Most Underrated College Football Players of All Time

These college football players were great, and their names and accomplishments should not be lost to history.

It’s easy to remember the names of Heisman Trophy winners. They are college football players we loved or ones we couldn’t believe won the award. But what about the names that didn’t always make it to the brightest of lights? The players who were great but never quite got the shine they deserved?

Being underrated can happen in a lot of different ways. Sometimes you’re not appreciated in the time you’re playing. Sometimes, after records get broken and years go by, the memories start to fade and we don’t appreciate the accomplishments as much as we should.

These are the most underrated college football players of all time.

30. Reidel Anthony, Florida

Twitter / RetroSports411

Born: Oct. 20, 1976 (Pahokee, Florida)

High school: Glades Central Community High School (Belle Glades, Florida)

Position: Wide receiver

College years: 1994-96

College highlights: National champion (1996), three-time SEC champion (1994-96), AP All-American (1996), NFL All-Rookie Team (1997)

NFL career: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1997-2001)

Bottom line: Reidel Anthony was a star wide receiver for the University of Florida on three consecutive SEC championship teams in the mid-1990s.

He played for Steve Spurrier and capped his career as an All-American and national champion in 1996 before leaving school one year early for the NFL draft.

Anthony’s 18 touchdown receptions as a junior in the national championship season stood as the SEC record until 2019, when LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase broke it on the way to winning a national championship.

29. Tommy Nobis, Texas

Twitter / TexasFootball

Born: Sept. 20, 1943 (San Antonio, Texas)

Died: Dec. 13, 2017 (age 74, Marietta, Georgia)

High school: Thomas Jefferson High School (San Antonio, Texas)

Position: Linebacker/offensive line

College years: 1963-65

College highlights: National champion (1963), AP All-American (1965), Outland Trophy winner (1965), Maxwell Award winner (1965), NFL Rookie of the Year (1966), five-time Pro Bowl (1966-68, 1970, 1972), two-time All-Pro (1967, 1968), NFL 1960s All-Decade Team

NFL career: Atlanta Falcons (1966-76)

Bottom line: By the time Tommy Nobis left the University of Texas he was arguably as famous as any player in the NFL. He already had appeared on the cover of Life, Sports Illustrated and Time magazine for his accomplishments.

Nobis won a national championship in 1963 with the Longhorns and — here’s the real kicker — started on both sides of the ball for the entire time he was in college and won the Outland Trophy in 1965.

Nobis was the first overall pick in the 1966 NFL draft and the first player picked by the expansion Atlanta Falcons. Nobis played in relative anonymity for his entire NFL career but still put up monster numbers on some really bad teams. Those bad teams likely cost him any shot at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

28. Kory Lichtensteiger, Bowling Green

AP Photo

Born: March 22, 1985 (Van Wert, Ohio)

High school: Crestview High School (Convoy, Ohio)

Position: Offensive line

College years: 2003-07

College highlights: Four-time All-MAC (2004-07), Rimington Trophy finalist (2007)

NFL career: Denver Broncos (2008), Minnesota Vikings (2009), Washington Football Team (2010-16)

Bottom line: Kory Lichtensteiger had a couple of things working against him coming out of high school. He played for a tiny, rural school at Crestview High in Convoy, Ohio, and was a tad undersized at 6-foot-2.

That wasn’t enough to hold Lichtensteiger back. He dominated as a four-year starter and four-time All-MAC player at Bowling Green and ended up playing nine seasons in the NFL.

27. Malik Willis, Liberty

Butch Dill / AP Photo

Born: May 25, 1999 (Atlanta, Georgia)

High school: Roswell High School (Roswell, Georgia)

Position: Quarterback

College years: 2017-18, 2020-21

College highlights: Dudley Award (2020), Davey O’Brien Watch List (2020, 2021), Maxwell Award Watch List (2020, 2021)

NFL career: Tennessee Titans (2021-present)

Bottom line: We made Malik Willis the only current college football player on the list for good reason. He seems to fall in line with past high NFL draft picks from smaller colleges like Carson Wentz and Trey Lance.

Willis played his first two seasons at Auburn, where he was used sparingly, before transferring to Liberty and lighting up the stat book. After sitting out 2019, Willis led the Flames to a 10-2 record in 2020, when he threw for 2,260 yards and 20 touchdowns and ran for 944 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Liberty also finished the season in the top 25 in both the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll for the first time in school history.

