Former Nebraska football receiver signs contract with CFL team

Former Nebraska football receiver Jordan Westerkamp is pursuing professional football in the CFL.

Former Nebraska football star Jordan Westerkamp hasn’t been able to catch on with an NFL team. Perhaps signing with a CFL team will act as a kind of jumping off point.

After signing with and being cut by a couple of teams last fall, Westerkamp has been looking for work all offseason. The big question now is whether or not he’ll have some staying power as a member of the Toronto Argonauts.

The team announced the signing on Twitter on Monday morning and the move appears to be one that could at least lead to a long time professional gig, even if not in the NFL.

When looking at the Toronto Argonauts, it appears Westerkamp finds himself in a favorable situation. The team is coming off a Grey Cup championship thanks in no small part to a powerful passing game.

Veteran quarterback Ricky Ray threw for 5,546 yards and 28 touchdowns a year ago. Those numbers included one receiver who hauled down 104 passes and another who had 83 receptions.

In total, the team had five players with 49 or more receptions. Playing in a pass-happy offense could be just what the former Husker needs to show off his skills to NFL teams.

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For a while, it looked as if the Argos might have been breaking in a new quarterback. Ray, who has played in the league for 15 seasons had been contemplating retirement this offseason.

Just a few days ago, the prolific passer inked a new deal with his team. While the CFL has never really acted as a kind of minor league outlet for the NFL, it has allowed dozens of former college stars a chance to play football for real money.

The CFL and NFL seasons butt into one another, at least a little bit. Canada’s professional football league begins its season in June and runs through November.

While that means Jordan Westerkamp wouldn’t be available at the start of the season, it’s a possibility, if a small one, that an NFL team could like what it sees from the former Nebraska football star and give him a contract for the stretch run.