebraska Lottery results: See winning numbers for Pick 3, Pick 5 on March 1, 2026

Published

1 day ago

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March 2, 2026

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The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 1.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 1 drawing

7-6-5

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 1 drawing

04-20-28-30-39

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning 2 By 2 numbers from March 1 drawing

Red Balls: 02-10, White Balls: 25-26

Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning MyDay numbers from March 1 drawing

Month: 11, Day: 28, Year: 38

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Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 1 drawing

10-11-12-35-56, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Nebraska Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 3, 5: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
  • Lucky For Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
  • 2 By 2: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
  • MyDaY: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9:15 p.m CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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