26. Ron Yary, USC

George Brich / AP Photo

Born: July 16, 1946 (Chicago, Illinois)

High school: Bellflower High School (Bellflower, California)

Position: Offensive tackle

College years: 1965-67

College highlights: Outland Trophy winner (1967), two-time AP All-American (1966, 1967), eight-time NFL All-Pro (1970-77), seven-time Pro Bowl (1971-77), NFL 1970s All-Decade Team

NFL career: Minnesota Vikings (1968-81), Los Angeles Rams (1982)

Bottom line: USC players were picked No. 1 overall in consecutive years, with offensive tackle Ron Yary going first to the Minnesota Vikings in 1968, then teammate O.J. Simpson was selected No. 1 overall by the Buffalo Bills in 1969.

Yary actually spent one season at a junior college, Cerritos College, before making his way to USC. At 6-foot-5 and just 255 pounds, Yary missed only two games in 14 years in the NFL and was the cornerstone of the Minnesota Vikings’ offensive line that played in four Super Bowls from 1969 through 1976.

Yary was an eight-time NFL All-Pro and named NFC Offensive Lineman of the Year three times.

25. Mike Williams, USC

Twitter / ReignofTroy

Born: Jan. 4, 1984 (Tampa, Florida)

High school: H.B. Plant High School (Tampa, Florida)

Position: Wide receiver

College years: 2002-03

College highlights: AP All-American (2003), All-Pac-10 (2003), Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (2002)

NFL career: Detroit Lions (2005-06), Oakland Raiders (2007), Tennessee Titans (2007), Seattle Seahawks (2010-11)

Bottom line: Few wide receivers in college football history have dominated like USC’s Mike Williams in his short time with the Trojans.

As a freshman in 2002, Williams had 81 receptions for 1,265 yards and 14 touchdowns. He followed that up with 95 receptions for 1,314 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in 2003.

That’s when the wheels came off. Instead of playing in 2004, Williams took his case to court for leaving school one year earlier than allowed to enter the NFL draft. He lost the case and was vilified/ridiculed for his decision. Who knows what he could have done in that final season?

24. Carl Nassib, Penn State

Gene J. Puskar / AP Photo

Born: April 12, 1993 (West Chester, Pennsylvania)

High school: Malvern Preparatory School (Malvern, Pennsylvania)

Position: Defensive end

College years: 2013-15

College highlights: AP All-American (2015), Lombardi Award winner (2015), Hendricks Award winner (2015), Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2015), All-Big Ten (2015)

NFL career: Cleveland Browns (2016-17), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2018-19), Las Vegas Raiders (2020-22)

Bottom line: Carl Nassib started his career as a walk-on at Penn State in 2011 and didn’t even see the field in the first two years with the program and played sparingly as a redshirt sophomore — no doubt due to the “genius” of former head coach Bill O’Brien.

When Nassib, who is 6-foot-7 and 275 pounds, finally did get on the field under new head coach James Franklin after O’Brien left for the NFL, he was virtually unstoppable. Over his last two seasons, Nassib racked up 141 tackles, 21 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and an incredible 16 pass deflections.

As a senior in 2015, he was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

23. Chic Harley, Ohio State

Twitter / ShhhTAdelsberg

Born: Sept. 15, 1894 (Chicago, Illinois)

Died: April 21, 1974 (age 79, Danville, Illinois)

High school: East High School (Columbus, Ohio)

Position: Athlete

College years: 1916-17, 1919

College highlights: Three-time AP All-American (1916, 1917, 1919), three-time Big Ten champion (1916, 1917, 1919)

NFL career: Chicago Staleys (1921)

Bottom line: If you’re looking for players who set the standard for Ohio State’s powerhouse program, you came to the right place with Chic Harley.

Harley, at just 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, was the first consensus All-American in Ohio State history as well as the school’s first three-time All-American.

Harley did it all during his time with the Buckeyes. He starred at halfback and safety and was also the team’s punter and placekicker.

