The Dallas Cowboys had ideas for Mark Stepnoski when they drafted him in the 3^rd Round from the University of Pittsburgh.  Dallas converted him from Offensive Guard to Center, a position he had never played before; however, they didn’t rush him, easing him into the role and letting him learn from the incumbent, Tom Rafferty.  

The Cowboys’ hunches proved right, and in 1992 he was chosen for five straight Pro Bowls and became part of one of the best offensive lines of the 1990s.  Protecting Troy Aikman and carving holes for Emmitt Smith, Stepnoski would help the Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVII and XXVIII before signing with the Houston Oilers in 1995.  He returned to the Cowboys in 1999 and played there for three more seasons before retiring.

Eddie George broke out as an upper-end Running Back immediately as the former Ohio State Buckeye won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in the last year of the Houston Oilers' existence (1996).  That year, he rushed for 1,368 Yards, but that wasn't just the beginning; it was a pattern.

George relocated with the team to Tennessee, and the now-named Titans inherited a star rusher.  From 1997 to 2000, George was a Pro Bowl Selection, and the lowest yardage total he had on the ground was 1,294.  His best year was in 2000, when he had a career-high 1,509 Rushing Yards, led the NFL in Touches (453), and, for the first and only time, was a First Team All-Pro.

While this was the end of George's Pro Bowl years, he still had plenty of production in him, as he would accrue two more 1,000-rushing-yard seasons.  He would retire with 10,441 Rushing Yards with 78 total Touchdowns.

Out of SMU, Kyle Rote was the first overall Draft Pick in 1951, and the New York Giants had high hopes for their new Back.  Rote got off to a good start, but knee issues forced him to switch to End, where he became the Giants' top receiver in the 1950s.  This is a statement that means a lot, as in the last half of the decade, New York was a perennial contender for the NFL Championship, winning it all in 1956.  Rote became a four-time Pro Bowler and would catch 300 passes for 4,797 Yards and 48 Touchdowns and added another 871 Yards on the ground.

Born in Italy and raised in the United States, Bruno Banducci played his college ball for Stanford but was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1944.   Banducci was more at home in 1946 when the Guard joined the San Francisco 49ers of the upstart All-American Football Conference.  Banducci stayed there for the rest of his career, including the move to the NFL, until his retirement after 1954.  Banducci, who helped San Francisco gain relevance with their rushing attack, was a two-time First Team All-Pro and was chosen for the 1940’s All-Decade Team.