The NFL Draft can be the first step to professional glory. Who are some of the players to go from college to appear in the championship game? A look at random NFLers from each of the 50 states.
Alabama: Bart Starr
Bart Starr went to Alabama, was drafted way late, and still found his way to two Super Bowl victories and the Hall of Fame
Alaska
Take your pick, both the Broncos’ Mark Schelerth and Packers’ Daryn Colledge were offensive linemen with roots in Alaska who earned Super Bowl rings.
Arizona: Nick Foles
Nick Foles wound up at Arizona after a stop at Michigan State and earned a Super Bowl ring with the Eagles.
Arkansas: Steve Atwater
Arkansas’ career leader with 14 interceptions, Steve Atwater was a part of Denver’s back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998. He had a sack against the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII and seven tackles against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII.
California: John Elway
You could choose from many players with ties to California, but we will go with John Elway, who started at Stanford and wound up in Denver via Baltimore en route to a couple rings and the Hall of Fame.
Connecticut: Anthony Sherman
Anthony Sherman played college ball for UConn and was a member of the Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs team in 2020. The fullback has been in the league since 2011 with a grand total of 25 carries for 65 yards. Being a great blocker pays dividends.
Delaware: Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco started college at Pittsburgh, transferred to Delaware and found his way to the first round with the Baltimore Ravens. The Blue Hen got a Super Bowl ring for Baltimore.
Florida: Emmitt Smith
The NFL’s all-time leading rusher, Emmitt Smith, was Gator before going on to greater success with the Dallas Cowboys. Plenty to choose from in the Sunshine State but Smith is royalty.
Georgia: Hines Ward
Hines Ward was a Dawg in Athens before going on to a proud career as a Pittsburgh Steeler.
Hawaii: Jesse Sapolu
Jesse Sapolu was an 11th-round pick out of Hawaii by the San Francisco 49ers. He spent his entire career as an offensive lineman for SF and won four Super Bowls.
Idaho: Korey Hall
Chosen by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round out of Boise State in 2007, Korey Hall was with the Pack when they won Super Bowl XLV
Indiana: Joe Montana
A legend from Notre Dame, Joe Montana carved out a glorious career after being a third-round pick by the 49ers.
Iowa: Ed Podolak
Ed Podolak played college ball at Iowa. The versatile running back gained fame for his performance in a loss to the Miami Dolphins in the playoffs. He also was part of the Super Bowl IV winners.
Kansas: John Riggins
John Riggins was drafted by the Jets out of Kansas. He went on to his greatest NFL success in Washington. Riggins was MVP of the Super Bowl XVII champs.
Kentucky: Danny Trevathan
Danny Trevathan came to the Broncos as an eighth-round pick in 2012. The current Chicago Bear LB was on Denver when it won Super Bowl 50.
Louisiana: Terry Bradshaw
The No. 1 overall pick from Louisiana Tech, all Terry Bradshaw did was win four Super Bowls with the Steelers.
Maine: Mike Flynn
The undrafted free agent from Maine went on to a career with the Baltimore Ravens that saw him play 10 years, make 115 starts on the offensive line and take part in the Super Bowl XXXV championship.
Maryland: Randy White
Randy White came to the Cowboys from Maryland and went on to the Hall of Fame. The great defensive lineman was co-MVP in Super Bowl XII on the Cowboys’ title team.
Massachusetts: Bill Romanowski
Bill Romanowski was a collegian at Boston College. He played linebacker in the NFL for four teams and was a four-time Super Bowl champ.
Michigan: Desmond Howard
Minnesota: Bobby Bell
Bobby Bell was an elite player at Minnesota before signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. The College and Pro Football Hall of Famer was part of the Super Bowl IV Kansas City team that stunned the Vikings.
Mississippi: Eli Manning
Eli Manning went from Ole Miss to San Diego to the New York Giants, where he became a two-time Super Bowl champ.
Missouri: Mike Jones
Mike Jones was a Missouri Tiger in college and went on to become a St. Louis Ram, who made the tackle in the Super Bowl that kept Kevin Dyson out of the end zone in XXXIV.
Montana: Jan Stenerud
One of the best legs in football history, Jan Stenerud went from Montana State as a “Red Shirt” Pick in the 1966 AFL draft to fame with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was the kicker on the Super Bowl IV champs.
Nebraska: Roger Craig
Roger Craig played on great teams in college at Nebraska and was a critical part of the San Francisco 49ers’ dynasty that saw him earn a trio of Super Bowl rings.
Nevada: Charles Mann
Charles Mann played college ball at Nevada. The defensive end was on four teams that reached Super Bowls, including two title winners with the Redskins (1988 and 1992) and one with the 49ers (1995).