22. Martin Gramatica, Kansas State

Twitter / Stephen49090103

Born: Nov. 27, 1975 (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

High school: LaBelle High School (LaBelle, Florida)

Position: Kicker

College years: 1994-98

College highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1997, 1998), Lou Groza Award winner (1997), Super Bowl champion (2002), NFL All-Pro (2000), NFL All-Rookie Team (1999)

NFL career: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1999-2003), Indianapolis Colts (2004, 2006), Dallas Cowboys (2006, 2007), New Orleans Saints (2007, 2008)

Bottom line: Few teams in college football were as entertaining to watch in the 1990s as the Kansas State Wildcats, who turned themselves from being one of the worst teams in college football to one of the nation’s best.

Kansas State’s best team may have been its 1998 squad, which featured legendary players on offense, defense and special teams with Argentina’s Martin Gramatica, a fiery kicker who won the Lou Groza Award in 1997 and finished as runner-up in 1998 despite setting the NCAA record for points by a kicker, nailing a 65-yard field goal against Northern Illinois and going 69-for-69 on point-after attempts.

21. Todd Reesing, Kansas

Charlie Riedel / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 20, 1987 (Austin, Texas)

High school: Lake Travis High School (Austin, Texas)

Position: Quarterback

College years: 2006-09

College highlights: Two-time All-Big 12 (2007, 2008), two-time Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist (2007, 2008)

NFL career: None

Bottom line: The University of Kansas listed Todd Reesing at 5-foot-11, but that’s probably spotting him an inch or two.

Fortunately for Reesing, talent overcomes height on most occasions, and fans got a glimpse of that as a freshman, when he burned his redshirt year to rally the Jayhawks with three touchdowns in a 20-15 win over Colorado.

Reesing’s career took a weird turn in his final season. The Jayhawks started the season 5-0 before losing seven consecutive games to finish 5-7.

20. Chad Hennings, Air Force Academy

Twitter / knorris40

Born: Oct. 20, 1965 (Elberon, Iowa)

High school: Benton Community High School (Van Horne, Iowa)

Position: Defensive tackle

College years: 1984-87

College highlights: AP All-American (1987), two-time All-WAC (1986, 1987), Outland Trophy winner (1987), WAC Defensive Player of the Year (1987), UPI Lineman of the Year (1987), WAC Defensive Player of the Decade (1980s), Japan Bowl Most Valuable Player (1988), three-time Super Bowl champion (1992, 1993, 1995)

NFL career: Dallas Cowboys (1992-2000)

Bottom line: If you were going to build a defensive tackle from scratch, you might want to use Chad Hennings as a template — 6-foot-6, 290 pounds, out-of-his-mind athleticism.

Hennings dominated at the Air Force Academy in the mid-to-late 1980s, and was eventually named the WAC Defensive Player of the Decade for the 1980s. After his college career was over, Hennings served four years in the Air Force, where he was a pilot who flew missions in the Gulf War in 1991.

Hennings left the Air Force in 1992 and played nine seasons in the NFL, winning three Super Bowls with the Cowboys.

19. Anthony Thompson, Indiana

AP Photo

Born: April 8, 1967 (Terre Haute, Indiana)

High school: North Vigo High School (Terre Haute, Indiana)

Position: Running back

College years: 1986-89

College highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1988, 1989), Maxwell Award winner (1989), Walter Camp Award winner (1989), Heisman Trophy runner-up (1989), two-time Big Ten Most Valuable Player (1988, 1989), three-time All-Big Ten (1987-89)

NFL career: Phoenix Cardinals (1990-92), Los Angeles Rams (1992-93)

Bottom line: Indiana University running back Anthony Thompson was the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 1989, and his 65 career touchdowns were the NCAA career record until it was broken by Heisman Trophy winner and Texas running back Ricky Williams in 1998.

Thompson was also a two-time All-American and a two-time Big Ten Most Valuable Player. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

18. Rich Glover, Nebraska

Twitter / PickSixPreviews

Born: Feb. 6, 1950 (Bayonne, New Jersey)

High school: Snyder High School (Jersey City, New Jersey)

Position: Defensive tackle

College years: 1970-72

College highlights: Two-time national champion (1970, 1971), AP All-American (1972), Outland Trophy winner (1972), Lombardi Award winner (1972)

NFL career: New York Giants (1973), Philadelphia Eagles (1975)

Bottom line: Rich Glover was one of four University of Nebraska players to win the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top lineman.

He also was a three-year starter for the Cornhuskers and won consecutive national championships on back-to-back undefeated teams in 1970 and 1971. Those were some of the greatest “blackshirt” squads of all time.

