The son of Hall of Famer Howie Long and brother of Chris Long, Kyle Long had a nice career in his own right, especially in the beginning.

Jon Condo was undrafted in 2005, but the Maryland Terrapin signed with the Dallas Cowboys, playing in three Games at Special Teams.

One of the best football players Central Michigan has ever produced, regardless of position, is Joe Staley.

Staley was chosen 28^th Overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 2007, and he was named a starting Right Tackle as a rookie.  Staley moved to Left Tackle the following year, which is where he would stay until he retired after the 2019 season.  He played his entire pro career in a 49ers uniform and was a steady constant on a team he saw through ups and downs, including a Super Bowl appearance.

Staley would be named to six Pro Bowls, was a three-time Second Team All-Pro, and was named to the 2010s All-Decade Team.

From the University of Utah, where he was a two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, Eric Weddle joined the San Diego Chargers as a Second-Round Pick in 2007.  He played off the bench as a rookie.  Weddle won the starting job at Free Safety as a sophomore and became one of the top safeties of the 2010s.

Weddle usually played at FS, but could slide into Strong Safety and provide elite man-to-man coverage when needed.  Lauded for his high football IQ, Weddle became a de facto on-field coach for his squads.  Weddle went to his first Pro Bowl in 2011, the same year he co-led the league in Interceptions (7) and was also a First Team All-Pro.  He added two more Pro Bowls (2013 & 2014) and a second First Team All-Pro as a Charger, but his run in the sun ended when he signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2016.

The Ravens had Weddle for three seasons, during which he was an annual Pro Bowl selection.  Recording 10 Picks as a Raven, Weddle was released as a cost-cutting measure, and he joined the Los Angeles Rams for 2019.  He had a good year but elected to retire, seemingly ending his career, but the Rams made an offer he couldn’t refuse. 

In 2021, Los Angeles made the playoffs but saw the Safety position decimated by injury. Weddle was coaxed out of retirement, and with his ability to learn defensive schemes quickly, he started in the Rams' Super Bowl LVI win over Cincinnati. Weddle retired a second time, but this time as a champion.  He accumulated 39 Sacks and 1,179 Tackles over his career.