Like many youngsters growing up in Nebraska, Wes Cammack dreamed of being a Husker.

He could picture himself emerging from the tunnel to the sea of red which is Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium on game day.

He could envision fastening his chin strap and taking the field in the scarlet and cream.

In 2005, Cammack’s dreams became reality when he became a walk-on with the Huskers.

While most of the Nebraska team is made up of scholarship players and “recruited” walk-ons, Cammack was a true walk-on, who gained his spot on the Husker roster through a tryout

Today, as Nebraska opens the season at home against Florida Atlantic, Cammack is starting his fifth and final season as a Husker.

“Part of me, at times, feels like I’ve been here for 10 years, and part of me feels like I’m just in my first year,” Cammack said.

“Things are going fast.”

Cammack said when fall camp opened it seemed like practices would “drag on” forever.

“But we’re on game week already,” Cammack said, “and before you know it it will be December.”

One of Cammack’s goals this season is to “cherish each moment.”

And it’s his teammates he said he’s sure he’ll remember most.

“The friendships I’ve made here over the last five years are friendships I’ll have for the rest of my life,” Cammack said.

Over the last four-plus years, Cammack said he’s learned a lot about football, as well as other things.

“I’ve grown up a lot,” Cammack said. “It’s been a long road.

“As far as life in general, it’s taught me how to work hard.”

Cammack said “perseverance” has been a key word for him.

“People respect that and it will get you places,” Cammack said.

While Cammack knew from the start becoming a Husker would be a big challenge, he didn’t really realize what it takes to be a college football player.

“I don’t anybody really knows how much work it’s going to be,” Cammack said. “We put in a lot of hours. It’s almost like a full-time job.”

Even though team gets time off during the year, Cammack said individually a player has to keep working on his own to be successful.

Cammack said new players to the program have to “adapt” to the rigors of school and football quickly.

After graduating from Tri County, Cammack went to Nebraska on an academic scholarship.

But the three-sport standout for the Trojans also wanted to play football at the next level.

Cammack talked to the Husker coaching staff and was told all they could offer him was an opportunity to tryout in the fall.

And an opportunity was all Cammack was asking for.

The Huskers normally have two open tryouts each year, one in the spring and one in the fall.

Cammack spent the summer of 2005 working out on his won and headed to Nebraska in the fall ready for the tryout. He and other would-be Huskers were tested in three areas during the tryout — the 40-yard dash, the vertical jump and the pro-agility run.

Making the most of his opportunity, Cammack tested out well enough that the Husker coaching staff offered him the chance to walk-on.

Since the tryout didn’t take place until after the 2005 football season had already started, the Huskers were four games into their season by the time Cammack was invited to walk-on and finished the necessary paperwork.

The first game Cammack suited up for was the 2005 Iowa State game in Lincoln.

Although he was redshirting, Cammack was allowed to suit up for home games and take part in pre-game warm-ups with the rest of the team.

It was just one of many firsts for Cammack as a Husker.

A running back and defensive back at DeWitt Tri County, Cammack made the switch to wide receiver at Nebraska.

In 2006, Cammack saw his first game action as a Husker against Missouri at Memorial Stadium as a member of the kickoff team.

The next week, he made the traveling squad for the first time and headed to College Station, Texas, with the rest of the team.

Cammack said it felt like all his hard work was paying off.

It continued to pay off after the 2006 season when Cammack was awarded his first letter at Nebraska. He has since lettered in both 2007 and 2008.

After playing on the scout team for three years, Cammack said it’s fun this year to finally “get a shot” to work with the regular offensive unit, as well as special teams.

Cammack heads into the 2009 season with 12 career tackles and one reception.

In all, he’s played in 26 games over the past three seasons.

“As a receiver, I’ve been working wherever they need me,” Cammack said. “If the coaches have a spot for me, I’ll be more than ready to play.”

Realistically, Cammack said he knows he won’t be an “every down” player for the Huskers.

He’s just ready to see how the season goes and hopes to take advantage of any opportunities, just as he’s done throughout his career.

Cammack also believes he’ll continue to see game action with the special teams units. He’s been working as a holder for place kickers as well, this fall, as being on coverage teams.

“Special teams is where I got my first shot to play and it made a lot to me to be on the field that way,” Cammack said, “and every play’s important.”

While he was playing football, Cammack has been attending the university on a four-year Regents’ Scholarship, which took care of tuition and books for eight semesters.

This year, his fifth at Nebraska, he was planning to pay his own way to go to school and play football.

Then, on Aug. 22, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini awarded six scholarship to current walk-ons. Cammack was one of the six to receive a football scholarship.

All six of the new scholarship players were native Nebraskans, including three seniors — Cammack, linebacker Colton Koehler of Harvard and offensive guard Derek Meyer of Campbell.

“I was happy and honored to get a scholarship,” Cammack said. “I’d hoped I’d be in the running, but you never know.”

Cammack actually found out about the scholarship Aug. 20 from former Husker Jeff Jamrog, who is assistant athletic director in charge of football operations at Nebraska.

“I knew it for two days,” Cammack said. “Coach Pelini wasn’t ready to announce it until Saturday, so he (Jamrog) told me to keep it quite

“I kept it from my parents the first night, but I told them the next night, just in case.”

Cammack wanted to tell his parents himself instead of them finding out the good new through media reports.

Pelini said each of the six walk-ons “earned” the opportunity to be placed on scholarship.

“Each of those guys has shown a great commitment to our football program, and they do things the right way on and off the field,” Pelini said in announcing the scholarship.

Cammack is on track to graduate in May 2010 and would have been finished with school earlier if he hadn’t switched majors.

“I’m taking 13 credits this semester and 14 next semester,” Cammack said. “Switching majors late put me behind, but I’m here for 4 1/2 (years) for football so after that I might as well enjoy one semester as a normal college student.”

Like his opportunities in football, Cammack has also made the most of his opportunities in the classroom.

He is a two-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection and has been on the Big 12 Commissioner’s honor roll for both the fall and spring since his freshman year.

While the scholarship was probably the biggest reward so far for Cammack, as a Husker senior, he’s getting a little more preseason attention from others this fall, too.

After just having a couple of lines in the Husker media guide his first year, Cammack has a half page in the university-produced publication this fall.

Cammack is also featured on one of the schedule cards produced by the university.

Returning to the area for a wedding recently, he said he had people asking for his autograph.

“Most of the people were just joking with me, but they still wanted me to sign them,” Cammack said, laughing.

While Cammack doesn’t seek the extra attention, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy it, at least a little.

“It’s fun and exciting and rewarding all at once,” Cammack said. “People back home get a bigger kick out of it than I do.

“I just try to show up for work every day.”

And, Cammack said, it’s not hard to “show up for work,” when he’s doing something he loves — playing football.

And when it comes being a Husker, Cammack said he has “no regrets” about anything that has happened during the past four seasons.

In fact, he’s just as excited about being a Nebraska football player as he was a true freshman.

“I take great pride and honor in being a Husker,” Cammack said.

Cammack said it feels like he’s not only playing for his current teammates, but for all the Husker players who have gone before, especially the in-state walk-ons.

The senior said he likes the direction the Nebraska football team is taking.

“Coach Pelini is a hard-nosed guy, but he’s always going to have your back as a player,” Cammack said. “We have a great coaching staff and they have things headed in the right direction.”

A direction, Cammack said, which will allow youngsters to continue to dream about playing for the Big Red, just as he did.