They may not come from big-time schools in major NCAA conferences, but their NFL contributions cannot go unnoticed. Productive players from small schools are proof-positive of the old adage, "If you can play, the NFL will find you."
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver-kick returner Jacoby Jones, who was drafted in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans, is a good example. The Lane College product led the NFL with three total kickoff-return touchdowns in 2012 and was named to his first Pro Bowl.
"I was a late bloomer," says Jones, who registered a 108-yard kickoff-return touchdown in Super Bowl XLVII, the longest KR-TD in NFL postseason history. "I had no scholarships out of high school. I was always the guy who was overlooked. I walked on at Lane, and I just took off. I was determined."
Here's some of the most productive and high-profile small-school stars in the NFL today:
| Player, Team | College | Career Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Source: NFL | ||
| DE Jared Allen, Vikings | Idaho State | Five-time All-Star; has six consecutive 10-sack seasons |
| WR Miles Austin, Cowboys | Monmouth | Two-time All-Star; had 1,000 receiving yards in 2009 and 2010 |
| WR Victor Cruz, New York Giants | Massachusetts | Set Giants season record with 1,536 receiving yards in 2011 |
| WR Marques Colston, Saints | Hofstra | Only Saint to record six career 1,000-yard seasons |
| LB Zak DeOssie, New York Giants | Brown | Two-time All-Star as long snapper |
| G Jahri Evans, Saints | Bloomsburg | Four-time All-Star; has started all 112 career games |
| WR Pierre Garcon, Washington | Mount Union | Led team in receiving yards (633) last season |
| FB Jerome Felton, Vikings | Furman | Named to 2013 Pro Bowl |
| CB Cortland Finnegan, Rams | Samford | Named to 2009 Pro Bowl; 16 interceptions from 2008-12 |
| QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Titans | Harvard | Passed for 3,000 yards in each of past three seasons with the Bills |
| QB Joe Flacco, Ravens | Delaware | Super Bowl XLVII MVP; has club record 102 career TD passes |
| LB London Fletcher, Washington | John Carroll | Played in 240 consecutive games, longest active streak in NFL |
| RB Chris Ivory, New York Jets | Tiffin | Rushed for 1,307 yards & eight TDs in 24 games with Saints |
| WR Vincent Jackson, Bucanneers | Northern Colorado | Three-time All-Star; had career-high 1,384 rec. yards last year |
| WR Jacoby Jones, Ravens | Lane | Named to 2013 Pro Bowl; had three 105+ yard KR-TDs in 2012 |
| FB John Kuhn, Packers | Shippensburg | Named to 2012 Pro Bowl |
| DE Robert Mathis, Colts | Alabama A&M | Four-time All-Star; has 91.5 career sacks |
| CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Broncos | Tennessee State | Named to 2010 Pro Bowl; has 16 career INTs in five seasons |
| QB Tony Romo, Cowboys | Eastern Illinois | Three-time All-Star; has four 4,000-yard seasons |
| T Michael Roos, Titans | Eastern Washington | Named to 2009 Pro Bowl; has started 127 career games |
| K Adam Vinatieri, Colts | South Dakota State | Two-time All-Star; has four Super Bowl victories |
| WR Nate Washington, Titans | Tiffin | Led Titans in receiving yards in each of past two seasons |
| CB Lardarius Webb, Ravens | Nicholls State | Registered team-high five interceptions in 2011 |
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High-Profile Small-School Stars in the NFL Today