From SMU, Courtland Sutton was Denver’s Second Round Pick in 2018, and save for a torn ACL that took out the 2020 season, he has been one of the most consistent Wide Receivers in recent Broncos seasons.

Sutton attended the Pro Bowl in 2019, marking what has been his most productive yardage year to date, with 1,112 Yards.  Since then, Sutton has shown flashes of dominance, catching 10 Touchdown Passes in 2023 and recording his second four-digit yardage year in 2024. 

Entering 2025, Sutton has 5,340 Yards and 32 TDs, and has the potential to add a lot more.

When the Denver Broncos made Patrick Surtain II the ninth overall pick in the 2021 draft—the second defensive back selected behind Jaycee Horn—they landed a true blue-chip cornerstone. The Alabama product carried NFL pedigree and refined technical polish, stepping directly into the secondary and delivering a flawless All-Rookie campaign that signaled a star was born.

Surtain elevated his game into elite territory during his sophomore campaign in 2022. Blessed with long arms, elite recovery speed, and a high football IQ, he routinely eliminated opposing top targets in single coverage, capturing First-Team All-Pro honors and his first Pro Bowl selection. He backed that up with a second consecutive Pro Bowl nod in 2023, solidifying his reputation as the premier shadow cornerback in the league.

2024 would be a golden season for Surtain. Opposing offensive coordinators practically erased his half of the field, targeting him just 62 times all year. When quarterbacks did dare throw his way, Surtain punished them, holding passers to a microscopic 59.1 passer rating and allowing a league-low 326 yards in coverage. He snagged four interceptions—highlighted by a momentum-swinging 100-yard pick-six against the Raiders—and added 11 pass deflections. That total dominance earned him NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Gradishar as only the second Bronco in franchise history to claim the award.

Surtain remained the heartbeat of Denver's defense in 2025, securing his fourth straight Pro Bowl nod and earning Second-Team All-Pro honors. Even while battling a midseason pectoral strain, his presence helped Denver's unit dominate down the stretch, and he returned for the postseason to help drive the Broncos all the way to the AFC Championship Game. Entering the 2026 season for his sixth NFL campaign, Surtain sits firmly atop the league as the undisputed gold standard at cornerback.

Thus far, he has compiled 12 interceptions, 59 pass deflections, 279 combined tackles, two forced fumbles, and two defensive touchdowns.

Regular visitors to Notinhalloffame.com are aware that we are gradually compiling the top 50 lists for every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB. Once that is done, we will examine how each team honors its past players, coaches, and executives.   Eventually, this will extend to the college ranks.  As such, it is important to us that the University of Illinois has announced 11 new members to their Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on October 10, and the class will be honored the following day during the Fighting Illini’s home game against Ohio State.

The new inductees are:

Aspen Burkett Miles, Women’s Track & Field, 1995-98.  Burkett was a seven-time All-American (four relays and three individual), won seven Big Ten Championships, and played a big part in Illinois’ Big Ten 1995 Indoor and 1995 & 1996 Outdoor Championships. 

Mike Durkin, Men’s Track & Field, 1972-75.  A five-time All-American and nine-time Big Ten Champion, Durkin excelled in middle distances, winning most of his titles in the Mile or 1,000m distances.

Jane Fauntz Manske, Women’s Swimming and Diving 1930-34.  In 1928, Fauntz Manske set World Records in the 100-yard and 100-meter breaststroke, and the year after won the National 100-meter breaststroke and 100-meter springboard Championship.  She also competed for the United States in the 1928 and 1932 Olympics.

Kiwane Garris, Men’s Basketball, 1994-97.  Garris was a two-time First Team All-Big-10 Selection whose 1,948 Points are second all-time in Illini history.  He played pro for Orlando and Denver. 

Theresa Grentz, Women’s Basketball Coach, 1996-2007.  Grentz had a record of 210-156 and brought the Illini their only Women’s Big 10 Title.  She also took the Illini to two Sweet Sixteens.  Grentz is already a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Meredith Hackett Kindt, Softball, 2009-12.  During Hackett’s time in Illinois, the school had a 45-8 record, while she boasted a stellar .616 Slugging Percentage. 

Benita Kelly Babridge, Women’s Track & Field, 1995-98.  Kelly earned eight All-America honors and the Big 10 100m and 200m titles in 1998.

Kurt Kittner, Football, 1998-2001.  Kittner took the Illini to the Sugar Bowl in 2001, and threw 8,722 Yards and 70 Touchdowns for the school.  He later played three years in the NFL.

Joe Rutgens, Football, 1958-60.  Playing at Defensive Tackle, Rutgens was a First Team All-American in 1960.  He later played a decade for the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowl Selection.

Scott Spezio, Baseball, 1991-93.  An All-American in 1993, Spezio holds the school record for Home Runs (48).  Spezio later played 12 years in the Majors, winning two World Series rings: one with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the other with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Gene Vance, Men’s Basketball/Athletic Director, 1942-43, 1947 & 1967-72.  Vance helped Illinois win the 1942 and 1943 Big Ten Titles while securing First Team All-American honors in both of those years.  He would play professionally for five years, first with the Chicago Stags and then with the Tri-Cities Blackhawks.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the incoming members of the University of Illinois Athletic Hall of Fame.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we maintain and update our existing Top 50 lists annually.  As such, we are delighted to present our post-2024 revision of our top 50 Dallas Cowboys.

As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Cowboys dealt with injuries to major players and slumped to a 7-10 record.  Nevertheless, there was a new entrant, and a few elevations on the Top 50.

As always, we present our top five, which remain unchanged.

1. Emmitt Smith
2. Bob Lilly
3. Roger Staubach
4. Randy White
5. Mel Renfro

You can find the entire list here.

Of note, Offensive Guard Zack Martin, who retired after the season, was unable to move up beyond #10.

Quarterback Dak Prescott remained at #29.

Wide Receiver CeeDee Lamb makes his debut on the list at #41.

DeMarcus Lawrence moved up one spot to #47.

Micah Parsons moved up two spots to #50.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.