best usc football players ever

9. He was a four-year starter in college and for a half-dozen more in the pros. 10. He started 24 games in three years, compiling 7,433 passing yards and 59 touchdowns. The 2005 USC team is one of the best offenses ever assembled at the college level. The future All-Pro tight end was born in the city of Powell, Wyoming. In 1964, Brown won an NFL championship in Cleveland. He was a two-time All-American, the Big Ten MVP in 1963, and a Heisman Trophy finalist in 1964. The Trojans won 34 straight games and two national titles during Bush’s sensational three-year career at USC. Only the true greats excelled at the college and pro levels, so these rankings reflect a combination of both. In the pros, the three-time Pro Bowler turned in one of the best rookie performances ever with a league-high 10 interceptions and two fumble recoveries with the Bears. (It was a joke that he finished a close second to Bruins quarterback Gary Beban in the Heisman Trophy race that year, or else he would have been the first back-to-back winner.). usc + 3 Tags. As a senior, he broke his own Division I-AA records for receptions (112), receiving yards (1,845) and touchdown receptions (27) in a single season. This list may not reflect recent changes . As if that wasn’t enough, he was a stickler for details and took film study to another level. In this lively history of Southern California football, Steven Travers makes the case that under coach Pete Carroll (54-10), the Trojans have overtaken Notre Dame as the greatest ever collegiate tradition. But as good as Lawrence Phillips, Roger Craig and Ahman Green were, no one was as special as Rozier. Rodgers is Nebraska’s all-time leader with 1,515 punt return yards. The first and only two-time Heisman Trophy winner was born in Columbus, Ohio — in the Ohio State campus hospital. Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, Plummer was a standout quarterback and punter at Capital High School before he went on to star at Arizona State in the mid-90s. Ohio State's offense is peaking at the perfect time, heading into The Game next Saturday at Michigan, RJ Young writes. America’s “other” unbeaten college football team is enjoying what feels like a dream, Martin Rogers writes. He totaled 96 catches for 1,255 yards and 11 touchdowns. Bottom line: He owns the team record for biggest hair in a season and career. Found inside – Page 25Football was not the only sport being played better in California than anyplace else. The state (and USC) was producing the best track stars and baseball players, as well as swimmers and tennis stars. The Rissman rating system awarded ... Elway was also a star on the baseball diamond, good enough to be selected by the New York Yankees in the second round of the 1981 MLB Draft. In the 1980s, Lott was either an All-American or All-Pro seven times, and his team won everything four times. Found inside – Page 450By sending good messages about right and Congressional Gold Medal to wrong behavior and by volunteering in their Dorothy Height community , the USC football team makes a March 24 , 2004 trip to the USC Children's Hospital every year to ... The USC Trojans football program represent University of Southern California in the sport of American football.The Trojans compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the South Division of the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12).. Picks by College: USC. Today, Princeton claims a record 28 national championships in football — 15 of which are officially recognized by the NCAA — all . He compiled a 39-5 record as a starter and threw for 11,201 yards and 89 touchdowns during his time as a Volunteer. Bottom line: On third-and-short, gimme some "Sam Bam," the 226-pound bruiser whose trademark over-the-top move was the scourge of defenses everywhere. Seau starred in football, basketball and track at Oceanside and developed into the 1989 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year at USC. NFL teams: Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams. Bottom line: Tight ends were blockers first and second in the John McKay days. Found inside – Page 119511 ) : Whereas the USC football team went 12-1 overall , its best record since 1978 ; Whereas the USC football team won its second consecutive Pac - 10 title ; Whereas five USC football players were selected as first team All ... If there is one player who absolutely must be part of a homegrown Chargers roster, it's Seau, the former Oceanside High and USC standout who became a franchise legend in San Diego. Harris was a consensus All-American during that season and went on to be a first-round pick of the Chicago Bears in the 1979 NFL Draft. He still holds Division I-AA records for most games with a touchdown catch in a season (11), most receiving yards by a freshman in a season (1,073), and most TD catches by a freshman in a season (19). Duncan, who played at Vanderbilt from 1994 to 1997, was a two-time All-American and the 1997 SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Lame-brained feedback is encouraged, but profanity is strictly prohibited. Quite simply, there's only one Cam Newton. ", NCAA stats: 32 G, 10.8 RUN-PASS TOUCHES/G, 6.3 RUN-PASS YDS/TOUCH, 1.0 TD/G, NFL teams: Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears, NFL statistics/game: 123 G, 9.6 RUN-PASS TOUCHES/G, 5.2 RUN-PASS YDS/TOUCH/0.3 TD/G. Accolades. It's tough to pick just one player when naming the . Little is a member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is one of only two players in NCAA football history to start in four Rose Bowl games. 