25 all-time great NFL players from non-FBS schools

Roping up sack after sack, Allen was one of most talented and entertaining pass rushers the NFL has ever seen. The pride of Idaho State, where he posted 250 tackles (73 for loss) and 38.5 sacks for his career and also won the 2003 Buck Buchanan Award as the best defensive player in Division I-AA (Football Championship Subdivision). While Allen built himself up into a talented NFL player with Kansas City, he became a star with the Minnesota Vikings. A four-time First-Team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler, Allen recorded 136 sacks and forced 32 fumbles in 12 seasons.

The tale from nowhere to the Hall of Fame will be a common one on this list. It starts with the late Allen, who didn’t have the grades for a Division I scholarship. So, he spent two years at a California junior college, then headed north of San Francisco to Division II Sonoma State, where he allowed one sack in two seasons and was a two-time All-American standout. A second-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 1994, Allen was an 11-time Pro Bowl selection, First-Team All-Pro six times and won a Super Bowl. 

Hailing from the gritty steel town of Bethlehem, Penn., a little less than 50 miles north of Philadelphia, Bednarik then starred in the City of Brotherly Love. First at Penn (where he was a three-time All-American and Maxwell Award winner), then with the Eagles, for whom he was a two-way standout at linebacker and center. One of the toughest players the NFL has ever seen, Bednarik spent his entire 14-season career with the Eagles (1949-62), starting 166 of the 169 games he played. The Hall of Famer won two NFL championships with Philadelphia (1949, ’60), was a seven-time First-Team All-Pro, and was named to eight Pro Bowl squads.

The hard-hitting defensive back plied his trade at the famed Southern University, one of the great HBCUs. From there, of course, Blount truly refined his game as one of the great safeties in NFL history. Part of four Super Bowl-winning teams with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Blount was a five-time Pro Bowler during his 14-year Hall-of Fame pro career (1970-83), and was NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1975, when he recorded 11 interceptions.

Not only did Brown play his college ball at small school (but with a grand reputation) Grambling State, but he wasn’t even drafted. He eventually found his way to the American Football League, but was initially cut by the Houston Oilers before getting his shot in Denver (1963-68), then cementing his Hall of Fame career with the Oakland Raiders (1967-78). A two-time All-Pro performer with the Raiders, Brown won a Super Bowl in Oakland and posted 54 interceptions overall.

The Chicago Bears dug deep to find the “Sackman.” Chicago selected him out of tiny Tennessee State in the eighth round of the 1983 NFL Draft. By his second season, Dent was among the league’s best pass rushers with 17.5 sacks. A year later, he was MVP of Super Bowl XX. Dent’s Hall of Fame career ended in 1997 with Philadelphia, and featured 137.5 sacks, 37 forced fumbles, nearly 700 tackles and four Pro Bowl nods. 

OK, Flacco’s career began at Pittsburgh, but he became a collegiate football star at FCS Delaware. While starring for the Blue Hens, Flacco set 20 school records. He was then picked 18th overall by Baltimore in 2008 NFL Draft, and was in the league as recently as 2024, signed with the Indianapolis Colts as a backup. During that lengthy and successful NFL career, Flacco started 185 of 188 games, completed nearly 62 percent of his passes for 43,936 yards with 245 touchdowns and 155 interceptions. However, the shining moment of his pro career was leading the Ravens to a victory in Super Bowl XLVII, where he was named the game’s MVP.

Note: Haley starred at James Madison when it was still a Division I-AA (FCS) program (1982-85), and it was one of the only top-tier schools that recruited the eventual Hall of Famer. Haley was a special college player (and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame), recording a school-record 506 tackles and was twice named a Division I-AA All-American. Things only got better in the NFL for Haley, who won a combined five Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. The five-time Pro Bowler recorded 100.5 sacks during his 13-year NFL career.

