Football
Football
A 2nd Round Pick from Clemson, Levon Kirkland became a starter in his second season in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1993). Kirkland worked as an Inside Linebacker and would have seven seasons (six with Pittsburgh and one with Seattle), where he had over 100 Combined Tackles. He would later go to the Pro Bowl in both 1996 and…
Mel Gray began his career in the USFL for two seasons, and after that league folded, he joined the New Orleans Saints, who had chosen him earlier in a supplemental draft of USFL players. Gray would later join the Detroit Lions, and it was there where he would be named a four-time Pro Bowl Selection and was regarded as one…
Hanford Dixon played all nine of his NFL years with the Cleveland Browns, whereby in the second half of the 1980s, he was one of the best shutdown Cornerbacks in football. From Southern Miss, Dixon was the 22nd Overall Pick in 1981, and the Cornerback won the starting job on the right side. The Browns were not a good team…
A member of the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame, Keith Lincoln, was drafted in the 2nd Round by San Diego in 1961 (he was also a 5th Round Pick by the Chicago Bears of the NFL). It was an excellent choice for both parties as it did not take long for Keith Lincoln to establish himself as of the…
Frank Cope was a member of the 1930's All-Decade Team, although most of his career took place in the 1940s.
Carson Palmer was the 2002 Heisman Trophy winner and the USC Quarterback was considered a can’t miss prospect in the NFL. Palmer would be drafted first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals and the organization would take their time with the pivot as they did not play him in his rookie season choosing to start him in 2004 and in 2005…
Jerry Norton began his professional football career in 1954 with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he started as a Safety, then performed as a Half Back, then back to Safety again. Norton was also an excellent Punter, and in 1957 he would lead the league in Punts and Punting Yards. He would be traded to the Chicago Cardinals (which would become…
An All-American at Syracuse, Daryl Johnston became the “Moose” in Big D when Dallas chose him with their Second Round Pick in 1989. Johnston was listed as a Fullback/Running Back, but he was mostly a blocker and had far more yardage as a receiver. Paving the way for Emmitt Smith, Johnston was integral in Dallas’s three Super Bowls in the…
Playing his college ball at TCU, Sherrill Headrick was not drafted by either the National Football League or the American Football League in 1960, who was beginning their operation. Headrick was eventually signed by the Dallas Texans, where in the first three seasons he was a First Team All-Pro and was a significant force on the Texans' 1962 AFL Championship.
A first round pick out if the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Roddy White lived up to expectations in a career that was only spent with the Atlanta Falcons. The go-to option for Atlanta for years, White had a six-year run (2007-12) where he never fell below 1,100 Receiving Yards per season and would have a pair of 1,300 Yard seasons peaking…
E.J. Holub was an All-American at Texas Tech, where he was such a great player that the Red Raiders would later retire his number. Drafted 6th Overall by the Dallas Texans in 1961, Holub played at Linebacker, and in the first five of his six years, he was an AFL All-Star and was named a First Team All-Pro in both…
Ryan Kalil spent the first 12 seasons in the National Football League with the Carolina Panthers where he established himself as one of the best Offensive Lineman in franchise history. The former USC Trojan was chosen for five Pro Bowls and was named to two First Team All Pro rosters. While Kalil was well respected in Carolina and helped them…
Michael Vick may be best known in some circles for his dogfighting ring that cost him two years in the NFL, but prior to that the first overall pick from Virginia Tech was one of the most exciting players in Football; in fact, some would argue for a time he was the most exciting the player in the game.
Paul Brown called Lou Rymkus the best pass protector that he ever saw, which is high praise considering how many people he saw do that task.
The first thing we have to say, is there a better name for a Wide Receiver than Mike Quick? Of course not!
Kyle Williams has been referred to as the “heart and soul” of the Buffalo Bills throughout his lengthy tenure in Western New York and while that is certainly a compliment there are many who are unaware of his talent as the Bills were not exactly potent during his playing days. A mid round pick from LSU, Kyle Williams joined Buffalo…
Out of the state of Idaho, Wayne Walker would spend all of his fifteen seasons in the NFL as a Detroit Lion and was a very rare dual threat as a Linebacker and Place Kicker. Walker was a three-time Pro Bowl selection who would be named the team’s Defensive MVP in 1968. Walker had 14 career Interceptions, and might be…
One of the better Guards of the early days of football, Swede Youngstrom, was the stabilizing force behind the Buffalo All-American/Bisons teams that twice came within a game of the NFL Championship. Twice a First Team All-Pro (1923 & 1924), the expert Lineman was one of the best at his side of the ball, and while it was not recorded…
From the University of Minnesota, George Svendsen would play five seasons with the Green Bay Packers over two runs.