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FCS: Which Players From Current OVC Schools Had The Best NFL Careers?

Brian McLaughlin by Brian McLaughlin
June 26, 2020
FCS Betting Lines: Week 11 – EKU-UCA, WCU-Liberty, Gardner-Webb-Charlotte

The FCS has had hundreds of standout players move on to have special NFL careers, and a good number have made it to the NFL Hall of Fame. We decided to break down the “FCS-to-NFL” ranks by conference … leading up to a final national ranking of the top FCS products to finish a career in the NFL on April 20. We only ranked individuals who played for current FCS conference schools (no Appalachian States or Marshalls, for instance … and just because the player may have actually played D-2 football when they were in college, that doesn’t disqualify).

This ranking will be using the Pro Football Reference criteria for AV – “Approximate Value”, which uses an algorithm that measures a player’s statistics, honors, awards, you name it — on an annual basis dating back to 1960 when all of this statistical material was more easily attainable/tracked. It takes into account that an offensive lineman can’t put up stats like a quarterback, obviously, but an O-lineman with Pro Bowl credentials and being a cornerstone on a Super Bowl team will be rewarded too. Then … the annual points are added up to create a “career AV” which is a total reflecting the “Approximate Value” of a player’s career.

Obviously, Hall of Fame players do well in this rating, but you may be surprised at times at the rating given to a player who had a long career … with some true highlights … who did not make the Hall of Fame. It happens. See the list below.[divider]

TOP NFL CAREERS: Each Conference Linked

TOP NFL CAREERS – OHIO VALLEY

(according to Pro-Football-Reference.com – since 1960)

ABBREVIATIONS: PB — Career Pro Bowls; AV — site’s “Approximate Value” point system used by Pro Football Reference to quantify a player, based on statistics, honors, etc awarded by year back to 1960 – and taking position into consideration; YRS — Total years in the league

RKFCS SCHOOLPOSPLAYERPBAVYRSSPANCAREER NFL STATS
1TENNESSEE STATEDLToo Tall Jones3129151974-198957.5 sacks, 203 starts
2TENNESSEE STATEDLRichard Dent4121151983-1997137.5 sacks, 677 tackles
3EASTERN ILLINOISQBTony Romo4116132004-201634,183 pass yds, 248 TDs
4TENNESSEE-MARTINWR-RBNat Moore1103131974-19867,795 total yds, 75 TDs
5TENNESSEE STATEDLClaude Humphrey690131968-1981171 career games
6JACKSONVILLE ST.DBEric Davis282131990-2002670 tackles, 38 INTs
7SEMOOL Ken Iman082141960-1974194 career games
8TENNESSEE STATEDLAnthony Pleasant079141990-200358 sacks, 534 tackles
9EASTERN KENTUCKYOL John Jackson077141988-2001166 career starts
10TENNESSEE STATEDBBrent Alexander076121994-2005898 tackles, 28 INTs
11TENNESSEE TECHLBJim Youngblood172121973-1984156 career games, 14 INTs
12TENNESSEE TECHLBLonnie Warwick069101965-1974120 career games
13TENNESSEE STATELBMike Hegman068121976-1987119 career starts
14TENNESSEE STATEDBD. Rodgers-Cromartie262122008-2019455 tackles, 30 INTs
15TENNESSEE STATEOL Vern Holland062101971-1980123 career starts
16EASTERN KENTUCKYDEChad Bratzke055101994-200356.5 sacks, 413 tackles
17JACKSONVILLE ST.OL Terry Owens050101966-1975132 career games
18EASTERN KENTUCKYDLWally Chambers34871973-197988 games
19TENNESSEE TECHDLElois Grooms047121975-1987138 career games
20EASTERN KENTUCKYDBMyron Guyton04671989-1995499 tackles, 10 INTs
21EASTERN KENTUCKYDBYeremiah Bell146102004-2013729 tackles, 23 TFLs
22SEMOOL Dan Connolly04582005-201489 career games
23TENNESSEE STATEDLJoe Jones045101970-1980134 career games
24TENNESSEE STATEDBJim Marsalis24481969-197790 career games
25EASTERN ILLINOISDLJohn Jurkovic04391991-1999245 tackles, 114 games
26TENNESSEE STATEOL Homer Elias04271978-198487 career starts
27TENNESSEE STATEOL Elbert Drungo04291969-197892 career starts
28EASTERN ILLINOISDLGreg Brown04181981-198852.5 sacks, 117 games
29TENNESSEE STATEOL Robert Woods04181973-198099 career games
30SEMOG-KJohn Wittenborn040101958-1968116 career games
31TENNESSEE STATERBCid Edwards03981968-19753,006 rush yds, 15 TDs
32TENNESSEE-MARTINDBFred Thomas037121996-2007523 tackles
33SEMOOL Eugene Amano03592004-2012124 career games
34TENNESSEE STATEDLDan Williams03571993-2000188 tackles, 27 sacks
35TENNESSEE STATEDLCleveland Elam23151975-197962 career games

(*) – Denotes an NFL Hall of Famer[divider]​​

OHIO VALLEY – TOP CURRENT NFL CAREERS

ABBREVIATIONS: PB — Career Pro Bowls; AV — site’s “Approximate Value” point system used by Pro Football Reference to quantify a player, based on statistics, honors, etc and taking position into consideration; YRS — Total years in the league

RKFCS SCHOOLPOSPLAYERPBAVYRSSPANCAREER NFL STATS
1TENNESSEE STATEDBD. Rodgers-Cromartie262122008-2019455 tackles, 30 INTs
2EASTERN ILLINOISQBJimmy Garoppolo02562014-20196,946 pass yds, 44 TDs
3EASTERN ILLINOISOLBKamu Grugier-Hill01042016-201998 tackles, 11 TFLs
4EASTERN KENTUCKYPJordan Berry0952015-201944.2 punt average
5TENNESSEE STATESAnthony Levine0982012-2019130 tackles
6EASTERN KENTUCKYDENoah Spence0542016-201937 tackles, 7.5 sacks
7MURRAY STATELBQuincy Williams0312019-201948 tackles, 8 starts
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