The pride of Chicago’s south suburbs, Harrison enjoyed a stellar career at Western Illinois. He left in 1993 as Western’s all-time leader with 345 tackles and was an All-American. However, the best was truly yet to come for Harrison, who despite being a fifth-round pick, won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots (after starring with San Diego) and became the first player in NFL history to record at least 30 interceptions and 30 sacks for a career that ran from 1994-2008)

The great Jones played just two seasons of college football, the first coming in 1958 at South Carolina State, which revoked his scholarship after he attended a civil rights protest. Jones then landed at Mississippi Vocational College (now Mississippi Valley State), where he caught the eyes of scouts recruiting other players. Eventually drafted in the 14th round of the 1961 NFL Draft., Jones went on to become a Hall of Famer, notably as a member of the Los Angeles Rams’ famed “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line. Jones unofficially totaled 173.5 sacks (the statistic was not recognized until 1982) during his career. 

Kupp is in his eighth NFL season, but most definitely deserves a spot on this list. After redshirting his first year at Eastern Washington, Kupp went on to become the NCAA’s all-time leader with 6,464 receiving yards and was named STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year in 2015. A third-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams, Kupp already holds NFL records for single-season yards from scrimmage by a wide receiver (1,965), made the Pro Bowl and won a Super Bowl, where he was named MVP. 

The legendary Lane’s road to the NFL is truly remarkable. He played college ball at a small JC in Nebraska, where he was the only black player on the squad. However, he was by far the most versatile, talented and exciting player on the team. Then after a stint in the Army, where he played for the Fort Ord (Calif.) football team, Lane got himself a tryout with the Los Angeles Rams in 1952. From there, the rest is Hall of Fame history. A seven-time First-Team All-Pro, Lane recorded 27 of his 68 interceptions in his first three seasons, and also was named to seven Pro Bowls.

This Kansas City Chiefs legend was a two-time small-college All-American while at Morgan State, where he laid the foundation for a Hall of Fame pro career. Kansas City’s starting middle linebacker for 11 seasons (1967-77), Lanier recorded 18 fumble recoveries and 27 interceptions. In 1994, Lanier was named a member of the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Considering the franchise’s storied history, the Chicago Bears have not had many elite quarterbacks. Many NFL historians believe Luckman might be the best to ever don Chicago’s blue and orange. A Bear from 1939-50, the Ivy League-bred Luckman, who finished third in the 1938 Heisman Trophy Award race, won four world championships with Chicago. The NFL MVP in 1943, Luckman threw for more than 14,000 yards with 137 touchdowns (and 132 interceptions) and set league records for single-season passing touchdown percentage (13.9) and career passing touchdown percentage (7.9).

A four-year starter at Alabama A&M, Mathis recorded an NCAA I-AA-record 20 sacks as a senior. He was then taken in the fifth round by the Indianapolis Colts. By his second season, Mathis established himself as one of the league’s top pass rushers. During a career that ran from 2003-16, Mathis recorded 123 sacks, including five seasons with double-digit totals. A five-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion with the Colts, Mathis also posted 538 tackles, forced 54 fumbles and recovered 17.

Fun fact: McNair was offered a scholarship to Florida, but as a running back. He wanted to play quarterback in college, so opted for Alcorn State, where he was named Division I-AA’s top player and finished third in the Heisman Trophy Award voting as a senior (while throwing for more than 15,000 career yards and eventually being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame). Taken third overall by the Houston Oilers in the 1995 NFL Draft, McNair was a three-time Pro Bowl pick, nearly led the Tennessee Titans to a Super Bowl victory and was the NFL’s MVP in 2003. For his 13-year NFL career, McNair threw for 31,304 yards, 174 touchdowns and 119 interceptions.

