NFL Pro Bowl Boasted Former College Hoopers Each Season Except For One
January 27th, 2017 - 20:27
After Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham ended up on NFC roster as a replacement, there remained only one NFL Pro Bowl (following 1985 season) when there wasn't at least one gridiron participant who previously played college basketball. Graham was a three-time Pro Bowler for the New Orleans Saints after serving as a part-time hoops starter with Miami FL.
An average of eight ex-college cagers annually participated the first decade of the event in the 1950s with a high of 10 following the 1959 campaign. Following is an alphabetical list of Pro Bowlers who previously played hoops at varsity level for a four-year college:
NFL Pro Bowl Selection | Pos. | NFL Team(s) | Four-Year Hoop College(s) | Pro Bowl Year(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ken Anderson | QB | Cincinnati Bengals | Augustana (Ill.) | 1975-76-81-82 |
Doug Atkins | RDE | Chicago Bears | Tennessee | 1957-58-59-60-61-62-63-65 |
Al Baker | RDE | Detroit Lions | Colorado State | 1978-79-80 |
Erich Barnes | RDH | Chicago Bears/New York Giants/Cleveland Browns | Purdue | 1959-61-62-63-64-68 |
Connor Barwin | OLB | Philadelphia Eagles | Cincinnati | 2014 |
Sammy Baugh | QB | Washington Redskins | Texas Christian | 1951 |
Bobby Bell | LLB | Kansas City Chiefs | Minnesota | 1970-71-72 |
Martellus Bennett | TE | Chicago Bears | Texas A&M | 2014 |
Cloyce Box | E | Detroit Lions | West Texas A&M | 1950 and 1952 |
Ordell Braase | RDE | Baltimore Colts | South Dakota | 1966 and 1967 |
Pete Brewster | LE | Cleveland Browns | Purdue | 1955 and 1956 |
Marlin Briscoe | WR | Buffalo Bills | Nebraska-Omaha | 1970 |
Jim Brown | FB | Cleveland Browns | Syracuse | 1957-58-59-60-61-62-63-64-65 |
Junious "Buck" Buchanan | RDT | Kansas City Chiefs | Grambling | 1970 and 1971 |
Jordan Cameron | TE | Cleveland Browns | Brigham Young/Southern California | 2013 |
Harold Carmichael | WR | Philadelphia Eagles | Southern (La.) | 1973-78-79-80 |
Fred Carr | RLB | Green Bay Packers | Texas Western | 1970-72-75 |
John Carson | LE | Washington Redskins | Georgia | 1957 |
Rick Casares | FB | Chicago Bears | Florida | 1955-56-57-58-59 |
Chris Chambers | WR | Miami Dolphins | Wisconsin | 2005 |
Lynn Chandnois | RH | Pittsburgh Steelers | Michigan State | 1952 and 1953 |
Ben Coates | TE | New England Patriots | Livingstone (N.C.) | 1994-95-98 |
George Connor | LT | Chicago Bears | Holy Cross/Notre Dame | 1950-51-52-53 |
Charley Cowan | RT | Los Angeles Rams | New Mexico Highlands | 1968-69-70 |
Glenn Davis | LH | Los Angeles Rams | Army | 1950 |
Len Dawson | QB | Kansas City Chiefs | Purdue | 1971 |
Mike Ditka | TE | Chicago Bears | Pittsburgh | 1961-62-63-64-65 |
Jim Finks | QB | Pittsburgh Steelers | Tulsa | 1952 |
London Fletcher | LB | Washington Redskins | St. Francis (Pa.)/John Carroll (Ohio) | 2009-10-11-12 |
Len Ford | DE | Cleveland Browns | Morgan State | 1951-52-53-54 |
Jean Fugett | TE | Washington Redskins | Amherst (Mass.) | 1977 |
Antonio Gates | TE | San Diego Chargers | Eastern Michigan/Kent State | 2004-05-06-07-08-09-10-11 |
Tony Gonzalez | TE | Kansas City Chiefs/Atlanta Falcons | California | 1999 and 2000-01-02-03-04-05-06-07-08-10-11-12-13 |
Jimmy Graham | TE | New Orleans Saints/Seattle Seahawks | Miami (Fla.) | 2011-13-14-16 |
Otto Graham | QB | Cleveland Browns | Northwestern | 1950-51-52-53-54 |
Cornell Green | DB | Dallas Cowboys | Utah State | 1965-66-67-71-72 |
Bob Griese | QB | Miami Dolphins | Purdue | 1970-71-73-74-77-78 |
Todd Heap | TE | Baltimore Ravens | Arizona State | 2002 and 2003 |
Harlon Hill | LE | Chicago Bears | Florence State (Ala.) | 1954-55-56 |
Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch | RE | Los Angeles Rams | Michigan | 1951-52-53 |
