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]
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NFL Draft Feature Stories:
[divider]
TOP NFL CAREERS: Each Conference Linked
TOP NFL CAREERS – SWAC
(according to Pro-Football-Reference.com)
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
| RK | FCS SCHOOL | POS | PLAYER | PB | AV | YRS | SPAN | CAREER NFL STATS |
| 1 | MISS. VALLEY STATE | WR | Jerry Rice (*) | 13 | 250 | 20 | 1985-2004 | 22,895 rec. yds, 197 TDs |
| 2 | JACKSON STATE | RB | Walter Payton (*) | 9 | 168 | 13 | 1975-1987 | 21,264 total yds, 125 TDs |
| 3 | TEXAS SOUTHERN | DL | Michael Strahan (*) | 7 | 160 | 15 | 1993-2007 | 666 tackles, 141.5 sacks |
| 4 | GRAMBLING | DB | Willie Brown (*) | 9 | 144 | 16 | 1963-1978 | 54 career INTs |
| 5 | JACKSON STATE | WR | Jimmy Smith | 5 | 135 | 12 | 1992-2005 | 12,287 rush yds, 67 TDs |
| 6t | GRAMBLING | WR | Charlie Joiner (*) | 3 | 134 | 18 | 1969-1986 | 12,168 rec. yds, 65 TDs |
| 6t | SOUTHERN UNIV. | DB | Aeneas Williams (*) | 8 | 134 | 14 | 1991-2004 | 793 tackles, 55 INTs |
| 6t | SOUTHERN UNIV. | DB | Mel Blount (*) | 5 | 134 | 14 | 1970-1983 | 57 career INTs |
| 9 | PRAIRIE VIEW | DB | Ken Houston (*) | 12 | 130 | 14 | 1967-1980 | 49 career INTs |
| 10 | JACKSON STATE | OL | Jackie Slater (*) | 7 | 129 | 20 | 1976-1995 | 211 caree starts |
| 11 | SOUTHERN UNIV. | LB | Isiah Robertson | 6 | 127 | 12 | 1971-1982 | 25 career INTs |
| 12 | ALCORN STATE | QB | Steve McNair | 3 | 126 | 13 | 1995-2007 | 31,304 pass yds, 174 TDs |
| 13 | JACKSON STATE | WR | Harold Jackson | 5 | 123 | 16 | 1968-1983 | 10,372 rec. yds, 76 TDs |
| 14 | GRAMBLING | DL | Buck Buchanan (*) | 8 | 122 | 13 | 1963-1975 | 182 career games |
| 15 | JACKSON STATE | DB | Lem Barney (*) | 7 | 121 | 11 | 1967-1977 | 56 career INTs |
| 16 | MISS. VALLEY STATE | DE | Deacon Jones (*) | 8 | 119 | 14 | 1961-1974 | 191 career games |
| 17 | GRAMBLING | DL | Willie Davis (*) | 5 | 115 | 12 | 1958-1969 | 142 career starts |
| 18 | GRAMBLING | DB | Albert Lewis | 4 | 108 | 16 | 1983-1998 | 832 tackles, 42 INTs |
| 19 | GRAMBLING | DB | Everson Walls | 4 | 105 | 13 | 1981-1993 | 57 career INTs |
| 20 | TEXAS SOUTHERN | OL | Winston Hill (*) | 8 | 103 | 15 | 1963-1977 | 198 career games |
| 21t | ARK.-PINE BLUFF | DL | L.C. Greenwood | 6 | 101 | 13 | 1969-1981 | 170 career games |
| 21t | SOUTHERN UNIV. | WR-TE | Harold Carmichael (*) | 4 | 101 | 14 | 1971-1984 | 8,985 rec. yds, 79 TDs |