The Cornhuskers retired Glover’s No. 79, one of just 16 numbers retired in school history. And he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995.

17. Jim McMahon, BYU

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Born: Aug. 21, 1959 (Jersey City, New Jersey)

High school: Roy High School (Roy, Utah)

Position: Quarterback

College years: 1977-78, 1980-81

College highlights: Two-time Holiday Bowl MVP (1980, 1981), two-time AP AP All-American (1980, 1981), Davey O’Brien Award (1981), two-time Super Bowl champion (1985, 1995), Pro Bowl (1985), NFC Rookie of the Year (1982)

NFL career: Chicago Bears (1982-88), San Diego Chargers (1989), Philadelphia Eagles (1990-92), Minnesota Vikings (1993), Arizona Cardinals (1994), Green Bay Packers (1995-96)

Bottom line: The punky quarterback known as Jim McMahon got his start at BYU, and it was a conservative start for one of the most controversial, hardest-partying players in football history.

BYU is where McMahon’s legend truly began to take hold because of his play on the field. McMahon was a two-time AP All-American and engineered one of the greatest comebacks in college football history when he led the Cougars to a win over SMU in the 1980 Holiday Bowl despite trailing 45-25 with just four minutes left in the game.

16. Lorenzo White, Michigan State

Lennox McLendon / AP Photo

Born: April 12, 1966 (Hollywood, Florida)

High school: Dillard High School (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

Position: Running back

College years: 1984-87

College highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1985, 1987), two-time Heisman Trophy finalist (1985, 1987), Big Ten Player of the Year (1987), Pro Bowl (1992)

NFL career: Houston Oilers (1988-94), Cleveland Browns (1995)

Bottom line: If you had the pleasure of watching Michigan State football in the mid-1980s, you had the pleasure of seeing running back Lorenzo White carry the rock.

The College Football Hall of Famer was a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and became the first Big Ten player in history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season in 1985.

White’s legacy doesn’t get as much shine because in his greatest season, in 1985, most of the spotlight was on another running back, Auburn’s Bo Jackson, who won the Heisman Trophy.

15. Jim Parker, Ohio State

Gene Smith / AP Photo

Born: April 3, 1934 (Macon, Georgia)

Died: July 18, 2005 (age 71, Columbia, Maryland)

High school: Scott High School (Toledo, Ohio)

Position: Offensive line

College years: 1954-56

College highlights: National champion (1954), AP All-American (1956), Outland Trophy winner (1956), two-time NFL champion (1958, 1959), 10-time NFL All-Pro (1957-66), eight-time Pro Bowl (1958-65), NFL 1950s All-Decade Team, NFL 75th Anniversary Team, NFL 100th Anniversary Team

NFL career: Baltimore Colts (1957-67)

Bottom line: Jim Parker was unusually big for his era at 6-foot-3 and 273 pounds, and was a two-way starter for Ohio State on the offensive and defensive line.

No player was more important on Woody Hayes’ early Ohio State teams than Parker, who busted open holes for Heisman Trophy winner Hopalong Cassaday in 1955 as part of Hayes’ “three yards and a cloud of dust” theory, and won a national championship with the Buckeyes’ in 1954.

Parker didn’t just win in college either. He was a two-time NFL champion with the Baltimore Colts and inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame.

14. Eric Bieniemy, Colorado

Todd Eddick / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 15, 1969 (New Orleans, Louisiana)

High school: Bishop Amat Memorial High School (La Puente, California)

Position: Running back

College years: 1987-90

College highlights: National champion (1990), AP All-American (1990), Heisman Trophy finalist (1990)

NFL career: San Diego Chargers (1991-94), Cincinnati Bengals (1995-98), Philadelphia Eagles (1999)

Bottom line: Eric Bieniemy was a unique dynamo at running back for the great University of Colorado teams under Bill McCartney in the late 1980s and one of the centerpieces of the national championship team in 1990.

Standing just 5-foot-7, Bieniemy capped his career with the national title — the only in Colorado history — and was named Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year. He also was the only active player on the Buffaloes’ roster (a junior at the time) named to the school’s All-Century Team.

Bieniemy is currently the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, where he won a Super Bowl following the 2019 season and made it back to the Super Bowl in 2020.

