Best of the Worst: The All-NFL Undrafted Offense

EIU - Home of Tony Romo and Kevin Seitzer

Is there any league in the United States that gives more hope to the less fortunate than the NFL? Spanning the last fifteen years, the NFL has seen a rise in talent that has come from the most unlikely of places; for instance, Mr. Romo himself attended the University of Eastern Illinois. While the Panthers have churned out coaches Mike Shanahan, Sean Payton, Brad Childress, and Pierre Walters, they’ve hardly been a pipeline for players.Such is the case for many other Pro Bowl athletes, who never got a fair shake during their college years, but have since sprouted in the NFL and become key pieces in the NFL version of Chess. Here we further examine the best of the alleged worst as we span the past fifteen years.

Quarterbacks

• Tony Romo, Eastern Illinois
• Jake Delhomme, Louisiana Lafayette
• Jeff Garcia, San Jose State
• Kurt Warner, Northern Iowa

Romo holds the highest win percentage all time for undrafted Quarterbacks and has two Pro Bowl appearances. Delhomme had a stint in the now extinct NFL Europa league before leading his Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2004, and also has a Pro Bowl appearance. Garcia played in the Canadian Football League before finding a job with the San Francisco 49ers, and led the Eagles on an incredible playoff run in 2006. Warner has led two different teams to Super Bowls, winning one with the Rams and securing an MVP award for his performance that game. The Four time Pro Bowl selection was stocking shelves at a grocery store in Iowa before joining the Iowa Barnstormers in 1996.

Running Backs

• Willie Parker, North Carolina
• Priest Holmes, Texas
• Fred Jackson, Buffalo

Willie Parker’s entire college career was strangled by former head coach John Bunting who said he wasn’t big enough to fit in the Tar Heels system. Parker did add some size when he entered the NFL and has become a force in the Steelers backfield. Priest Holmes went undrafted in ‘97, added by Baltimore in ‘98 and ran for over a thousand yards. When Baltimore opted for bruiser Jamal Lewis in 2000, Priest signed with Kansas City and the rest is history – 3 Pro Bowl selections, 2 Ed Block Courage Awards, and the 2002 NFL Offensive Player of the year. Fred Jackson, the incredible success story out of Coe College, signed with the Sioux City Bandits of the United Indoor Football League for two seasons, the Rhein Fire of NFL Europa in 2006, and finally found a practice squad gig with the Buffalo Bills of the NFL in 2006. Fast forward three years and Fred Jackson has become a notable player in the league, known for his ‘never quit’ mentality while playing second fiddle to Marshawn Lynch.

Wide Receivers

• Joshua Cribbs, Cleveland Browns
• Rod Smith, Missouri Southern State
• Wes Welker, Texas Tech

Joshua Cribbs was a QB phenom at Kent State, ending as the all-time leader on offense with 10,839 yards. He remains the only player in NCAA history to lead his team in both rushing and passing in four different seasons, but had a lot of trouble finding a job after earning his degree. Teams frowned on his passing ability as a quarterback, but was given a chance by the Cleveland Browns in 2005 – four years later Cribbs plays Wide Receiver, Kick Returner, and even a little wildcat QB, earning a reputation as a real dynamic player on offense. Rod Smith was shunned by NFL scouts because he came from a small Division II school, but turned into an incredible player for the Denver Broncos, who signed Smith for depth purposes in 1994. Smith won two rings with the Broncos, and has individual honors including 3 Pro Bowl selections and remains the only undrafted player to reach the milestone of 10,000 receiving yards. Wes Welker was juggled around San Diego and Miami for a few years before finally finding a home in New England. The Patriots decision to send a second and seventh round pick for Welker proved to be a fantastic front office decision, as Welker has become an All-Pro player in his own right, leading the NFL in Receptions in 07 and making the Pro Bowl in 2008.

Tight End

• Antonio Gates, Kent State

Gates, the famed swingman for the Golden Flashes, made his college career using his enormous frame and pound for pound strength on the hardwood. Gates averaged 21 points his senior season at Kent State, and was told by NBA scouts he had a ‘fair’ chance at best to make an NBA squad. With a positive mindset and a fantastic athletic frame, Gates converted himself to a football player, and the rest is history. The five time Pro Bowler has made the Tight End position in the NFL almost a hybrid Wide Receiver; because of his rare combination of size and speed, Gates has long been a match-up problem for opposing defenses and has found the end zone 51 times in his illustrious career.

Offensive Line

• Brian Waters, North Texas
• Jason Peters, Arkansas

Waters has earned Pro Bowl honors five times, and during the 2004 NFL season Waters won AFC offensive player of the week, the only offensive lineman to ever win such award. The reason? Kansas City and also undrafted running back Priest Holmes ran for eight touchdowns that game. Peters was added to the Bills for depth and was quickly converted from Tight End(his college position) to Left Tackle, where he earned Pro Bowl honors in 2007 and 2008. Has recently been traded to Philadelphia.

The All-NFL Defensive Undrafted Team will be online within the next couple of days.