| 23 | ALCORN STATE | WR | Donald Driver | 3 | 96 | 14 | 1999-2012 | 10,354 total yds, 62 TDs |
| 24 | PRAIRIE VIEW | WR | Otis Taylor | 3 | 95 | 11 | 1965-1975 | 7,306 rec. yds, 57 TDs |
| 25 | GRAMBLING | DB | Rosey Taylor | 2 | 92 | 12 | 1961-1972 | 32 career INTs |
| 26 | JACKSON STATE | LB | Robert Brazile (*) | 7 | 91 | 10 | 1975-1984 | 147 career games |
| 27 | JACKSON STATE | DL | Coy Bacon | 3 | 89 | 14 | 1968-1981 | 180 career games |
| 28 | ALABAMA A&M | OL | Howard Ballard | 2 | 84 | 11 | 1988-1998 | 154 career starts |
| 29 | JACKSON STATE | DL | Verlon Biggs | 3 | 82 | 10 | 1965-1974 | 135 career games |
| 30t | ALABAMA STATE | LB | Eddie Robinson | 0 | 81 | 11 | 1992-2002 | 804 career tackles |
| 30t | GRAMBLING | OL | Woody Peoples | 2 | 81 | 12 | 1968-1980 | 168 career games |
| 30t | JACKSON STATE | RB | Wilbert Montgomery | 2 | 81 | 9 | 1977-1985 | 9,291 total yds, 57 TDs |
| 30t | JACKSON STATE | OL | Leon Gray | 4 | 81 | 11 | 1973-1983 | 142 career starts |
| 30t | SOUTHERN UNIV. | DL | Jim Osborne | 0 | 81 | 13 | 1972-1984 | 186 career games |
| 30t | TEXAS SOUTHERN | DL | Julius Adams | 1 | 81 | 16 | 1971-1987 | 206 career games |
| 36t | ALABAMA A&M | WR | John Stallworth (*) | 3 | 80 | 14 | 1974-1987 | 8,723 rec. yds, 74 TDs |
| 36t | TEXAS SOUTHERN | WR | Ken Burrough | 2 | 80 | 12 | 1970-1981 | 7,102 rec. yds, 49 TDs |
| 38 | GRAMBLING | WR | Frank Lewis | 1 | 78 | 13 | 1971-1983 | 6,724 rec. yds, 40 TDs |
| 39 | GRAMBLING | DL | Gary Johnson | 4 | 76 | 11 | 1975-1985 | 157 career games |
| 40 | PRAIRIE VIEW | HB-DB | Clem Daniels | 4 | 73 | 9 | 1960-1968 | 8,452 total yds, 54 TDs |
| 41t | PRAIRIE VIEW | DL | Jim Lee Hunt | 4 | 69 | 11 | 1960-1970 | 146 career games |
| 41t | SOUTHERN UNIV. | DB | Ken Ellis | 2 | 69 | 9 | 1970-1979 | 115 career games, 22 INTs |
| 43 | ALABAMA A&M | DL | Robert Mathis | 5 | 68 | 14 | 2003-2016 | 123 sacks, 538 tackles |
| 44 | JACKSON STATE | TE-WR | Rich Caster | 3 | 67 | 13 | 1970-1982 | 5,515 rec. yds, 45 TDs |
| 45 | MISS. VALLEY STATE | DB | Ashley Ambrose | 1 | 66 | 13 | 1992-2004 | 42 career INTs |
| 46t | ALCORN STATE | DB | Roynell Young | 1 | 65 | 9 | 1980-1988 | 23 career INTs |
| 46t | TEXAS SOUTHERN | WR | Homer Jones | 2 | 65 | 7 | 1964-1970 | 4,986 rec. yds, 36 TDs |
| 48t | GRAMBLING | DL | Ernie Ladd | 4 | 64 | 8 | 1961-1968 | 112 career games |
| 48t | JACKSON STATE | DL | Roy Hilton | 0 | 64 | 11 | 1965-1975 | 151 career games |
| 50t | ARK.-PINE BLUFF | DL | Robert Brown | 1 |
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