13. Willie Roaf, Louisiana Tech

Twitter / Stephen49090103

Born: April 18, 1970 (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)

High school: Pine Bluff High School (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)

Position: Offensive tackle

College years: 1989-92

College highlights: AP All-American (1992), three-time NFL All-Pro (1997, 2000, 2002), 11-time Pro Bowl (1994-2000, 2002-05), NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, NFL 2000s All-Decade Team

NFL career: New Orleans Saints (1993-2001), Kansas City Chiefs (2002-05)

Bottom line: Willie Roaf spent his high school career in relative anonymity playing at Pine Bluff (Ark.) High School and received so little attention from college football recruiters that he considered playing college basketball instead.

Thankfully for football fans all over the world, Roaf stuck with football and became a star at Louisiana Tech, where he was an All-American in 1992 and elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

Roaf was just as good in the NFL, where he played 13 seasons, was named to 11 Pro Bowl squads and inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

12. Joe Klecko, Temple

Twitter / TempleUniv

Born: Oct. 15, 1953 (Chester, Pennsylvania)

High school: St. James High School for Boys (Chester, Pennsylvania)

Position: Defensive lineman

College years: 1973-76

College highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1975, 1976), two-time All-ECAC (1975, 1976), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1981), two-time NFL All-Pro (1981, 1985), four-time Pro Bowl (1981-85)

NFL career: New York Jets (1977-87), Indianapolis Colts (1988)

Bottom line: Joe Klecko let Temple fans know they had something special during his freshman season in 1973, when he racked up five sacks and 15 tackles in a win over Delaware.

Klecko was a rare breed. Called “Ox Strong and Cat Quick” by The New York Times, he made money on the side in high school playing under an assumed name on a semi-pro football team and was a two-time NCAA heavyweight boxing champion.

Klecko’s son, Dan Klecko, also played for Temple and was a great defensive lineman in his own right, earning Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors and winning three Super Bowls (two with the Patriots and one with the Colts) in just five NFL seasons.

11. Hunter Renfrow, Clemson

John Bazemore / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 21, 1995 (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina)

High school: Socastee High School (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina)

Position: Wide receiver

College years: 2015-18

College highlights: Two-time College Football Playoff national champion (2017, 2019), two-time All-ACC (2017, 2018)

NFL career: Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2019-present)

Bottom line: Hunter Renfrow was on one end of the greatest play in Clemson history — the game-winning touchdown pass from Deshaun Watson to beat Alabama with one second left in the 2017 College Football Playoff national championship game.

Renfrow, a former walk-on, was much more than just that one catch to the Tigers. He ended his career as a two-time All-ACC selection and won another national championship as a senior.

Renfrow beat the odds once again in the NFL, where he’s in his third season with the Las Vegas Raiders after they made him a fifth-round pick in 2019.

10. Rob Waldrop, Arizona

Twitter / Stephen49090103

Born: Dec. 1, 1971 (Atlanta, Georgia)

High school: Horizon High School (Scottsdale, Arizona)

Position: Defensive tackle

College years: 1990-93

College highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1992, 1993), Outland Trophy winner (1993), Nagurski Trophy winner (1993), UPI Lineman of the Year (1993), Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year (1993), two-time CFL All-Star (1996, 1997), two-time Grey Cup champion (1996, 1997)

NFL career: Kansas City Chiefs (1994)

Bottom line: There’s nothing we love more than an undersized defensive lineman, and few players in college football history fit that role better than University of Arizona star Rob Waldrop.

The Scottsdale, Arizona, native played at just 6-foot-1 and around 260-270 pounds but dominated offensive linemen throughout his career, capping things off by winning both the Outland Trophy and Nagurski Trophy in 1993, effectively making him the best defensive player in college football that year.

Waldrop’s size kept him out of the NFL except for just one season, but he became a star in the Canadian Football League, where he won back-to-back Grey Cups with the Toronto Argonauts in 1996 and 1997.

9. Arthur Brown, Kansas State

Jeff Tuttle / AP Photo

Born: June 17, 1990 (Wichita, Kansas)

High school: Wichita East High School (Wichita, Kansas)

Position: Linebacker

College years: 2008-12

College highlights: AP All-American (2012), Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (2012), two-time All-Big 12 (2011, 2012), Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year (2011)

NFL career: Baltimore Ravens (2013-15), Jacksonville Jaguars (2016), New York Jets (2016)

Bottom line: If you’re trying to pick a Big 12 Defensive Player of the Decade for the 2010s, we’d like to nominate Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown.

