Top 50 Cal Pros: No. 15 -- Alex Mack, Center of Attention

Originally posted on Cal Bears on SI | By Jeff Faraudo | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 12:20 PM ET

We are counting down Cal’s top 50 athletes based on their careers as post-collegiate professionals. Their performance as Golden Bears is not factored into the rankings.

15. ALEX MACK

Years at Cal: 2004 to 2008

Sport: Football

Pro teams: Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers

Age: 39

Hometown: Santa Barbara, Calif.

Why we ranked him here: The 21st pick of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Browns, Mack played 13 seasons, starting all 196 games he played. That included16 starts in his debut NFL season, after which he was named to the 2009 all-rookie team. Mack went on to become a seven-time Pro Bowl pick, earning his first selection in 2010 with the Browns and his last one 11 seasons later with the 49ers. The 6-foot-4, 311-pounder was a three-time second-team AP All-Pro, including in back-to-back seasons in 2016 and ’17 with the Falcons. A remarkably durable player, Mack took 100 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in six different seasons. He played in eight NFL postseason games, including in Super Bowl LI following the 2016 season, when his Atlanta team squandered a 21-0 lead in a 34-28 loss to the New England Patriots. Mack retired after the 2021 season, during which he started all 17 games for San Francisco and drew just two penalties in 1,085 snaps. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2010's NFL All-Decade Team.

At Cal: Mack arrived at Cal in the fall of 2004 and redshirted as a freshman before making 39 consecutive starts at center through his final season as a graduate student in 2008. He achieved elite status on and off the football field. Mack was a three-time first-team All-Pac-10 selection and winner of the Morris Trophy in 2007 and ‘08 as the league’s top offensive lineman. He helped the Bears to a four-year record of 34-17 and four bowl victories. Mack compiled a 3.61 grade-point average and won the 2008 Draddy Trophy, also known as the academic Heisman. He was team captain as a senior and was named the Pac-10’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Earlier this year, Mack became the 17th former Cal player (the 23rd representative of the program overall) voted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He got the call in his first year on the ballot.

Other: Partly because he described himself as a picky eater, Mack began cooking for himself as a rookie with Cleveland, teaching himself the craft by watching YouTube videos. He lists a rack of lamb as one of his favorites and Mack shared his passion through his periodic “Cooking with Alex” shows on Instagram.

This article first appeared on Cal Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: