Football
Football
Derrick Johnson played all but his last season of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs and the former 1stRound Pick from Texas would slowly work his way to the upper echelon of NFL Linebackers and he would be named to four Pro Bowls out of five from 2011 to 2015. Johnson, who was also named a First Team All-Pro in…
In an earlier entry, we looked at the candidacy of William Heffelfinger, who predated the NFL by decades and was the first paid Pro Football player. Charles Follis would make similar history as the first African-American Pro Football player.
A First Round Pick from Washington State in 1984, Keith Millard made the team that drafted him (Minnesota) wait a year, as he went into the USFL for one season with the Jacksonville Bulls.
Dennis Smith was one of the best Defensive Backs in the history of the Denver Broncos.
One of the best Place Kickers of his day, David Akers, had to wait for a little to prove his worth in the NFL. Akers was undrafted out of Louisville in 1997, and after trying out for the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers, he was signed by the Washington Redskins but played only one game and missed both Field Goals…
Ray Wietecha played his entire 10-year NFL career with the New York Giants, where he was the literal centerpiece (he played Center) of a robust Offensive Line. Helping the G-Men to an NFL Championship in 1956, Wietecha would have better individual seasons after going to four Pro Bowls and earning a First Team All-Pro nod. In his last season (1962),…
From the University of Nevada, Charles Mann became a starter at Defensive End in his second season, where he was a punisher on the pass rush. Playing for the Washington Redskins for his first 11 Seasons (1983-93) had 82 of his 83 career Sacks with Washington, including three four seasons in the double-digits. Mann went to four Pro Bowls with…
In terms of Centers, there are few Professional Football players who can say that they are as successful as Bart Oates. After being undrafted at BYU in 1983, Oates would join the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL, and he would win championships with them in 1984 and 1985. When the USFL folded, he signed with the New York Giants, where…
Drafted in the Second Round from California in 2012 by the Cleveland Browns, Schwartz won the starting Right Tackle job as a rookie, and started every game for Cleveland for his four years as an NFL player. Schwartz signed with Kansas City in 2016 as a Free Agent, and it quietly became one of the best signing in franchise history. Schwartz…
A former Big XII Defensive Player of the Year at the University of Texas, Casey Hampton was drafted 19th Overall in 2001 by the Pittsburgh Steelers, which would be the only team that he would ever play for professionally.
Frankie Albert was the 10th overall pick in 1942 by the Chicago Bears, but remember, the year in question was 1942. The Stanford graduate would serve in the Navy for World War II, and upon his return, he would opt to play for his home state for the Los Angeles Bulldogs of the Pacific Coast League, before joining the San…
One of the most prolific tacklers in the history of the Atlanta Falcons, Keith Brooking, was drafted from Georgia Tech 12th overall in 1998. While he was not an immediate starter, he found a home in Atlanta’s Nickel Defense and was a part of their run to Super Bowl XXXIII.
Bill Lee was a champion in college in 1934 at the University of Alabama, and five years later, he was a champion in the NFL in 1939 with the Green Bay Packers. Lee was named to the Pro Bowl that year and the 1930’s All-Decade Team as a Tackle. Prior to his stint with Green Bay, where he played for…
It took a long time before Rich Gannon really had his chance in the NFL and/or found his groove, but once he did, he had a stretch where he was amongst the best Quarterbacks in the National Football League.
Playing his college ball at the University of Tennessee, Beattie Feathers would have an incredible rookie season with the Chicago Bears where in 1934 he would become the first 1,000 Yard rusher (though there are some football historians who dispute the accuracy) and he would also lead the league in All-Purpose Yards and Yards from Scrimmage and was a First…
Like many in the early '60s, Fred Arbanas was drafted by both the NFL and the AFL, but usually, those who chose the AFL were drafted higher by the new organization. This wasn't the case with Arbanas, who was a 7th Round Selection by the Dallas Texans, where the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2nd Round.
Drafted in 1943 in the 14th 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…
It is hard to consider someone underrated when you were a member of the only undefeated team in NFL history and were in your prime when you earned your two Super Bowl Rings, but this is what we have in Bill Stanfill.
Warrick Dunn was one of the most successful Running Backs at Florida State, where he had over 5,000 Yards From Scrimmage, 49 Touchdowns, a National Championship in 1993, and an All-American in 1996. Dunn was the first RB taken off the board in the 1997 Draft, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as his landing spot. Dunn’s career was not exclusive…