Paul Hornung | LH | Green Bay Packers | Notre Dame | 1959 and 1960 |
Vincent Jackson | WR | San Diego Chargers/Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Northern Colorado | 2009-11-12 |
Dave Jennings | P | New York Giants | St. Lawrence (N.Y.) | 1978-79-80-82 |
Brad Johnson | QB | Washington Redskins | Florida State | 1999, 2000 and 2002 |
John Henry Johnson | RB | San Francisco 49ers/Pittsburgh Steelers | Saint Mary's | 1954-62-63-64 |
Johnny Johnson | RB | Phoenix Suns | San Jose State | 1990 |
Ed "Too Tall" Jones | LDE | Dallas Cowboys | Tennessee State | 1981-82-83 |
Jacoby Jones | KR | Baltimore Ravens | Lane (Tenn.) | 2012 |
Joe Kapp | QB | Minnesota Vikings | California | 1969 |
Billy Kilmer | QB | Washington Redskins | UCLA | 1972 |
Ron Kramer | TE | Green Bay Packers | Michigan | 1962 |
Gary Larsen | DT | Minnesota Vikings | Concordia (Minn.) | 1969 and 1970 |
Johnny Lattner | RH | Pittsburgh Steelers | Notre Dame | 1954 |
Joe Lavender | RCB | Washington Redskins | San Diego State | 1979 and 1980 |
Rolland Lawrence | CB | Atlanta Falcons | Tabor (Kan.) | 1977 |
Bobby Layne | QB | Detroit Lions/Pittsburgh Steelers | Texas | 1951-52-53-56-58-59 |
Ronnie Lott | DB | San Francisco 49ers | Southern California | 1981-82-83-84-86-87-88-89-90-91 |
Johnny Lujack | QB | Chicago Bears | Notre Dame | 1950 and 1951 |
Lamar Lundy | LDE | Los Angeles Rams | Purdue | 1959 |
John Mackey | TE | Baltimore Colts | Syracuse | 1963-65-66-67-68 |
Jack "Cy" McClairen | E | Pittsburgh Steelers | Bethune-Cookman | 1957 |
Donovan McNabb | QB | Philadelphia Eagles | Syracuse | 2000-01-02-03-04-09 |
Zeke Moore | CB | Houston Oilers | Lincoln (Mo.) | 1969 and 1970 |
Elbie Nickel | RE | Pittsburgh Steelers | Cincinnati | 1952-53-56 |
Terrell Owens | WR | San Francisco 49ers/Dallas Cowboys | UT-Chattanooga | 2000-01-02-03-04-07 |
Julius Peppers | DE-LB | Carolina Panthers/Chicago Bears/Green Bay Packers | North Carolina | 2004-05-06-08-09-10-11-12-15 |
Garet "Jerry" Reichow | WR | Minnesota Vikings | Iowa | 1961 |
Andre Rison | WR | Atlanta Falcons/Kansas City Chiefs | Michigan State | 1990-91-92-93-97 |
Otto Schnellbacher | RS | New York Giants | Kansas | 1950 and 1951 |
Tom Scott | LDE | Philadelphia Eagles | Virginia | 1957 and 1958 |
Joe Senser | TE | Minnesota Vikings | West Chester (Pa.) State | 1981 |
Bob Shaw | E | Chicago Cardinals | Ohio State | 1950 |
Art Shell | LT | Oakland Raiders | Maryland-Eastern Shore | 1973-74-75-76-77 |
Del Shofner | RH-SE | Los Angeles Rams/New York Giants | Baylor | 1958-59-61-62-63 |
Rod Smith | WR | Denver Broncos | Missouri Southern State | 2000-01-05 |
Norm Snead | QB | Washington Redskins/Philadelphia Eagles/New York Giants | Wake Forest | 1962-63-65-72 |
Ed Sprinkle | DE | Chicago Bears | Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) | 1950-51-52-54 |
Roger Staubach | QB | Dallas Cowboys | Navy | 1971-75-76-77-78-79 |
Hugh "Bones" Taylor | LE | Washington Redskins | Tulane/Oklahoma City | 1952 and 1954 |
Jason Taylor | RDE | Miami Dolphins | Akron | 2000-02-04-05-06-07 |
Otis Taylor | WR | Kansas City Chiefs | Prairie View A&M | 1971 and 1972 |
John Thomas | LG | San Francisco 49ers | Pacific | 1966 |
Julius Thomas | TE | Denver Broncos | Portland State | 2013 and 2014 |
Emlen Tunnell | DB | New York Giants | Toledo | 1950-51-52-53-54-55-56-57-59 |
Brad Van Pelt | LLB | New York Giants | Michigan State | 1976-77-78-79-80 |
Doak Walker | LH | Detroit Lions | Southern Methodist | 1950-51-53-54-55 |
Ron Widby | P | Dallas Cowboys | Tennessee | 1971 |
Norm Willey | RDE | Philadelphia Eagles | Marshall | 1954 and 1955 |
Alfred Williams | RDE | Denver Broncos | Colorado | 1996 |
Billy Wilson | RE | San Francisco 49ers | San Jose State | 1954-55-56-57-58-59 |
Rayfield Wright | RT | Dallas Cowboys | Fort Valley State (Ga.) | 1971-72-73-74-75-76 |