Claim to Fame: 15 Of The Greatest Small-School Legends In College Football
There have been countless college football stars over the years. Teams like Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas – they boast too many to count. While those players were great to watch, sometimes something even cooler happens: a really small school has a guy that rises so high that he puts his school on the map. These fifteen players keep their alumni base bragging.
The List:
Flickr/'09 Spyder
15. Steve McNair – QB
Alcorn State University
Where: Alcorn State, MS
Enrollment: 3,300
“Air” McNair turned down a scholarship for the University of Florida (it wanted him as a DB) in order to go play quarterback at Alcorn State instead. In his senior season, he gained nearly 6,000 all-purpose yards and scored 53 total touchdowns.
14. Danny Woodhead – RB
Chadron State College
Where: Chadron, NE
Enrollment: 2,900
To say Danny Woodhead was a beast in college would be an understatement. Woodhead rushed for more than 200 yards in 19 of 39 career appearances, and scored a touchdown in 37 consecutive games at one point. He ranks second all-time in NCAA all-purpose yards, trailing only the great Brian Westbrook. Woodhead also was the first person ever to get a full athletic scholarship at Chadron State. And he earned it.
Samford University Chapel. Dystopos/Flickr
13. Cortland Finnegan – CB
Samford University
Where: Birmingham, AL
Enrollment: 2,950
Cortland Finnegan actually played safety while at Samford. After earning all-conference honors in his first two playing years, he made First-Team All-American as a senior, which led to him getting drafted in the seventh round of the NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
12. Terry Bradshaw – QB
Louisiana Tech University
Where: Ruston, LA
Enrollment: 9,100
Bradshaw is definitely more well-known for winning four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he also had quite the college career. In his junior year he threw for 2,890 yards, tops in the NCAA (boy, have times changed). He was considered by pro scouts to be the nation’s most outstanding college football player.
Flickr/jacorbett70
11. Tony Romo – QB
Eastern Illinois University
Where: Charleston, IL
Enrollment: 9,600
At Eastern Illinois, Tony Romo threw for over 8,000 yards, finishing third in Ohio Valley Conference history. He was also the first person in OVC history to win the Walter Payton Award, given annually to the nation’s top player at the I-AA level.
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