D2 Football Players in the NFL

With the NFL Draft around the corner, it’s worth noting that there are 120 D2 football players in the NFL (as of April 23, 2015), five of whom have had a major impact in the league.

It’s interesting to see not only which conferences and schools are represented, but also to see which NFL teams have the most D2 products on their rosters. (Note: the 120 players include in six players from schools which transitioned to D1 but were D2 schools during those players’ collegiate careers and three players from D2 programs which have since been discontinued.)

Which D2 conference boasts the most NFL players?

The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Lone Star Conference each boast 18 NFL players, while the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association claims 17 NFL players. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has 13 alumni on NFL rosters, including three 2014 Pro Bowlers. Of the 15 D2 conferences, only the Great Lakes Valley Conference is not represented on any NFL roster. Three players from the former North Central Conference, which disbanded in 2008, are also included in this count.

Which D2 school has the most alumni on NFL rosters?

Of the 65 current and former D2 schools with former players on NFL roster, West Texas A&M by far has the most, with 10. California (Pa.) and Grand Valley State have six players each, while Valdosta State has five. Six schools claim three players on NFL rosters: Bloomsburg, Fort Valley State, Missouri Western, Newberry, Saginaw Valley State and Washburn.

Which NFL team has the most D2 players on their rosters?

New Orleans head coach Sean Payton has to be a big-time D2 football fan as the Saints boast nine D2 players on their roster, including Pro Bowl offensive guard Jahri Evans (Bloomsburg). Indianapolis is a close second with eight D2 players, followed by St. Louis with six. There are five players each for Arizona, Cleveland, Dallas, Minnesota and Oakland.

In fact, there are D2 players on every NFL roster except one: Cincinnati.

Here’s a list of the 120 players went to school (by conference), followed by an D2 Conference and NFL team-by-team breakdown:

# – St. Paul’s College closed in 2013. ## – Western Washington discontinued football after the 2008 season. * – School transitioned to Division I.

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* Includes three players from Abilene Christian, which transitioned to Division I in 2013.
** Includes one player from St. Paul’s, which closed in 2013.
*** Includes two players from Western Washington, which discontinued football in 2008.
**** Conference disbanded in 2008; Nebraska-Omaha, Northern Colorado and South Dakota State transitioned to Division I prior to 2008.[divider]