How many players have played at the top tier of professional football, the National Football League, and also in the Arena Football League? Quite a few actually.

Here are some of the notable names that have played in both leagues:

Michael Bishop – Kansas State University
Chris Canty – Kansas State University
Quincy Carter – University of Georgia
Troy Edwards – Louisiana Tech
Joe Germaine – Ohio State University
Jason Gesser – Washington State University
Bill Gramatica – University of South Florida
Tony Graziani – University of Oregon
Joe Hamilton – Georgia Tech
Josh Harris – Bowling Green
Lincoln Kennedy – University of Washington
Shaun King – Tulane University
Jim Kubiak – Naval Academy
Tommy Maddox – UCLA
Alonzo Spellman – Ohio State University
Kurt Warner – Northern Iowa University
Craig Whelihan – Pacific University
Mike Vanderjagt – West Virginia University

Over the years, a number of players have made the transition from the Arena Football League to the NFL. There have even been a number of players that have moved on to play in the Arena Football League after their time in the NFL has finished. With the speed required to excel in the short indoor field, the players of the Arena Football League have shown that they are indeed very talented football players. Some so talented that they have also played in the National Football League.

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Jim Zorn played for the Seahawks from their first day as a franchise in 1976 through the 1984 season. During that time, the future head coach of the Washington Redskins rushed the ball 308 times for 1,491 yards and 17 touchdowns. He had a yards per carry average of 4.8 and gained an average of 11.8 yards per game. On the Seahawks all time career rushing yards list he is ranked 9th, just behind Dan Doornink and just ahead of Lamar Smith.

Here is a look at where other Seahawks quarterbacks rank on the team’s all time rushing list. Dave Krieg (1981-91) is 13th, Matt Hasselbeck (2001-09) is 15th, Rick Mirer (1993-96) is 17th, Jon Kitna (1997-2000) is 30th, Seneca Wallace (2005-09) is 32nd, Jeff Kemp (1987-91) is 39th, Stan Gelbaugh (1992-94) is 46th, Kelly Stouffer (1988-92) is 53rd, Sam Adkins (1977-81) is 55th, Trent Dilfer (2001-04) is 57th, Warren Moon (1997-98) is 61st, Brock Huard (2000-01) is 66th, Charlie Frye (2008) is 71st, Bruce Mathison (1987) is 82nd, Gino Torretta (1996) is 84th, Gale Gilbert (1985-86) is 85th, Steve Myer (1977-79) is 88th, Dan McGwire (1992-94) is 95th, and John Friesz (1995-98) is 96th.

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The old record was held by Terrell Owens who had amassed 20 catches in a win over the Chicago Bears in 2000 while he was playing for the San Francisco 49ers.

Congratulations to Brandon Marshall.

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Due to injuries or other situations, there are times that another player may have to substitute for the kicker. Here is a look at some interesting players that most people would not have thought would have ever kicked a field goal in their career.

Cotton Davidson, Quarterback
The Oakland Raiders are no strangers to quarterbacks who can kick. Pro Football Hall of Fame member George Blanda was a longtime quarterback and kicker for the Raiders through the 1960s and early 1970s. Cotton Davidson kicked two field goals in his career, the first in 1960 while with the Dallas Texans and the second with the Raiders in 1962.

Tom Fears, End
Voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970, Tom Fears was a great receiver during the late 1940s and 1950s for the Los Angeles Rams. He led the league in receptions his first three seasons in the NFL, touchdown receptions in 1949, and in receiving yards in 1950. During the 1951, 1953, and 1954 seasons Fears would kick a total of 12 extra points. During that 1953 season though, he would make the only field goal of his career.

Tony Galbreath, Running Back
Most running backs that put together a 12 year do not have any kicking stats to look back on. Tony Galbreath accumulated 34 touchdowns during his career which he spent with the New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, and New York Giants. Early in his career though, Galbreath scored for the Saints with his foot. In 1978, Galbreath kicked an extra point. Then in 1979 he kicked two field goals for the team.

Frank Gifford, Halfback/Wide Receiver
Frank Gifford played 12 seasons with the New York Giants, made it to eight Pro Bowls, and ended up putting together a Hall of Fame career. He went on to have a lengthy career as a broadcaster for Monday Night Football. In 1953 he made one of his five field goal attempts, then three years later in 1956 he made one of his two field goal attempts.

Chris Miller, Quarterback
Chris Miller played quarterback in the NFL for ten seasons, eventually retiring due to concussions. Miller spent the bulk of his career with the Atlanta Falcons, though he also saw time with the during their last season in Los Angeles and then their first season in St. Louis. During the 1989 season, Miller was one for one on his only field goal attempt of his career.

