The NFL season is upon us, and when professional teams hit the field this weekend they'll do so with rosters that feature talent from the Division 2 level of college football.
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MORE: Every D2 Football Player That Made Initial NFL Rosters
In total, nearly 80 Division 2 players made NFL rosters after final cuts. That's if you include injured reserve players as well as the initial 53-man rosters. Now, NFL rosters are fluid, with players cut and signed every day, but as of Wednesday, Sept. 6 ahead of the opening weekend, the Division 2 level boasted 77 players on active 53-man rosters and injured reserve lists, and a few schools stood out with the most players.
West Alabama leads the way with 5 former players on NFL rosters, notably corner Malcolm Butler and wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who will square off Thursday night when the Patriots and Chiefs play.
California (PA) and Grand Valley State each have four NFL players, just behind West Alabama.
Here's all the D2 football teams who have at least two alumni NFL (Again, these lists will be fluid as the days go on).
Five schools have at least three players (the aforementioned West Alabama, Cal (PA) and Grand Valley State) as well as Colorado State-Pueblo and Missouri Western State.
Behind them, Ashland, Bloomsburgh, East Central, Hillsdale, Midwestern State, Missouri Southern State, Newberry, Saginaw Valley State, Shippensburg, Valdosta State, West Georgia and West Texas A&M each have two alums in the NFL.
34 more schools have a player in the NFL. They are:
- Albany State (Ga.)
- Assumption
- Augustana
- Azusa Pacific
- Bowie State
- Carson-Newman
- Catawba
- Central Missouri
- Clarion
- Emporia State
- Fort Valley State
- Henderson State
- Kentucky Wesleyan
- Kutztown (PA)
- Lindenwood
- Mars Hill
- Michigan Tech
- Minnesota State
- Missouri Western
- Nebraska-Omaha
- North Alabama
- Northwest Missouri State
- Ohio Dominican
- Ouachita Baptist
- Pittsburg State
- Shepherd
- Slippery Rock
- Stillman
- Tiffin University
- Washburn
- Western Oregon
- Western State
- Western Washington
- Winston-Salem State
