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Many football fans wouldn’t think it, but the University of Memphis has had quite a successful history in college football. In fact, the school has sent more than 90 players into the NFL and many of them have gone on to become stars in the league. Here is a look at some interesting facts surrounding the players that the University of Memphis has sent into the National Football League.

-No former Colorado State football player has gone on to score more NFL touchdowns than running back Lawrence McCutcheon who racked up 39 during his career.

-During his career, punter Tom Rouen played in 188 regular season NFL games. That is more NFL games than any other former Colorado State football player ever played in.

-At 6′7″ tall and 302 pounds, tackle Kevin Call became both the tallest and heaviest player ever drafted into the NFL from Colorado State University in 1984.

-Defensive back Jim David appeared in more NFL Pro Bowls, 6, than any other former Colorado State football player.

-Since the NFL Draft began, only four Colorado State University quarterbacks have ever been drafted into the NFL. Those four players were Terry Nugent in 1984, Kelly Stouffer in 1987, Moses Moreno in 1998, and Bradlee Van Pelt in 2004.

-The most seasons any former Colorado State football player ever spent in the NFL was 13. Two players set this mark, punter Tom Rouen and defensive end Al Baker.

-The highest any former Colorado State football player has ever been taken in the NFL Draft is the first pick in the first round. This happened in 1956 when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected halfback Gary Glick with the number one overall pick in the draft.

Notable players to have played college football for Colorado State and then gone on to play in the NFL include Tom Rouen, Al Baker, Linden King, Mark Mullaney, Mike Bell, Don Burroughs, Harper LeBel, Jason Craft, Kevin Call, Joey Porter, Lawrence McCutcheon, Brady Smith, Rick Dennison, Fred Glick, Willie Miller, and Gary Glick.

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Grambling State University is one of the legendary colleges in terms of football. The school has taken part in a number of important and memorable games over the years. Grambling has placed over 100 players in the NFL during their history and many of them turned out to be some of the best the league has seen. Here is a look at some interesting facts surrounding the many players who played college football at Grambling and then went on to play in the National Football League.

-With 65 career touchdowns, wide receiver Charlie Joiner has scored more TDs in the NFL than any other player from Grambling State University.

-No former Grambling State player has played in more NFL games than wide receiver Charlie Joyner who appeared in 239 regular season games during his career.

-At 6′9″ tall, defensive lineman Ernie Ladd is the tallest player ever to be drafted by an NFL team out of Grambling State. Robert Woods was the shortest at 5′7″ tall when he was picked by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1978.

-Herman Arvie weighed 312 pounds when he was picked by the Browns during the 1993 NFL draft, he is the heaviest football player ever drafted out of Grambling State.

-No Grambling State played more years in the NFL than Charlie Joiner who sits atop the list with 18 NFL seasons.

-Though it was in the 1963 AFL Draft, Buck Buchanan was picked with the highest draft pick ever used on a Grambling State player with the Kansas City Chiefs used the first pick in the first round on this great defensive lineman. The highest a Grambling State player has ever been picked in the NFL Draft is the fifth pick of the first round, this happened when the Philadelphia Eagles selected defensive lineman Richard Harris in 1971.

-Only two quarterbacks have ever been drafted into the pro football out of Grambling State, James Harris by the Buffalo Bills in 1969 and Doug Williams by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1978.

-Defensive back, and Hall of Famer, Willie Brown appeared in nine NFL Pro Bowls despite the fact that no team drafted him when he came out of Grambling State. That is more Pro Bowls than any other former Grambling State player appeared in during their career.

Notable players that played football in the NFL after playing collegiately at Grambling State include Charlie Joiner, Willie Brown, Albert Lewis, Frank Lewis, Buck Buchanan, Everson Walls, Jake Reed, Woody Peoples, Willie Davis, Rosey Taylor, Gary Johnson, Bennie Nemiah Wilson, Clifton McNeil, Sammy White, Andrew Glover, James Harris, Essex Johnson, Doug Williams, John Mendenhall, Fakhir Brown, Willie Williams, Ernie Ladd, Leonard Griffin, Frank Cornish, Richard Harris, Mike St. Clair, and Trumaine Johnson.