6-1. Found inside – Page 16A new mascot was introduced by USC in the form ofa white female rat named “May,” who the players felt was responsible for their good luck against Utah.5 (N) Nov. 24—Mare Island—0–34 The Mare Island team was considered one ofthe best ... But as we arrive at the Final Four, we have lost two of the top four seeds. Then O.J. Would his career have turned out much differently had he signed with the hometown Rams instead of the Chiefs in the other league? 18. became the first NFL player to rush for 2,000-plus yards in one season. If there is one player who absolutely must be part of a homegrown Chargers roster, it's Seau, the former Oceanside High and USC standout who became a franchise legend in San Diego. Jackson finished his career at Auburn with 4,575 all-purpose yards and 45 total touchdowns, while also averaging 6.6 yards-per-carry. He was a three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, a three-time All-American, and a two-time Big Ten Most Valuable Player. Then, there was the greatest achievement of all — he somehow survived 13 years with Howard Cosell in the "Monday Night Football" booth. NCAA stats: 24 G, 1 INT, FR N/A, SACKS N/A, 0 TD, NFL teams: San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, NFL stats: 268 G, 18 FR, 18 INT, 18 FR, 56.5 SACKS, 1 TD. Renowned for his leaping and catching ability, Jones is considered one of the greatest receivers ever and the best wide receiver of the current generation. Bottom line: As great an athlete as the dual Hall of Famer was over 14 seasons, Ronnie Lott was every bit the leader. Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart are among the best USC football players ever and the former teammates make up half of the Trojans modern-era Mount Rushmore. He was an exceptional pass and run blocker, paving the way for back-to-back 1,500-yard rushers during his junior and senior years. In the bottom half of the bracket, you have Carroll's 2003 national champs emerging as the No. No Trojans player at any position was an NFL starter for more seasons (19) and none made more Pro Bowl appearances (13) than Bruce Matthews. It's Final Four time in our 16-team bracket to determine the best USC football team of all time. In three years at BYU, Young threw for 7,773 yards and 56 touchdowns. He went on to lead the Longhorns to a memorable 41-38 victory over USC in the Rose Bowl that year, giving Texas its first national title in 35 years. One of The U's signature players of the 1980s, Vinny Testaverde went 23-3 as a starter, per the College Football Hall of Fame, and, in 1986, won Miami's first-ever Heisman Trophy. Fitzgerald’s collegiate career can be summed up by one word — explosive. He departed Vanderbilt with 425 career tackles, and his total of 152 in 1996 is the sixth-highest single-season mark ever by a Commodores player. Â. USC has the most NFL draftees (), first-round NFL draft picks (), No. He was a standout defensive back at USC, where he was a consensus All-American and helped lead the Trojans to a 12-1 record and a share of the national title in 1978. Found inside – Page 192... rushing for 444 yards on 60 carries (good for fourth in the nFL) and logging a 92-yard touchdown run, ... The Helms Athletic Foundation named him and Usc star Morley Drury the greatest football players in Los Angeles history .128 ... Found inside – Page 77The team simply stopped playing; USC was scoring at will against a defense that was ranked the best in the nation ... argued that Notre Dame's football team had been experiencing racial tension ever since several black players had been ... Bottom line: "The toughest man I ever knew," coach John Robinson said of the top ground-gainer in team history. You know that Auburn team finished 14-0 and won the national title. McCaffrey had an incredible three-year career at Stanford, which included being named the two-time Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, a consensus All-American and the AP College Football Player of the Year (2015). Moss went on to be named a consensus All-American in 1997, while taking home the Fred Biletnikoff Award and finishing fourth in the Heisman voting. NFL teams: Houston/Tennessee Oilers-Titans. The time has come for the PFF College 50, where we highlight the 50 best players in college football.. Just as it is for the NFL PFF50, the PFF College 50 is a product of evaluating every player on every play of each season to produce an unrivaled database of stats, grades and information.This list is not about how valuable players are but rather about how good they are, regardless of position. USC had six games in 1972 in which it gave up seven points or fewer. The former Beavers standout carried the ball 734 times for 3,625 yards and 39 touchdowns during his three years at Oregon State. This was an absolutely shocking video to watch. The best player in college football history is a very debatable topic. The 2004 team as the second seed marched on in an all-Carroll matchup against the defensive-minded 2008 club in a 170-28 walkover pulling in 85.9 percent of the vote to 14.1 for the 2008 team. This was the crown jewel, a shutout of Fouts and the Oregon offense. On the left side of the bracket, you have the No. He was the runner-up in his senior year after totaling 1,506 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns.