Harlon Hill was such a great player at the University of North Alabama that the MVP of Division II receives the Harlon Hill Trophy.  But this isn't about college now, is it?

Charley Hennigan went undrafted in both in the NFL and AFL, but the Houston Oilers of the latter gave him a chance, and aren't they glad they did!

A late round draft pick by the Washington Redskins from Loyola Marymount in 1951, Gene Brito would play on both sides of the ball in his first two seasons.   The End was certainly solid in his role, but by 1953, Brito was focused on the Left Defensive End position and was chosen for his first Pro Bowl. 

A member of the 1930's All-Decade Team, George Christensen, was one of the better Tackles of the decade (obviously based on the above accolade).

Riley Matheson arrived in Cleveland with little (really no) fanfare to join the Rams in 1939 after going undrafted from Texas-El Paso.  Playing at both Offensive Lineman, Matheson broke out in 1942, earning his first First Team All-Pro, while also capturing that honor in 1944 and 1945.  Granted, this happened during World War II, where the league was depleted during…

Bill Bergey came to the Cincinnati Bengals from Arkansas State, where, as a rookie, the Linebacker would go to the Pro Bowl.  Bergey didn't make a Pro Bowl again as a Bengal, but he was undoubtedly a strong player who was coveted by Cincinnati until they became upset with him.

The recipient of five straight Pro Bowls as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, Defensive End, Justin Smith was a major force of the Niners Defense and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year by multiple publications. Smith’s performance in San Fran makes him a dark horse candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2004, Wes Welker would be signed by the San Diego Chargers who released him shortly after and he was able to carve out a niche as a backup Wide Receiver and Return Specialist with the Miami Dolphins.  That itself would be a decent career for an undrafted player but the New England Patriots (who…

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.

Although we imagine that Dave Krieg dreamed of throwing footballs in the NFL, it had to seem a million miles away when he was the backup Quarter back at the now defunct Milton College.  Amazingly, he not only made the professional ranks, he was there for seventeen years.For the bulk of his career, Dave Krieg was the starting Quarterback with…

When Tiki Barber retired, it was a decision questioned by many.  It was thought that he had a lot left to give on the field despite the golden path he was given to broadcasting.  The critics may have been proven right as the New York Giants won the Super Bowl the year after he left and he was chastised for…

Brandon Marshall was a really good Wide Receiver, but was he a Hall of Fame wide out?

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.

Gary Anderson made a lot of history as a Place Kicker, the first of which was becoming the first South African to play a game in the NFL.  Anderson would not just play a game or two, as he would play 353, which as of this writing, places him second all-time.

Think about this for a second.  Mike Curtis played Linebacker in the 1960s and 70s and his peers in that fierce era as one of the meanest players in the game.  How much does that tell you about Curtis?