Joe Perry, Running Back
Joe Perry is a Hall of Fame running back that spent 16 years in the NFL, most of those with the San Francisco 49ers. He lead the NFL in rushing yards in 1949, 1953, and 1954. He lead the league in rushing touchdowns in 1948, 1949, and 1953. He made the Pro Bowl three times and was the league MVP in 1954. In that 1954 MVP season, he also kicked the only field goal of his career.

Wes Welker, Wide Receiver
Wes Welker of the New England Patriots has emerged as one of the more reliable and gutsy wide receivers that Tom Brady has to throw to. Welker began his career in 2004 as a kick return specialist for the San Diego Chargers and then Miami Dolphins. He saw limited action in his first three years in the league, but in 2007, his first year with the Patriots, he would lead the league in receptions. It was during his rookie season though when as a member of the Dolphins that he would successfully make the only field goal attempt he would try in his career.

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Here is a brief overview of the UFL and it’s teams.

Rice had some great years in the NFL, especially with the Buccaneers. He was the defensive rookie of the year in 1996 and a part of the 2002 Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers.

Rice will be 35 years old when he steps onto the field for the New York Sentinels this fall. How he does will have a lot to do with his conditioning after being away from pro football for more than a year, and the level of competition in the league.

An interesting fact about Simeon Rice:

-In his entire 12 years in the NFL, Simeon Rice only scored on one play. This was a safety that occurred in the 3rd quarter of the team’s 25-0 win over the Baltimore Ravens during week two of the 2002 season when the Bucs would go on to win the Super Bowl.

Also read: Rule Changes In The UFL

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A few facts about John Carney:

-Although he is the NFL’s scoring leader at the current moment with 1,955 points, he is only 11 points ahead of longtime Baltimore Ravens kicker Matt Stover.

-John Carney is ranked fourth all-time in scoring behind George Blanda, Gary Anderson, and the all time scoring leader in the NFL, Morten Andersen.

-2009 will be John Carney’s 22nd season in the NFL. Not too bad for a guy who ended up not getting drafted out of college (he went to Notre Dame).

-At the age of 44, John Carney was the oldest active player in the NFL during the 2008 season, and will be the oldest active player during the 2009 season as well.

-John Carney started his career wearing jersey #4 in his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He then switched to #3 the next season and wore that number with every team he played with through 2007. When he joined the New York Giants in 2008, he switched to #5. In 1990, for a one-game stint with the Los Angeles Rams, John Carney wore #18.

-During the 1993 season with the San Diego Chargers, John Carney doubled briefly as the punter and punted the ball four times for 155 yards.

-John Carney has no touchdowns and has run the ball just two times in his first 22 years in the league. Both rushing attempts came as a member of the New Orleans Saints, and they include a run of negative one yard and a run of three yards.

-John Carney made the Pro Bowl in 1994 which was the only season he led the league in field goals made. He wouldn’t make the Pro Bowl again for 14 years, when he did so as a member of the New York Giants in 2008.

-The all time scoring leader for the San Diego Chargers is John Carney, who scored 1,076 points while with the team.

Here’s to another great year for a great player… John Carney.

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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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-No Utah Utes football player has scored more NFL touchdowns than Roy Jefferson who racked up 53 during his career.

-Defensive back Larry Wilson played in more NFL seasons than any other former Utah football player, his career lasted 13 years.

-Larry Wilson made it to more Pro Bowls than any other former Utah Ute football player, his eight Pro Bowls are twice as many as the next names on the list Bob Trumpy and Dave Costa who each played in four Pro Bowls.

-Two Utah football players tie for the heaviest Ute ever drafted into the NFL at 344 pounds, offensive guard Chris Kemoeatu in 2005 and Paul Soliai in 2007.

-The lightest former Utah footballer ever drafted into the NFL was Frank Nelson who weighed 166 pounds when he was selected in the 20th round of the 1948 NFL Draft.

-Five Utah Utes quarterbacks have been drafted into the NFL over the years, they are Tom Dublinski in 1952, Lee Grosscup in 1959, Terry Nofsinger in 1961, Scott Mitchell in 1990, and Alex Smith in 2005.

-Larry Wilson played in 169 NFL games during his career, no former Utah Utes football player has surpassed this.

-Three players are tied for the tallest Utah Ute ever drafted into the NFL; quarterback Scott Mitchell, tight end Greg Kent, and wide receiver Bob Trumpy all stood at 6′ 6″ tall when they went into the NFL.

-The highest any Utah football player has ever been taken in the NFL Draft is the first overall pick of the first round, this happened when quarterback Alex Smith was taken by the San Francisco 49ers in 2005.