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Yale University has a reputation as being one of the top academic institutions in the country, but the school also has a rich athletics history too. The school has sent more than 25 players to play in the National Football League over the years. Here are some interesting facts about former Yale football players that have moved on to the NFL.

-No former Yale football player has scored more touchdowns in the NFL than running back Calvin Hill who accumulated 65 TDs during his career.

-The most NFL games any former Yale football player has played in is 164, this record is held by former Chicago Bears defensive back Gary Fencik.

-The highest any former Yale football player has been taken in the NFL Draft is the third pick in the first round, this happened in 1947 when the Boston Yanks selected offensive lineman Fritz Barzilauskas.

-Two players played college football at Yale and then went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL, no other Yale footballer has played more seasons than them. The players who hold that record are running back Calvin Hill and defensive back Gary Fencik.

-The heaviest Yale football ever drafted into the NFL was guard Greg Dubinetz who weighed 260 pounds when selected by Cincinnati in 1975. The lightest was defensive back Don Martin who weighed 187 pounds when the Raiders picked him in the 7th round of the 1971 NFL Draft.

-In 2004, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected tight end Nate Lawrie out of Yale University. Standing at 6′ 7″ tall, he was the tallest Yale football player ever drafted into the NFL. The shortest was running back Rich Diana who stood at just 5′ 8″ tall when Miami selected him in the 5th round of the 1982 NFL Draft.

-Calvin Hill made more Pro Bowl games in the NFL, four, than any other former Yale football player.

-Yale University has only had one quarterback drafted into the NFL in their entire history, this happened when Brian Dowling was taken by the Minnesota Vikings in the 11th round of the 1969 NFL Draft.

Notable NFL players who played college football at Yale include Gary Fencik, Calvin Hill, Dick Jauron, Chris Hetherington, Eric Johnson, and John Spagnola.

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Joe Namath was easily one of the most popular players in the old American Football League. His notoriety expanded after guaranteeing that the AFL’s New York Jets would beat the NFL’s Baltimore Colts in their upcoming Super Bowl III match-up. This popularity translated into other areas of his professional life as he would go on to achieve success in private investment opportunities, football commentary positions, and television and movie roles. Here is a look at some of Joe Namath’s film and television credits.

Olympus 7-0000

1. And Company

Norwood

the Last Rebel

The Brady Bunch – 1 episode

The Waverly Wonders – 9 episodes

Avalanche Express

Marriage Is Alive and Well

Fantasy Island – 1 episode

The Love Boat – 2 episodes

Our Voices Ourselves

Chattanooga Choo Choo

The A-Team – 1 episode

ALF – 1 episode

Kate & Allie – 1 episode

Light Moments in Sports

Night of 100 Stars III

The Simpsons – 1 episode

the John Larroquette Show – 1 episode

Married With Children – 1 episode

Going Under

Green Visionary

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The University of Southern Mississippi is located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and has had a very successful football program over the years. More than 90 players have come from Southern Miss and gone on to enjoy a career in the National Football League. Here is a look at some interesting facts surrounding the players that Southern Miss has sent to the NFL.

-Brett Favre has played in more NFL games than any other former Southern Miss football player.

-No former Southern Miss football player has scored more NFL touchdowns than running back Sammy Winder who racked up 48 TDs during his career.

-It should come as no surprise that the player who holds the record for most NFL Pro Bowl appearances by a former Southern Miss football player is quarterback Brett Favre, second on the list is former Raiders punter Ray Guy.

-Brett Favre has also played more seasons in the NFL than any other former Southern Miss player.

-Southern Miss has had five different quarterbacks drafted into the NFL during the school’s history, they are George Herring in 1956, Val Keckin in 1961, Reggie Collier in 1983, Brett Favre in 1991, and Jeff Kelly in 2002.

-Defensive tackle Daleroy Stewart is the heaviest Southern Miss player to ever be drafted into the NFL, he weighed 327 pounds at the time of his selection.

