25 small-school sleepers who became NFL stars

An injury to Trent Green in 1999 paved the way for the former grocery stocker to take over the helm of the Greatest Show on Turf. Warner stepped in and won the most improbable MVP in his first go as a starter in St. Louis. After erasing a 16-point deficit in Super Bowl XXXIV, the undrafted Hall of Famer hurled a remarkable 73-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce to secure the championship and the eventual Super Bowl MVP in his first year as a starter. The two-time league MVP and former Arena Football player led the NFL twice in passing touchdowns over his illustrious 12-year career. That’s pretty good for a kid who never was drafted out of Northern Iowa. 

Has there ever been a more clutch kicker? The infamous “Tuck Rule Game” during the blizzard in the AFC Divisional Round saw Vinatieri nail a game-tying kick before ending it with an overtime field goal. In that year’s Super Bowl, the NFL’s all-time leading scorer hit a walk-off kick to begin the Patriots’ dynasty. A four-time Super Bowl winner, Vinatieri also had another championship-winning kick with four seconds left. That dominant era of Patriots’ football may never have reached its peak had it not been for this small-school gem. 

The man had a knack for the big moments. An HBCU legend and an undrafted star, Brown picked off a Terry Bradshaw pass and took it 55 yards to the house in the AFC Divisional Round in 1973. Four years later, one of the most iconic plays involved Brown. He intercepted Fran Tarkenton and ran it back for a then-record 75 yards to clinch Super Bowl XI for Oakland. It may sound like a lot, but Brown recorded at least one interception in a then-record 16 consecutive seasons between 1963 and 1978, a huge testament to his longevity and dependability. 

It’s rare to see a player reach the heights of the NFL from Division III, but Jackson persevered in his journey to the pros. He ground his way through the now-defunct Indoor Football League, then as a special teamer for two years in Buffalo before finally getting some real carries. When the role was awarded to him, he gave Buffalo three seasons, on average, 1,200 scrimmage yards. The undrafted workhorse had a shining moment in the 2011 season opener when he ran for 100 yards and added 75 more yards through the air, becoming the first Bills player to eclipse those totals in the first game of a season.

Similar to Warner, Romo’s opportunity came in 2006 when Drew Bledsoe went down. A few weeks into being a starter, the four-time Pro Bowl selection orchestrated a memorable five-touchdown, 300-yard performance on Thanksgiving Day in a blowout 38-10 win over Tampa Bay. That coming-out party cemented him as the organization’s franchise quarterback. This would be a role he would flourish in, eventually becoming the highest-paid undrafted player ever. He remains Dallas’ all-time leader in passing touchdowns and held the yardage record before Dak Prescott eventually overtook him. 

Little's claim to fame and easily his most defining career moment was being the anchor of the offensive line that guided the Dolphins to their perfect 17-0 season in 1972. Behind the five-time All-Pro, Miami ran for an NFL-record 2,960 yards that season, relying on Allen to be the lead blocker on many of those successful runs. It was actually the Chargers who identified Little from Bethune-Cookman, signing him as an undrafted free agent before eventually trading him to Miami, jumpstarting a career that saw him become one of the top linemen in the league in the early 1970s. 

The Hall of Fame tight end was so dominant that he once hauled in 12 catches for 214 yards in 1993, a then-record that demonstrated just how unguardable he was. Games like that are why he became the first tight end to reach 10,000 yards in a career and garner eight Pro Bowl selections. He was a key cog on many winning teams, including three Super Bowl-winning squads. 

It takes a special performance for a defender to take home Super Bowl MVP honors. That was just another day at work for Dent, who received that honor after 1.5 sacks, a blocked pass, and two forced fumbles in Super Bowl XX. Clutch efforts were nothing new for Dent at the time, who had previously recorded 3.5 sacks in a playoff game the prior season. The Bears' all-time sack leader was a stalwart on the most dominant defense ever to take the field in the 80s. The game just came so easily for the eighth-round pick, who racked up a then-record 17.5 sacks in just his second season. 

Colston's career is one that went almost unrecognized. He had six 1,000-yard seasons, a Super Bowl ring, and the Saints' all-time career receiving yardage record. Yet, he never made a Pro Bowl. That's the story of his career as he came into the league as nothing more than a seventh-round dart throw. Instantly, though, Colston asserted himself at the next level by going for a team rookie record with more than 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns. 

When he stepped onto the NFL field, he did so as the fastest human in the world. The man who was known as "Bullet Bob" served as the anchor leg on the USA's gold-medal 4x100-meter relay at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Dallas then used a seventh-round pick on Hayes, who rewarded them with 25 touchdowns in his first two seasons and had four seasons in which his longest score was more than 80 yards. The Hall of Famer was so fast that his emergence eventually led to defensive coordinators adapting the zone defense and bump-and-run techniques as a means to slow him down. 

It's impossible to discuss Jones' career without mentioning the "head slap" technique that lives in infamy. The 14th-round pick (yes, there were that many rounds back then) discovered and later mastered the act of delivering a violent blow to the offensive lineman's head, doing it so effectively that the league eventually banned it in 1977. Even more long-lasting was the fact that Jones coined the term "sack." That's right, all of those quarterback tackles in the backfield wouldn't have a proper name if not for Jones coining the term during his heyday. When he played, sacks weren't an official stat, but it's believed that he had 22 sacks in 1968, which would have him a half sack behind Michael Strahan for the record. 