Notable players who played in the NFL but went to school at the University of Utah include Alex Smith, Jamal Anderson, Mike Anderson, Kevin Dyson, Luther Elliss, Manny Fernandez, Steve Folsom, Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala, Roy Jefferson, Scott Mitchell, Steve Odom, Barry Sims, Charlie E. Smith, Bob Trumpy, and Larry Wilson.

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The Quarterbacks

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers started the 1987 NFL Draft out by selecting quarterback Vinny Testaverde out of the University of Miami with the first overall pick. Testaverde played 21 seasons in the NFL for seven different teams; the Buccaneers, Browns, Ravens, Jets (two different stints), Cowboys, Patriots and Panthers. He would finish his career ranked high in many career passing categories, thanks more to his longevity than his on-field successes. The second quarterback taken in the draft came five picks later when the St. Louis Cardinals used the sixth pick on Colorado State’s Kelly Stouffer who would spend four less than remarkable seasons in the league with the Seattle Seahawks. The 13th pick in the 1987 NFL Draft was used by the Falcons to select the University of Oregon’s Chris Miller who went on to have a somewhat successful career running Atlanta’s run and shoot offense. The last quarterback taken in the first round that year was the University of Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, selected by the Chicago Bears with the 26th pick.

Rich Gannon ended up being probably the steal of the draft, although not for the team that selected him. The New England Patriots picked Gannon in the 4th round out of Delaware, but he wouldn’t go on to show what he could do until he got time as a starter for the Vikings and Chiefs, and then won a league MVP with the Raiders. The Raiders that year had picked Steve Beuerlein out of Notre Dame, and he went on to have a very productive career for a number of teams. Two other quarterbacks selected that year experienced some limited success in the league like Cody Carlson (3rd round) and Don Majkowski (10th round). One interesting selection that year was the Buccaneers using their 12th round pick on University of Alabama quarterback and future NFL head coach Mike Shula, who also happens to be the son of the winningest coach ever in the NFL, Don Shula. Other quarterbacks selected in the 1987 NFL Draft were Mark Vlasic in the 4th round by the Chargers, Kevin Sweeney in the 7th round by the Cowboys, Doug Hudson in the 7th round by the Chiefs, Sammy Garza in the 8th round by the Seahawks, Ken Lambiotte in the 9th round by the Eagles, John Paye in the 10th round by the 49ers, Brent Pease in the 11th round by the Vikings, Dave Walter in the 11th round by the Giants, Jim Karsatos in the 12th round by the Dolphins, and Bill Ransdell in the 12th round by the Jets.

The Running Backs

While there were serviceable running backs selected in the first round of the 1987 NFL Draft, there were no superstars. The first running back selected in the 1987 NFL Draft was the University of Miami’s Alonzo Highsmith who was picked by the Oilers with the third choice in the draft. He was followed quickly by Auburn’s Brent Fullwood who was chosen with the fourth overall pick by the Packers. Penn State’s D.J. Dozier was taken with the 14th pick by the Vikings and then the Chiefs selected Temple’s Paul Palmer with the 19th pick. The 21st pick in the draft was Roger Vick who was taken by the Jets and then Rod Bernstine, who would play in the NFL as an H-Back or tight end, was chosen with the 24th pick by the Chargers, both players having played collegiately at Texas A&M. The last running back taken in the first round was Terrence Flagler out of Clemson.

The biggest impact at the position of running back made by a player selected in 1987 was made by Bo Jackson who the Raiders picked in the 7th round that year even though he was playing professional baseball for the Kansas City Royals at the time. Jackson would only play part-time over four seasons but would finish his career with 2,782 yards, a 5.4 yards per carry average and in three of his four seasons in the NFL he would put up the longest run from scrimmage of the year with touchdown runs of 91, 92 and 88 yards. Another player selected late in the draft that year, in the tenth round, who went on to have a very good career was Merril Hoge who, before becoming a studio analyst, was a stellar fullback for the Steelers. A number of other notable running backs were chosen in 1987 including Christian Okoye in the 2nd round by the Chiefs, Tim Manoa in the 3rd round by the Browns, Steve Smith in the 3rd round by the Raiders, Timmy Smith in the 5th round by the Redskins, Spencer Tillman in the 5th round by the Oilers, and Rick Fenney in the 8th round by the Vikings,.