-Offensive lineman Glen Howe stood at 6′ 7″ tall, he is the tallest former Southern Miss football player ever taken in the NFL Draft.

-When the Atlanta Falcons selected running back Tony Smith with the 19th pick in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft, it marked the highst any former Southern Miss player had been chosen during the selection process.

Notable NFL players who played college football for Southern Miss include: Brett Favre, Louis Lipps, Ray Guy, Todd Pinkston, Patrick Surtain, Sammy Winder, Michael Jackson, Adalius Thomas, and Marcus Dupree.

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Oklahoma State University has a long and storied history in college football and over the years has contributed more than 140 players to the National Football League. The Oklahoma State Cowboys have had some memorable players play in their football program and here are some interesting facts surrounding the NFL players that went to school there.

-No former Oklahoma State football player has scored more touchdowns in the NFL than running back Barry Sanders and his 109 scores.

-Keith Burns played in 197 NFL regular season games during his career, that is more than any other former Oklahoma State football player has.

-The most years any Oklahoma State footballer went on to play football in the NFL is 13, four players did this, they are Jon Kolb, Leslie O’Neal, Thurman Thomas, and Keith Burns.

-The Los Angeles Raiders drafted Oklahoma State quarterback Rusty Hilger in the 6th round of the 1985 NFL Draft, this is the only time an NFL team has drafted a quarterback out of Oklahoma State University.

-No former Oklahoma State football player has played in more NFL Pro Bowls than Barry Sanders who appeared in 10 of them, he also played 10 seasons in the NFL, that means Barry Sanders made the Pro Bowl every season that he played.

-In the 1998 Supplemental Draft, the San Diego Chargers selected Oklahoma State defensive lineman Jamal Williams. With his official weight listed at 348 pounds at the time, he is the heaviest player ever drafted out of Oklahoma State.

-Offensive tackle Buddy Hardaway, who was drafted by the Chargers in the 2nd round of the 1978 NFL Draft and only played one season in the NFL, is the tallest football player ever drafted out of Oklahoma State at 6′ 9″ tall.

-The highest any Oklahoma State football player has been taken in the NFL Draft is the first pick in the first round, this happened in 1947 when the Chicago Bears drafted halfback Bob Fenimore.

Notable players who played in the NFL after playing collegiately at Oklahoma State include Keith Burns, Jon Kolb, Thurman Thomas, Leslie O’Neal, Leonard Thompson, Jerry Sherk, Bill Owen, Ron Baker, Dexter Manley, Jason Gildon, Jamal Williams, R.W. McQuarters, Dale Meinert, Barry Sanders, Jim Parmer, Walt Garrison, Cary Blanchard, Reuben Gant, Marcellus Rivers, Cliff Parsley, and Tatum Bell.

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John Madden is in the Pro Football for his coaching career in the NFL and is also one of the most well known and beloved football commentators in history. Madden played college football at the College of San Mateo and also California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. He was drafted in the 21^st round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles but failed to play in the NFL following a knee injury suffered during training camp. Madden turned to coaching and after stints at both the assistant and head coach level at schools like Buffalo State College, Allan Hancock College and San Diego State University, he moved onto the professional level as the linebackers coach of the Oakland Raiders in 1967. Madden then went on to become the head coach of the Raiders in 1969 and stayed with the team until retiring following the 1978 season. During his ten years in the league he compiled a 103-32-7 record for a winning percentage better than 76%.

Madden immediately transitioned into the broadcast booth the very next season and quickly became one of the most popular commentators on television. He has called football games for all four networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX).and has a style that is all his own. Because of his acclaim in the broadcast booth, John Madden has also appeared in a number of other productions, usually with a sports tie-in.

The non-announcing credits of John Madden:

Saturday Night Live – 2 episodes

P.K. and the Kid

Little Giants

The Simpsons – 1 episode

Arli$$ - 1 episode

Big Game XXVIII: Road Runner vs. Coyote

The Replacements

Big Gave XXIX: Bugs vs. Daffy

U2: The Best of 1999-2000

ABC’s 50^th Anniversary Celebration

G-Phoria

Rebels of Oakland: The A’s, the Raiders, the ’70s

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The University of Hawaii, while not a year in and year out football powerhouse, is a very popular school that many great players flock to and play football at. Over the years Hawaii has sent more than 75 players into the National Football League and many of them have performed at a very high level. Here is a look at some of the interesting facts surrounding some of the many players that the University of Hawaii has contributed to the NFL.

