Out of SMU, Kyle Rote was the first overall Draft Pick in 1951, and the New York Giants had a lot of hope for their new Back.  Rote was off to a good start, but knee issues necessitated a change in position where he moved to End, and he would become the top Receiver for the Giants in the 1950s.  This 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 remainder of his career, which included the migration to the NFL up 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.

Lomas Brown played his first eleven seasons with the Detroit Lions, where his first six of seven Pro Bowls would take place.  The Left Tackle would appear in seven straight Pro Bowls and would start in 251 of his 263 career games.

Drafted in 1943 in the 14^th Round from William & Mary, Buster Ramsey would not join the NFL until 1946 (due to World War II).  He would play all six of seasons in the league with the Chicago Cardinals (the team that drafted him), and in 1947 he would help them win the NFL Championship.  He was named an All-Pro from 1947 to 1950 (two First Teams and two Second Teams), and the two-way Guard was also honored as a 1940's All-Decade Selection.