DeKALB – When mandatory mini camps for NFL teams opened in early June, seven former NIU Huskies were signed to NFL rosters and battling for a roster spot.
But after the 3 p.m. CT Tuesday deadline by which all 32 NFL clubs had to trim their rosters down from 90 players to 53, only one remained. None of NIU’s four undrafted rookies made the cut.
The sole survivor of the league’s annual cutdown process, which displaces about 1,200 players, was Houston Texans safety Jimmie Ward. The former NIU standout enters his second season in Houston after helping the Texans earn the AFC South title and their first playoff berth since 2019.
Ward, a first-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2014, signed a one-year extension with the Texans on Aug. 19 to remain in Houston through the 2025 season. His 10 years of experience make his pro career the third-longest of an NIU alum.
Offensive lineman Max Scharping was released by the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday after signing with the team on June 3. Scharping was drafted by Houston in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft and started 33 games before spending the last two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Defensive lineman Jack Heflin also found himself without a team after getting cut by the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday. Heflin, who played at NIU for three seasons before finishing his college career at the University of Iowa, signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He also had stints with the New York Giants and the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks prior to signing with the Saints.
NO ROOM FOR THE ROOKIES
After the conclusion of the 2024 NFL Draft, four Huskies signed with teams as undrafted free agents: offensive lineman Nolan Potter, quarterback Rocky Lombardi, linebacker DaRon Gilbert and defensive lineman James Ester.
Potter was the first casualty of the group after being released by the Atlanta Falcons on June 20 before he could see any preseason action.
Gilbert, a Detroit native, signed with his hometown Detroit Lions and saw significant playing time in their preseason opener against the Giants on Aug. 8. He led Detroit with four solo tackles while also recording a pass breakup in a 14-3 loss.
Gilbert later suffered an injury during an Aug. 11 practice and was waived with an injury designation on Aug. 13. After clearing waivers and returning to the Lions’ injured reserve, Gilbert was waived with an injury settlement on Aug. 20.
In Cincinnati, Lombardi was engaged in a competition for the Bengals’ third-string quarterback position with Logan Woodside. After not seeing action in Cincinnati’s preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Lombardi made his NFL debut the following week against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
The former NIU QB went 4-of-8 passing for 33 yards while losing a fumble on his first drive. Lombardi ended his preseason with three kneel-downs to close out a 27-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday. He was later waived by the Bengals on Friday.
Ester spent training camp with the Packers and appeared in all three of Green Bay’s preseason games. He finished the preseason with a tackle, two assisted tackles, a batted pass and two hurries. Ester was waived Aug. 27.
While the initial 53-man rosters have been finalized, teams will be able to sign 16 players to their practice squads beginning at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