-The University of Hawaii player that has gone on to score more touchdowns in the NFL than any other is wide receiver Golden Richards who accumulated 18 during his career.

-No former University of Hawaii football player has appeared in more NFL games than kicker Jason Elam.

-Jason Elam’s three NFL Pro Bowl appearances are more than any other former Hawaii football player, tied for second with two Pro Bowl appearances are Mark Tuinei and Jesse Sapolu.

-Jim Mills was 6′9″ tall when he was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the 9th round of the 1983 NFL Draft, he is the tallest University of Hawaii player ever taken in the draft. Jeff Snyder was the shortest when the Philadelphia Eagles selected the 5′6″ tall wide receiver in 1992.

-At 348 pounds, running back Reagan Mauia was the heaviest player drafted out of the University of Hawaii when the Miami Dolphins used their 6th round selection to take him in the 2007 NFL Draft.

-When the Denver Broncos selected wide receiver Ashley Lelie with the 19th pick of the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft, it was the highest any University of Hawaii player had ever been drafted.

Notable pro football players that played collegiately at the University of Hawaii include Jason Elam, Mark Tuinei, Kimo von Oelhoffen, Larry Cole, Jesse Sapolu, Kani Kauahi, Rich Miano, Mel Tom, Ron Hall, Jeris White, Niko Noga, Leo Goeas, Maa Tanuvasa, Golden Richards, Ashley Lelie, Dana McLemore, and June Jones.

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Coming off of an 0-16 season in 2008, the 2009 Detroit Lions will look completely different on the field. Okay, not completely different… and not in a way that affects how they play on the field… but they will look different.

Since 1961, the Detroit Lions have taken the field with their famous blue lion logo on the side of their helmet:

Well, coming off of a season where the team had no wins, the front office of the Detroit Lions have decided to go with something completely different:

Hmm, I guess it can’t make them lose any more games, right?

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While not on most football fans’ radar, the University of Idaho has proven over the years to have a decent football program. The university has sent over 60 players into the NFL over the years and the school remains one of the more respected institutions in the Pacific Northwest. Here is a look at some interesting facts regarding players who played college football for the Idaho Vandals and then went on to have an NFL career.

-No Idaho Vandals football player has scored more touchdowns in the NFL than Jerry Williams who scored 18 during a career that lasted from 1949 to 1954.

-Wayne H. Walker played in exactly 200 NFL games during his career, no other football player from the University of Idaho can top that. Walker also played more seasons in the NFL, 15, than any other former Vandals football player too.

-In 1967, running back Ray McDonald was drafted out of the University of Idaho by the Washington Redskins with the 13th pick of the first round. This is the highest that an Idaho Vandal has ever been taken in the NFL Draft.

-At 305 pounds, defensive lineman Mao Tosi became the heaviest Idaho football player to be drafted into the NFL when the Arizona Cardinals picked him in the 5th round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Wide receiver Eric Yarber who weighed 156 pounds was the lightest, he was taken in the 12th round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the Redskins.

-The tallest player taken in the NFL Draft out of the University of Idaho was defensive lineman Stan Fanning who measured in at 6′ 7″ tall when the Chicago Bears picked him in the 11th round in 1960.

-The most NFL Pro Bowls a player from the University of Idaho has played in during their NFL career is three. This has been done by three different players, they are offensive lineman Jerry Kramer, defensive back Jim Norton, and linebacker Wayne H. Walker.

-Only two quarterbacks have ever been drafted from the Vandals football program into the NFL, John Friesz in 1990 and Doug Nussmeier in 1994.