Other running backs selected that year include Don Smith, Jamie Mueller, Bob Perryman, Troy Stradford, George Swarn, Tommie Agee, Marc Logan, Steve Bartalo, Tim Richardson, Warren Marshall, Kerry Porter, Tom Brown, Eddie Hunter, Michael Clemons, Joe Armentrout, Thomas Wilcher, Rick Calhoun, Alvin Blount, Tracy Ham, Alfred Jenkins, Lakei Heimuli, Dana Wright, David McCluskey, James Evans, Reggie Taylor, Chris McLemore, Darryl Oliver, Tim Jessie, Tommy Neal, David Adams, Marcus Greenwood, Ira Valentine, Bobby Morse, Larry Emery, Tony Burse, Alonzo Williams, John Holifield, Chad Stark and Elgin Davis.

The Receivers

The 1987 draft was considered weak in the receiver department, and this is evident in the first round as a receiver wasn’t picked until Haywood Jeffires was selected by the Oilers with the 20th overall pick. Jeffires would go on to have a very solid career, making three consecutive Pro Bowls and also leading the league in receptions in 1991 when he caught 100 passes. No other receivers would be taken in the first round until the last two selections when the Broncos picked Ricky Nattiel from the University of Florida with the 27th selection and then the Giants took Mark Ingram out of Michigan State with the 28th pick. Nattiel would only play six seasons in the NFL, but would be an important part of the Broncos receiving corps. Ingram would play ten years in the league with the Giants, Dolphins Packers and Eagles.

Other notable receivers chosen in the 1987 NFL Draft include Lonzell Hill picked in the 2nd round by the Saints, Mark Carrier in the 3rd round by the Buccaneers, Stephen Baker picked in the 3rd round by the Giants, Kelvin Martin picked in the 4th round by the Cowboys, Odessa Turner picked in the 4th round by the Giants, Keith McKeller picked in the 9th round by the Bills, and Curtis Duncan picked in the 10th round by the Oilers.

Other receivers taken that year were Ron Morris, Scott Schwedes, Charles Lockett, Frankie Neal, Jim Riggs, Bruce Hill, Roy Banks, Everett Gay, Kitrick Taylor, Paul Jokisch, Willie Marshall, Thomas Henley, Greg Richardson, Tracy Martin, Gene Taylor, Jon Embree, Mark Bellini, Jamie Holland, Chris Kelly, Derek Tennell, Wilbur Strozier, William Harris, Michael James, Joel Williams, Rod Jones, Joey Clinkscales, Scott Eccles, Raynard Brown, Robert Clark, Jerry Reese, Louis Clark, Ted Wilson, Brian Silverling, Arthur Wells, Mario Perry, Craig Richardson, Calvin Nicholas, Laron Brown, Gary Lee, and Theo Young.

Other Positions

Some great players were taken in the 1987 NFL Draft and many went on to play important roles for their teams. Some of the big name players picked in the early rounds that year were Bills linebackers Cornelius Bennett and Shane Conlan, Eagles defensive tackle Jerome Brown, Steelers cornerback Rod Woodson, 49ers offensive lineman Harris Barton, Patriots offensive lineman Bruce Armstrong, and Raiders kicker Jeff Jaeger. One of the best parts about looking back at NFL Drafts of the past is seeing what late round picks ended up paying off. In 1987, in addition to some of the names previously listed, some of the best mid-to-late round draft picks were linebacker Hardy Nickerson in the 5th round, defensive lineman Dan Saleamua in the 7th round, offensive lineman Kevin Gogan and defensive back Toi Cook in the 8th round, and guard John Gesek in the 10th round. One of the best late round selections that year was made by the Broncos. With the 334th pick overall, the second-to-last selection in the draft, Denver chose defensive back Tyrone Braxton. Braxton would play twelve seasons for the team, make it to a Pro Bowl, and lead the league in interceptions in 1996.

The 1987 NFL Draft was not overloaded with superstar talent, but definitely had a number of great players and even some that can be included in discussions of best ever at their position.

Interesting facts about the 1987 NFL Draft:

-This was the second time that Bo Jackson had been taken in the NFL Draft, having been drafted in the first round with the first overall pick in the 1986 draft.

-The first player drafted in 1987 who would go on to make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was cornerback Rod Woodson.

-The Tampa Bay Buccaneers would choose a quarterback with their first (Vinny Testaverde – 1st round) and last pick (Mike Shula – 12th round) in the draft.

-D.J. Dozier would also dabble in being a two-sport star, playing baseball for the New York Mets.

-In the second round of the 1987 draft, there was at one point six consecutive linebackers chosen: Johnny Holland, Alex Gordon, Rick Graf, Ray Berry, David Wyman, and Walter Johnson.

-Three of the first ten picks in the draft were from the University of Miami. Vinny Testaverde with the first pick, Alonzo Highsmith with the third pick, and Jerome Brown with the ninth pick.

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