Brown actually played the first two seasons of his college career going nowhere at the University of Miami, where the program was going off a cliff during the Nevin Shapiro scandal. After he transferred home to play for Kansas State and head coach Bill Snyder, Brown was sublime.

In his junior year, Brown led the Wildcats to the Cotton Bowl and a 10-2 record. As a senior in 2012, Brown led his team to a Big 12 championship, within one game of playing for the BCS national championships and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl.

8. Howard Twilley, Tulsa

AP Photo

Born: Dec. 25, 1943 (Houston, Texas)

High school: Galena Park High School (Galena Park, Texas)

Position: Running back

College years: 1963-65

College highlights: AP All-American (1965), two-time Super Bowl champion (1972, 1973)

NFL career: Miami Dolphins (1966-76)

Bottom line: It’s crazy to think of what University of Tulsa wide receiver Howard Twilley did in the mid-1960s, when he set the NCAA single-season records with 1,779 receiving yards and 134 receptions in 1965.

The biggest testament to Twilley’s out-of-his-era stats was how long the records stood. Nevada’s Alex Van Dyke broke his receiving yards mark in 1995, and Houston’s Manny Hazard broke his receptions record in 1989.

Twilley went on to win two Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins, including their unbeaten season in 1972, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

7. Michael Turner, Northern Illinois

Twitter / CrowHopSports

Born: Feb. 13, 1982 (North Chicago, Illinois)

High school: North Chicago Community High School (North Chicago, Illinois)

Position: Running back

College years: 2000-03

College highlights: AP All-American (2003), four-time All-MAC (2000-03), two-time NFL All-Pro (2008, 2010), two-time Pro Bowl (2008, 2010)

NFL career: San Diego Chargers (2004-07), Atlanta Falcons (2008-12)

Bottom line: Michael Turner finished second in the NCAA in rushing in each of his last two seasons and was just 17 yards short of having three out of his four college seasons go over the 1,000-yard rushing mark. He had 983 rushing yards as a freshman.

Turner was an absolute load to try and tackle. At 5-foot-10 and 240 pounds, he also clocked in at a 4.49-second 40-yard dash. That means it was gonna really, really hurt to try and bring him down.

In the NFL, he was a two-time All-Pro for the Atlanta Falcons and still holds the franchise record with 60 rushing touchdowns.

6. Teddy Lehman, Oklahoma

Twitter / JimMWeber

Born: Nov. 18, 1981 (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

High school: Fort Gibson High School (Fort Gibson, Oklahoma)

Position: Linebacker

College years: 2000-03

College highlights: National champion (2000), two-time AP All-American (2002, 2003), Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (2003), Butkus Award winner (2003), two-time All-Big 12 (2002, 2003), Bednarik Award winner (2003)

NFL career: Detroit Lions (2004-07), Jacksonville Jaguars (2010)

Bottom line: Perhaps the greatest linebacker in Oklahoma history was a native son. Teddy Lehman won a national championship as a freshman and ended up a two-time All-American and Butkus Award winner.

The Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, native, was there for some of the most memorable moments in Sooner history. He returned an interception to beat Texas in the Red River Rivalry as a sophomore in 2001, came up with the key sack in the Rose Bowl to beat Washington State as a junior and led his team to the Sugar Bowl as a senior.

5. Troy Davis, Iowa State

Twitter / JimMWeber

Born: Sept. 14, 1975 (Miami, Florida)

High school: Miami Southridge High School (Miami, Florida)

Position: Running back

College years: 1994-96

College highlights: Two-time AP All-American (1995, 1996), Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year (1996), two-time All-Big 12/All-Big 8 (1995, 1996), two-time Heisman Trophy finalist (1995, 1996)

NFL career: New Orleans Saints (1997-99)

Bottom line: Troy Davis came from the football hotbed of South Florida, where he became the first player in Dade County history to rush for over 2,000 yards as a senior at Miami Southridge High.

Davis, just 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds, turned his back on offers from Florida and Florida State and headed to the Big 12, where he flourished in his final two seasons under new head coach Dan McCarney.