Outspoken, brash and one talented receiver. Owens was a three-sport star at UT-Chattanooga (football, basketball, track and field). Obviously, it was football that made him a true superstar. From 1996-2010, Owens solidified himself as one of the game’s all-time best receivers. He caught at least 20 touchdowns for three different teams (San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dallas), and totaled 1,078 receptions for 15,934 yards and an amazing 153 touchdowns en route to a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The man known as “Sweetness,” Payton actually committed to Kansas State, but eventually played in his home state of Mississippi at Jackson State, where brother Eddie attended. In college, Payton rushed for 3,600 yards and a school-record 65 touchdowns. As a member of the Chicago Bears (1975-87), Payton totaled 16,726 rushing yards for his Hall of Fame career, a total that stood as the most all-time until Emmitt Smith broke the mark in 2002. The Walter Payton Award is given annually to the top offensive player in the FCS.

For those not in the know, Kutztown University is located in Pennsylvania. That’s where Reed made a name for himself by setting multiple program records and catching 142 passes and 14 touchdowns for his collegiate career. That was good enough for Reed to be selected in the fourth round by the Buffalo Bills, where he spent 15 of his 16 NFL seasons (1985-2000). A seven-time Pro Bowler and part of Buffalo’s four consecutive Super Bowl teams, Reed totaled 951 receptions for 13,198 yards and 87 touchdowns for his Hall of Fame career.

Is Rice the greatest wide receiver of all time? It’s hard to make a case against. Among the many NFL career records Rice owns, his 1,549 receptions, 22,895 receiving yards and 197 receiving touchdowns surely stand out. In addition, the San Francisco 49ers legend was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year twice, a 10-time First-Team All-Pro, three-time Super Bowl champ and Super Bowl MVP once. And it really all began for the College and Pro Football Hall of Famer at Mississippi Valley State, where he essentially put the school on the map while posting more than 300 catches for 4,600 receiving yards and 50 touchdowns. 

Before Sharpe became an outspoken NFL media personality, he enjoyed a 14-year, Hall of Fame career, mostly spent with the Denver Broncos. A three-time Super Bowl champion and eight-time Pro Bowler, he caught 815 passes for 10,060 yards and 62 touchdowns to solidify himself as one of the league’s all-time great tight ends. And to think, it all started at tiny Savannah State, where he was a three-time All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and also a member of the basketball and track and field teams.

A household name in the world of sports and entertainment, Strahan rose to stardom at Texas Southern, where he set a school record with 41.5 career sacks. Things only got better from there as Strahan played 15 seasons in the NFL (1993-2007), all with the New York Giants, collecting 141.5 sacks, and until T.J. Watt came along, held the outright league single-season record with 22.5 sacks (2001). The Hall of Famer also helped the Giants win Super Bowl XLII.

Hailing from the Corpus Christi area of Texas, Upshaw laid his foundation for football greatness at what is now known as Texas A&M-Kingsville. Still, he was the seventh overall pick in 1967 by the AFL’s Oakland Raiders. Upshaw would remain a Raider for life, playing until 1981, and considered one of the most celebrated players in franchise history. The Hall of Famer’s career included six Pro Bowl nods, three First-Team All-Pro selections, an AFL championship and two Super Bowl titles.

Is Warner’s tale the greatest against-all-odds story in NFL history? The undrafted quarterback from Northern Iowa spent time bagging groceries, then played some arena ball and in NFL Europe before getting his shot with the St. Louis Rams. Then, after Trent Green got hurt in 1999 (courtesy of the aforementioned Rodney Harrison), Warner’s path to the Hall of Fame began. During his 12-year career, Warner threw for 32,344 yards, 208 touchdowns, 128 interceptions, was a two-time NFL MVP (1999, 2001) and won a Super Bowl. 

Williams landed at Southern University after not receiving a scholarship to play college football at any larger schools. In fact, he didn’t play football there until he was a junior. Well, the eventual Hall of Famer proved any naysayers wrong. Williams recorded 20 collegiate interceptions, including 11 in his final 1990 campaign. From there, Williams embarked on a 14-year NFL career, mostly spent with the Cardinals franchise. He made eight Pro Bowls, recorded 55 interceptions and 48 passes defended.