No defensive player has ever had a pair of pick-sixes in the same playoff game like Williams did in 2002. The following round, he had the game-sealing interception off of Donovan McNabb to catapult St. Louis into the Super Bowl. With nine defensive touchdowns in his career and eight Pro Bowls to his name, it's no wonder that Williams found himself enshrined in Canton after his retirement. 

It's incredible to think that one of the greatest receivers of all time was once an unknown coming out of a small school. The eventual Hall of Famer established himself in 1999 when he caught the game-winning 25-yard touchdown catch in the NFC Wild Card. From that point forward, there was no question that T.O. was a force to be reckoned with. At one point in 2000, he set the NFL record for catches in a game (20) while going for 283 yards. Anyone who ever doubted him was proven wrong when he gutted out a Super Bowl performance following a severe ankle injury that needed surgery. Despite medical advice, Owens suited up for the Eagles in the championship game and caught nine passes for 122 yards, doing all he could despite the loss. 

For 15 seasons, Shell was a dominant, imposing force on the Raiders' offensive line. In Super Bowl XI, Shell and the Raiders faced the feared "Purple People Eaters" of Minnesota's defense and completely dominated them on all fronts. The combo of Shell and fellow Hall of Famer Gene Upshaw proved to be a partnership for the ages, resulting in a pair of championships during their decade-plus together. 

It's easy to see why Stallworth is a Pittsburgh legend. Not only did he play his entire 14-year career in the Steel City, but he also shone when the lights were the brightest. His 73-yard catch-and-run in Super Bowl XIV remains one of the most iconic moments in the Big Game and went on to serve as the game-winning score. In Super Bowl XIII against Dallas, Stallworth only had three catches, but they went for 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns. 

The 14-year Colt defender was so dominant in 2013 that he took home the AFC Defensive Player of the Year award after his league-leading 19.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles. His 52 career forced fumbles remain a record. During the Colts Super Bowl run in 2007, Mathis recorded 1.5 sacks and three forced fumbles across four playoff games. 

One of the most prolific pass-catchers in the NFL hailed from a Division II program. In his pursuit of becoming Buffalo's all-time leader in receptions, Reed had a monstrous 15-catch game in 1994, a Buffalo record. Jim Kelly's most reliable target always rose to the occasion and had many opportunities to do so during the Bills' Super Bowl window in the 90s. In Super Bowl XXVII, he went for 152 yards on eight catches. 

Coming out of Delaware, Gannon didn't become the quarterback fans now remember until his late 30s. At a time when most players are out of the league or hanging on to their careers, Gannon resurrected his career, winning an MVP at 37 years old. The four-time Pro Bowler led the Raiders to a Super Bowl in his third-to-last season. 

Allen was within a half-sack of Michael Strahan's record in 2011 when he brought down the quarterback 22 times. That accomplishment came three years after he set the record for most safeties in a season (2) in 2009. The fourth-round pick had many dominant games over his Hall of Fame career, but his 4.5 sacks on Monday Night Football in 2009 in the highly anticipated Brett Favre (Minnesota) and Aaron Rodgers first meeting will long be remembered. 

The 14-year veteran left the game as Green Bay's all-time leading receiver in yardage, a truly remarkable feat for one of the most storied franchises. The seventh-round pick had many highlight-reel plays over his career, but one that will never be forgotten was his 90-yard touchdown catch in the 2011 NFC Championship Game, leading the Packers to their eventual Super Bowl win that season. For someone drafted so late, it's incredible that he spent the entirety of his career with the same organization. 

The Rams never imagined they'd discover someone like Kupp out of Eastern Washington. That 2017 selection wound up catching two crucial fourth-quarter passes in Super Bowl LVI, including the game-winning goal-line fade to not only win the Lombardi Trophy, but to claim the game's MVP award. There truly aren't many, if any, receivers like Kupp, who famously won the wide receiver "Triple Crown" in 2021 when he led in receptions (145), yards (1,947), and touchdowns (16). Only four players have achieved that rare feat. 

A ninth-round pick, Houston's career-defining play came on Monday Night Football in 1973. That was when he slammed down fullback Walt Garrison at the one-yard line on a 4th-and-goal play. The iconic moment preserved the 14-7 win. The Hall of Famer's five touchdowns from the safety position in 1971 with Houston remains a record for most defensive scores in a season. 

A vital part of the Steel Curtain defense in Pittsburgh, Blount was so physical as a cornerback that the NFL had to make a rule to limit him. Stronger than anyone he was against, the league adopted the no-contact rule on receivers who are five yards past the line of scrimmage. Blount's career includes four Super Bowl rings and a 1975 season in which he recorded a league-high 11 picks. 

At the time of his retirement, only one man had amassed more all-purpose yards than Mitchell, and that was the game's greatest wide receiver, Jerry Rice. The fifth-round selection remains in a spot to himself among non-receivers/running backs for his 23,300 all-purpose yards. In 2002, he took a kick to the house with the Eagles, which gave him 13 kick return touchdowns in his career, which broke the record previously held by Eric Metcalf. 

The book is still being written for Kraft, who is just a few years into his NFL career. During the 2025 season, the FCS National Champion hauled in seven passes for 143 yards and two scores, showcasing to the world that he's already one of the best tight ends in the modern game. A knee injury early in his career is the one that has slowed him down, but he's well-positioned to be an all-timer with the Packers.