Davis rushed for over 2,000 yards in both 1995 and 1996 and scored all 36 of his career rushing touchdowns over those two seasons. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist both years and was the runner-up to Florida’s Danny Wuerffel in 1996.

4. Josh Cribbs, Kent State

Twitter / spicycrawdad

Born: June 9, 1983 (Washington, D.C.)

High school: Dunbar High School (Washington, D.C.)

Position: Quarterback

College years: 2001-04

College highlights: Two-time NFL All-Pro (2007, 2009), three-time Pro Bowl (2007, 2009, 2012), NFL Special Teams Player of the Year (2009), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team

NFL career: Cleveland Browns (2005-12), New York Jets (2013), Indianapolis Colts (2014)

Bottom line: Josh Cribbs wasted little time establishing his legacy at Kent State, where he became one of two quarterbacks in NCAA history to both rush and pass for over 1,000 yards as a freshman.

Cribbs continued his onslaught on the record books for the entirety of his career and became the only player in NCAA history to lead his team in rushing and passing for four years. He also is one of only four quarterbacks in NCAA history to rush for over 3,500 yards and pass for over 7,000 yards in his career.

While Cribbs went undrafted, he went on to become one of the greatest special teams players in NFL history.

3. Aqib Talib, Kansas

J. Pat Carter / AP Photo

Born: Feb 13, 1986 (Cleveland, Ohio)

High school: Berkner High School (Richardson, Texas)

Position: Cornerback

College years: 2005-07

College highlights: AP All-American (2007), two-time All-Big 12 (2006, 2007), Super Bowl champion (2014), two-time NFL All-Pro (2013, 2016), five-time Pro Bowl (2013-17)

NFL career: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2008-12), New England Patriots (2012-13), Denver Broncos (2014-17), Los Angeles Rams (2018-19), Miami Dolphins (2019)

Bottom line: If you know anything about college football, you know about the abject failure that is the University of Kansas football program. But for a brief shining moment in the late 2000s, the Jayhawks were as good as anyone in college football. And their best player was cornerback Aqib Talib.

Talib only played three seasons for Kansas and capped his career as a consensus All-American, leading his team to an Orange Bowl victory, where he was named the game’s Most Valuable Player in a win over Virginia Tech.

Few college cornerbacks could play at Talib’s level. Ever.

2. Barrett Jones, Alabama

Dave Martin / AP Photo

Born: May 25, 1990 (Memphis, Tennessee)

High school: Evangelical Christian School (Cordova, Tennessee)

Position: Offensive line

College years: 2008-12

College highlights: Three-time BCS national champion (2010, 2012, 2013), Outland Trophy winner (2011), two-time All-SEC (2011, 2012), two-time AP All-American (2011, 2012), Rimington Trophy winner (2012)

NFL career: St. Louis Rams (2013-14), Philadelphia Eagles (2015)

Bottom line: Barrett Jones wasn’t just an offensive lineman for the University of Alabama. The dude was a force of nature.

Jones played almost every position on the offensive line for the Crimson Tide and was one of the building blocks for head coach Nick Saban’s dynasty — a key part of Saban’s first three national championship teams at Alabama.

The next time you hear someone talking about playing through injury, make sure to mention Jones. He played the final game of his college career in the 2013 BCS national championship game with two torn ligaments in his foot and dominated Notre Dame All-American defensive lineman Louis Nix.

1. Tommie Frazier, Nebraska

Cliff Schiappa / AP Photo

Born: July 16, 1974 (Bradenton, Florida)

High school: Manatee High School (Bradenton, Florida)

Position: Quarterback

College years: 1992-95

College highlights: Two-time national champion (1994, 1995), Heisman Trophy runner-up (1995), Orange Bowl MVP (1994), two-time Fiesta Bowl MVP (1995, 1996), AP AP All-American (1995)

NFL career: None

Bottom line: Few players in college football history won on the level Tommie Frazier did. As a three-year starter for Nebraska, he led the Huskers to a national runner-up finish his first season and back-to-back national titles in his last two years.

His 75-yard touchdown run against Florida in his final game is considered one of the greatest college football plays of all time.

He finished his college career with a 33-3 record at Nebraska. Health issues (blood clots, a side effect of Crohn’s disease) prevented him from getting a shot in the NFL, and he had a short-lived CFL career.