Notable players that have played football for the University of Idaho and gone on to play in the NFL include Wayne H. Walker, Jeff Robinson, Mark Schlereth, Jerry Kramer, Marvin Washington, John Friesz, Jim Norton, Spencer Folau, Mike Hollis, Jerry Williams, Sam Merriman, Ryan Phillips, and Yo Murphy.

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How about this for an interesting fact… what player who was not a quarterback threw the longest completed pass in the NFL? First, the information here is only complete since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.

Next, there are actually three players tied for first place in this category with an 81 yard pass successfully completed.

-The most recent time this happened was in 2003 when Pittsburgh Steelers punter Josh Miller faked a punt and completed an 81 yard touchdown pass to Chris Hope. For Hope, a defensive back and special teams player, this is his only career reception to date.

-This also happened in 1992 when Denver Broncos wide receiver Arthur Marshall completed an 81 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cedric Tillman.

-Gary Hammond, who saw time at both running back and wide receiver during his career, also accomplished this feat. His pass took place in a 1974 game for the St. Louis Cardinals when he hooked up for an 81 yard pass with tight end Jackie Smith.

One of these three passes is actually the answer to a really obscure question. What non-quarterback threw the longest career pass that did not result in a touchdown. That would be Gary Hammond as after 81 yards, Jackie Smith was not able to get into the end zone.

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Here is a story that may mean more to bloggers out there than it does to your normal every day sports fans, but it deserves mention.  A Michigan Wolverines blog called The M Zone found themselves embroiled in a bit of a controversy with ESPN Radio Sports Talk Host Colin Cowherd recently.  It seems that Cowherd used fake questions from the famous Wonderlic test to have a little fun on his morning sports talk show.  The problem with this?  It looks like the questions were lifted word-for-word from a bit that was posted on The M Zone.  This summarizes the issue right here.

When first confronted with the fact that the bit they were taking credit for belonged to someone else, the response from Cowherd was less than professional to say the least.  In the end, thanks in part to the many readers of the M Zone, Cowherd did apologize and even gave a shout out to the blog on his radio show.  Nice to see that it all got resolved, but it should’ve never gotten to this point.  The ESPN Radio show should’ve given credit immediately if they wanted to use the material.  If, in fact, the material was mysteriously emailed to them and they didn’t know who to credit then they should’ve probably done a quick Google search to discover who came up with it, mentioned that it wasn’t theirs and they didn’t know who to credit, or not used it.  Pretty simple really.

On a side note… The M Zone is a pretty entertaining read, especially if you’re a Michigan Wolverines fan.

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Alex Karras played twelve seasons on the defensive line for the Detroit Lions. Before that he was an Outland Trophy winner at the University of Iowa. He also finished second in the race for the Heisman trophy during his senior year at Iowa, quite an accomplishment for a defensive lineman.

Karras had an interesting career away from football too, including a stint as a professional wrestler and the owner of a bar with ties to organized crime and gambling. It was these gambling issues that ended up getting Karras suspended from the NFL for the entire 1963 football season. Near the end of his pro football playing days, Karras made the transition to acting based largely on a well received turn playing himself in the 1968 movie version of George Plimpton’s novel Paper Lion. Alex Karras also spent time as a football commentator for Monday Night Football during the 1970s.

The film credits of Alex Karras:

Love, American Style – 1 episode
Hardcase
The 500 Pound Jerk
The Odd Couple – 1 episode
Blazing Saddles
McMillan & Wife – 1 episode
M*A*S*H – 1 episode
Win, Place or Steal
The Great Lester Boggs
Babe
Good Heavens – 1 episode
Mighty Moose and the Quarterback Kid
Mulligan’s Stew
Mad Bull
FM
Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang
Centennial – 12 episodes
Jimmy B. & Andre
When Time Ran Out
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story
Word of Honor
Masada
Nobody’s Perfekt
Porky’s
Victor Victoria
Maid in America
Faerie Tale Theatre – 1 episode
Against All Odds
Webster – 150 episodes
Civil Wars – 1 episode
The Street Corner Kids
Fudge-A-Mania
The Street Corner Kids: The Sequel
Arli$$ - 1 episode
Buffalo ‘66
The Tom Show

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