New Hampshire: Corey Graham
Corey Graham was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft out of New Hampshire. Graham is a one-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl champion.
New Jersey: Devin McCourty
Devin McCourty and twin brother Jason are the pride of Rutgers University. Devin has won three Super Bowls while spending his entire career with the New England Patriots. Devin was a first-round pick in 2010.
New Mexico: Roy Gerela
Roy Gerela arrived in the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Steelers out of New Mexico State. He was the kicker on Super Bowl-winning teams of 1974, ’75, and ’78,
New York: Kevin Boothe
Kevin Boothe was drafted in the sixth round (176th overall) out of Cornell University by the Oakland Raiders in the 2006 NFL Draft. He also played for the New York Giants, winning two Super Bowls with the team, both against the New England Patriots.
North Carolina: Lawrence Taylor
The legendary Lawrence Taylor was the second pick of the draft out of North Carolina and went on to terrorize offenses for years with the Giants.
North Dakota: Tyrone Braxton
Tyrone Braxton played for the Denver Broncos for most of his career from 1987-99 after being a 12th-round selection out of North Dakota State. Braxton played in four Super Bowls with the Broncos, and won two championship rings in Super Bowl XXXII and Super Bowl XXXIII.
Ohio: Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes went from Ohio State to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The wideout made the great catch in Super Bowl MVP to win the game for Pittsburgh over Arizona and he was named MVP of XLIII.
Oklahoma: Lane Johnson
Lane Johnson went from Oklahoma to the Philadelphia Eagles as a first-round choice in 2013. He earned a ring as the Eagles won Super Bowl LII.
Oregon: LeGarrette Blount
LeGarrett Blount played college ball for Oregon. He was undrafted out of college and still became a star NFL running back, winning three Super Bowls.
Pennsylvania: Franco Harris
Franco Harris starred at Penn State and stayed in the Keystone State when drafted by the Steelers in the first round in 1972. Harris made the Immaculate reception and was a four-time Super Bowl champ.
Rhode Island: Steve Furness
Steve Furness was plucked from URI by the Steelers in the fifth round of 1972’s draft. The defensive lineman left the NFL with a quartet of Super Bowl rings.
South Carolina: George Rogers
George Rogers was a No. 1 overall pick by the Saints out of South Carolina. He had to wait until finding a spot with Washington earn his Super Bowl ring.
South Dakota: Adam Vinatieri
Tennessee: Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning had a glorious college career at Tennessee and had an incredible NFL run. Two Super Bowls, numerous MVP awards and many other honors for the No. 1 pick of the Indianapolis Colts.
Texas: Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes went from 10th overall pick out of Texas Tech to the Kansas City Chiefs. In his second season as a starter, Mahomes became Super Bowl MVP, leading the Chiefs to their first title in 50 years.
Utah: Steve Young
It took a while for Steve Young to get to the 49ers. He played college ball at BYU, went to the USFL and struggled with the Bucs before going to the Niners and multiple Super Bowl wins.
Vermont: Scott Curtis
The state of Vermont is not known for producing NFL talent. Scott Curtis was from Burlington, Vt, played college ball at New Hampshire. Despite being an undrafted free agent, Curtis made an impact immediately, playing in all 16 games as a rookie. After one season in Philadelphia, Curtis moved on to Denver. In his first season with the Broncos, Curtis once again played in every game and was a special teams captain for the club that lost Super Bowl XXIV.
Virginia: Ronde Barber
Ronde Barber, half of the Barber twins with Tiki, played college ball at Virginia and then moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The defensive back was a third-round pick in 1997 and earned a ring in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Washington: Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe came out of Washington State to the New England Patriots as the No. 1 overall pick. He didn’t start when earning his Super Bowl ring, having been displaced by one Tom Brady.
West Virginia: Jeff Hostetler
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Jeff Hostetler started his college career at Penn State before transferring to West Virginia. He had success as a Mountaineer and was drafted by the New York Giants. When Phil Simms was injured. Hostetler took over and led the Giants to glory in Super Bowl XXV. He also earned a ring in Super Bowl XXI.
Wisconsin: Mike Webster
Mike Webster came to the Pittsburgh Steelers after a college career at Wisconsin. The fifth-round selection in 1974 was part of a quartet of Super Bowl winners with the Steelers.
Wyoming: Jay Novacek
Tight end Jay Novacek went from being a Wyoming Cowboy to an Arizona Cardinal to becoming a Dallas Cowboy. Novacek was a three-time Super Bowl champ.