Â, Leaf, who was born and raised in Great Falls, Montana, starred at Washington State from 1995 to 1997. College Football CB Aaron Beasley (1996-2001) While Tom . Found insideBut the best was saved for the last. The 1972 USC football team is still believed to be the finest collegiate gridiron squad ever assembled. Such luminaries as Dan Jenkins, Keith Jackson, and Lee Corso are a few of the experts who agree ... The three-year starter had such range, instincts and desire for contact, defensive coordinator Bill Young created a hybrid linebacker-safety position to enhance his value. He has won the Ballon D'Or, the annual award given to the best player in the world, 6 times and an Olympic gold medal winner in 2008. Since we originally published this article in 2016, college football has changed quite a bit. His No. The 10 Best LSU Football Players Ever, Ranked; The 10 Best LSU Football Players Ever, Ranked John Duffley, October 1, 2021 12:14 pm. Yowza. Desmond Howard WR/KR, Michigan, 1989-91. Suggs was an All-American three times while at ASU, including as a unanimous pick in 2002, the year he broke the NCAA's single-season sack record . But he chose football. USC has themselves a pretty good team this year, so Trigg could find himself in some important positions come fall. He set a school record with 2,015 yards of total offense in his final season before declaring for the NFL Draft. NFL teams: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins. Kinnick was a standout at the University of Iowa in the late 1930s. This is a new twist on the age-old debates about which states and cities produce the best football talent. Found inside – Page 165Budka was still recovering from a leg broken in the 1962 USC game , so Szot started against Wisconsin . ... Devore recruited one of the best classes of football players ever at Notre Dame , a Bill Pfeiffer , defensive specialist in 1963 ... 25. NCAA stats: 35 G, 2.7 PASS REC/G, 16.3 YDS/REC, 0.3 TD/G, NFL stats: 116 G, 2.9 PASS REC/G, 16.3 YDS/REC, 0.4 TD/G, Super Bowl championships: 1974-75, 1978-79. Chances are you have probably heard or possibly even taken part in a heated debate about which states produce the best college football talent. Bottom lineman: Here’s the savviest, most versatile, most durable USC lineman of them all. Walker's pro football stock was so high, that his family took out a $1 million insurance policy that year, believed to be the first-ever issued to a college football player. A three-year starter from 1976 to 1978, Harris was a force on the defensive line. Bottom line: Here’s the guy who put Southern Cal tailbacks on the map, the first in its long line of Heisman Trophy winners at the position. Sedrick Ellis. Several members of that top 10 are connected by a common thread. Coming out of Putnam City North High in Oklahoma City, Bradford could have played hockey, basketball and golf on scholarship. And he chose football knowing that a five-star prospect in quarterback Rhett Bomar and two other quarterbacks — Keith Nichol and Joey Halzle — were on the depth chart ahead of him when he spurned the likes of Texas A&M and others to commit to OU's 2006 class. His first major involvement for the Trojans came during his . By Sean Merriman, FOX Sports Senior Editor and RJ Young, FOX Sports College Football WriterÂ, Representing their home state brings a sense of pride to both current and former college football players across the nation.Â. During that season, his senior year, Kinnick also won the Maxwell and Walter Camp Memorial Trophy, while being named an All-American and the AP Male Athlete of the Year. He has won the Ballon D'Or, the annual award given to the best player in the world, 6 times and an Olympic gold medal winner in 2008. He was a standout return man at BC, totaling more than 2,800 yards in kickoff returns and more than 500 yards in punt returns. 1. NCAA stats: 53 G, .591 PASS COMP PCT, 223.0 PASS YDS/G, 1.4 PASS TD/G, NFL teams: Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, NFL stats: 182 G, .625 PASS COMP PCT, 254.1 PASS YDS/G, 1.6 PASS TD/G. Vilma played for the 2001 Hurricanes; Bush played for the 2004 Trojans, widely regarded as two of the most talented teams ever assembled. NCAA stats: 35 G, 20.8 RUN-PASS TOUCHES/G, 5.3 RUN-PASS YDS/TOUCH, 0.8 TD/G, NFL teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Diego Chargers, NFL stats: 64G, 14.4 RUN-PASS TOUCHES/G, 4.2 RUN-PASS YDS/TOUCH, 0.3 TD/G. NCAA stats: 39 G, 13.5 RUN-PASS TOUCHES/G, 8.5 RUN-PASS YDS/TOUCH, 1.1 TD/G, NFL teams: New Orleans Saints/Detroit Lions/San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, NFL stats: 134 G, 13.2 RUN-PASS TOUCHES/G, 5.2 RUN-PASS YDS/TOUCH, 0.4 TD/G. Found insideThe only other time we ever had a physical beef was on New Year's Eve in nineteen eighty-nine. ... It was his will, not his talent, that made O. J. Simpson one of the greatest football players ever to play the game. He played in only five games and still finished 10th overall. That year, Brad Budde, a four-time bowl winner, became the first and only Trojan to win the Lombardi Award, given to the best lineman or linebacker in the country (starting in 2017, the award now is given to the best player at any position). The 1969 Texas Longhorns / Getty Images. Four touchdowns and 26 points scored in a come-from-behind 55-24 victory? Talk about good vibrations. The 1969 Texas Longhorns. Here’s the best all-around athlete that you probably never heard of, the only one to play in the NFL and major leagues in his career. Be sure to weigh in on where you agree or disagree with . Some of the greatest players to ever wear any uniform, let . While he may not have had the longevity of some of the players on this list, he absolutely left his mark on the game as one of the greatest to ever play. Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scotttakade/(↓↓ click show more ↓↓)Follow me on Twitter! Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young. But, hell, if O.J. He was a two-sport star, playing both football and basketball for the Tar Heels, but it was on the gridiron where Peppers made his biggest impact. Not only did the Texas Longhorns have one of the best college football quarterbacks ever in 2005, they also brought down one of the best teams ever in the BCS National Championship Game. Harris is one of the greatest defensive players in Arizona State football history. 100 and the Jags making it to year No. Delaware is not exactly a football hotbed, but a former SEC defensive star was born in Wilmington, Delaware, before enjoying a standout career at Vanderbilt. 6 seed. In 2010 at Auburn, he put together the greatest single season in the history of the sport. Found insideKenny Washington, a 195-pound halfback, was one of the best players in college football in the late 1930s. Jackie Robinson described him as “the greatest football player I have ever seen. He had everything needed for greatness—size, ... The insane burst speed. USC. Some were more elusive. He fell just 73 total yards shy of a 3,000-yard passing, 1,500-yard rushing season, while accounting for 51 TDs and just seven picks in 2010. Bottom line: The NCAA took away his 2005 Heisman Trophy as a result of illegal gifts, but it can’t erase his legacy as the most versatile game-breaker in school history. And none claims more Heisman Trophy-winners (seven) in that span, either. In 1987, he led the nation in yards per kickoff return (31.6), while also racking up more than 600 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. "Jake The Snake" threw for 8,626 yards and 64 touchdowns during his collegiate career, both of which rank in the top five in school history. One of the greatest quarterbacks in college football and NFL history, Elway starred at Stanford from 1979 to 1982. During his three years at Wyoming, Novacek totaled 83 catches for 1,536 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Show," Davidson still may be the greatest USC SS ever. Fox Sports put out The all-time greatest college football players from each of the 50 states and Auburn had the best player from the state of Alabama and Georgia.. Bo Jackson was named the best player from Alabama and Cam Newton was named the best player from Georgia. He is known as one of the top defensive backs in college football history. Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh. Found inside – Page 36Many of these players have gone on to successful careers in professional football. Heisman Trophy (Nation's Best Player) School Player Year Oregon State Terry Baker 1962 USC Mike Garrett 1965 UCLA Gary Beban 1967 USC O.J.Simpson 1968 ... Jackson brought new meaning to the term "workhorse" during his time at Oregon State. Go ahead, just ask him. He set a school-record during the 1978 season with 19 sacks, which now ranks second behind Terrell Suggs' 24 in 2002. Subscribe to "The RJ Young Show" on YouTube. He finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy race in 2003 and third to teammate Reggie Bush two years later. He was an instant star from the second he walked on campus, setting an NCAA record with 1,686 rushing yards in his freshman season. Jackson also added 66 catches for 680 receiving yards. Patrick Pinak, November 18, 2021 3:08 pm | Share. The former Tar Heel started 33 of the 34 games he played in college and ranks second all-time in UNC history with 30.5 sacks.Â, The former University of Kentucky star was born and raised in the small city of Minot. Good enough to lead the 1972 national champions in receptions. The "Great Dayne," as he was known, finished his collegiate career with 7,125 rushing yards, which is still an NCAA record. Tier 3: Others who could also conceivably, at this point, still become the greatest #1 recruit ever. The NCAA can keep his Heisman Trophy if that makes it feel better. Dude, how can teammates not be inspired by someone who had a pinky finger partially amputated in order to play as the Niner famously did late in the 1986 season? Found inside – Page 4Either go to another school where you can play or try rugby, which is a varsity sport at USC and is a great game for your kind of talent.” At that time, the football players were all playing rugby in the off season. 6 seed 1979 team of Robinson's in his fourth season that some consider the most talented college team of all time when factoring in the players' post-college success, emerging with a strong performance. The Utes talk about Jordan's incredible skillset, but also what a joy the late-running .

Ravens Vs Cardinals Schedule, Doraemon Small Light Gadget, Dentists Without Borders Volunteer, Ravens Vs Cardinals Schedule, Male Celebrities Who Part Their Hair On The Right, City Of Glasgow College 2021, Beyond: Two Souls Dragon's Hideout Percentage, Empire Brewery Cazenovia,