All-Small Schools Team

[Caulibflower]

Did this last year, and I'm going to do it again. Because I'm bored. Input welcome. Players have to have played at a D-1AA school or smaller. Rankings aren't simply based on last season, but how I view them as current players. Eligibility for this list is based on the school a player was drafted out of.

OFFENSE

QB - Tony Romo, Eastern Illinois (105 G, 77 GS, 3 Pro Bowls) 2. Joe Flacco, Delaware (64 G, 64 GS) 3. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Harvard (58 G, 54 GS)

HB - Fred Jackson, Coe (66 G, 37 GS) 3 2. Danny Woodhead, Chadron State (40 G, 7 GS) 3. Tim Hightower, Richmond (53 G, 41 GS)

FB - Mike Tolbert, Coastal Carolina (59 G, 15 GS) 2. John Kuhn, Shippensburg (87 G, 16 GS, 1 Pro Bowl)

WR - Victor Cruz, Massachusetts (19 G, 7 GS) 2. Vincent Jackson, Northern Colorado (91 G, 75 GS, 1 Pro Bowl) 3. Nate Washington, Tiffin (97 G, 53 GS)

WR - Marques Colston, Hofstra (86 G, 65 GS) 2. Miles Austin, Monmouth (75 G, 35 GS, 2 Pro Bowls) 3. Pierre Garcon, Mount Union (58 G, 43 GS)

TE - Kevin Boss, Western Oregon (71 G, 56 GS) 2. Visanthe Schianco, Morgan State (144 G, 88 GS)

OT - Michael Roos, Eastern Washington (112 G, 112 GS, 1 Pro Bowl, 1 All-Pro) 2. Jared Veldheer, Hillsdale (32 G, 27 GS)

OG - Jahri Evans, Bloomsburg (96 G, 96 GS, 3 Pro Bowls, 3x All-Pro)

C - Dan Connolly, SE Missouri State (46 G, 28 GS)

OG - Chris Kuper, North Dakota (79 G, 73 GS)

OT - Willie Colon, Hofstra (51 G, 51 GS) 2. Todd Herremans, Saginaw Valley State (95 G, 92 GS)

DEFENSE

DE - Jared Allen, Idaho State (125 G, 119 GS, 4 Pro Bowls, 4x All-Pro) 2. Israel Idonije, Manitoba (118 G, 39 GS)

DT - Stephen Bowen, Hofstra (79 G, 27 GS) 2. Jason Hatcher, Grambling State (88 G, 11 GS)

DT - Jacques Cesaire, Southern Connecticut (125 G, 66 GS) 2. Sammie Lee Hill, Stillman (44 G, 15 GS)

DE - Robert Mathis, Alabama A&M (135 G, 71 GS, 3 Pro Bowls) 2. Mike DeVito, Maine (66 G, 23 GS)

OLB - Akeem Jordan, James Madison (68 G, 27 GS)

MLB - London Fletcher, John Carroll (224 G, 208 GS, 2 Pro Bowls) 2. Stephen Cooper, Maine (125 G, 63 GS)

OLB - Jovan Belcher, Maine (48 G, 34 GS)

CB - Lardarius Webb, Nicholls State (44 G, 19 GS) 2. Brandon Carr, Grand Valley State (64 G, 64 GS) 3. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee State (61 G, 45 GS, 1 Pro Bowl)

FS - Nick Collins, Bethune-Cookman (95 G, 95 GS, 3 Pro Bowls) 2. Antoine Bethea, Howard (91 G, 91 GS, 2 Pro Bowls)

SS - Danieal Manning, Abilene Christian (90 G, 69 GS) 2. Yeremiah Bell, Eastern Kentucky (110 G, 75 GS, 1 Pro Bowl)

CB - Kyle Arrington, Hofstra (41 G, 28 GS) 2. Cortland Finnegan, Samford (93 G, 79 GS, 1 Pro Bowl, 1 All-Pro) 3. Brent Grimes, Shippensburg (58 G, 42 GS, 1 Pro Bowl)

SPECIAL TEAMS

K - Rob Bironas, Georgia Southern (112 G, 1 Pro Bowl, 1 All-Pro)

P - Mike Scifres, Western Illinois (133 G)

RET - Jacoby Jones, Lane (4 career return TDs)

ST - Blake Costanzo, Lafayette

[Caulibflower]

Throw some lineman names out, eh? Can't think of any legit D-tackles, either. Both of the guys I came up with are more 300-lb DE-types than "true" DTs, which is why I put them in the same spot.

[phlysac]

WR - Vincent Jackson - Northern Colorado
OG - Jahri Evans - Bloomsburg
OT - Jared Veldheer - Hillsdale
TE - Delanie Walker - Central Missouri
CB - Brent Grimes - Shippensburg
DT - Jacques Cesaire - Southern Connecticut
DE - Kroy Biermann - Montana

[Bulldogs]

Brent Grimes went to Shippensburg.

[tjsunstein]

Will Rackley, G for the Jaguars went to Lehigh

[The Alex]

Will Rackley, G for the Jaguars went to Lehigh

I'm so sick of reddit's influence.

[mightytitan9]

Pretty high on kyle arrington huh?

[Bulldogs]

I'm so sick of reddit's influence.

Any joke with "le" should be burned in eternal flames.

[Caulibflower]

Pretty high on kyle arrington huh?

Only led the league in interceptions. Finnegan only had that one great year, Grimes regressed a little last year, same with Rodgers-Cromartie. Hot hand gets the nod.

[phlysac]

LB/DE - Jason Hunter - Appalachian State
LB -Jovan Belcher - Maine
LB - Stephen Cooper - Maine
LB - Blake Costanzo - Lafayette
LB - Akeem Jordan - James Madison

[Caulibflower]

LB/DE - Jason Hunter - Appalachian State
LB -Jovan Belcher - Maine
LB - Stephen Cooper - Maine
LB - Blake Costanzo - Lafayette
LB - Akeem Jordan - James Madison

Thanks. I could find pretty good lists of DII players in the NFL, but not DI-AA.

[phlysac]

Thanks. I could find pretty good lists of DII players in the NFL, but not DI-AA.

Yeah, definitely a tough find.

If you're including a return specialist, I'd include Costanzo as a ST specialist, as well. 5 seasons as one of the best ST contributors in the NFL. Just my $0.02.

[SenorGato]

Mike DeVito wants to eat your soul for the disrespeck shown.

[rodgers 4 mvp]

No Donald Driver?

[Matthew Jones]

How about Dan Connolly (SE Missouri St.) for center? He's significantly better than Will Rackley. Miles Austin (Monmouth) could go on there somewhere as well.

[Mufasa]

No Donald Driver?

At this point in his career he's only better than Knox, who should be replaced by Austin not Driver

[DoughBoy]

Michael Roos anyone?

[descendency]

Ben Roethlisberger went to Miami of Ohio. I'd call that small, but maybe I'm not understanding what a small school is.

edit: Harvard is FBS Division 1.

[phlysac]

Ben Roethlisberger went to Miami of Ohio. I'd call that small, but maybe I'm not understanding what a small school is.
Players have to have played at a D-1AA school or smaller.
Miami (OH) is FBS (Division IA)

edit: Harvard is FBS Division 1.
Harvard is FCS (Division IAA)

[descendency]

Harvard is FCS (Division IAA)

Oops. I checked Wikipedia and missed the "subdivision" part.

[Scotty D]

Throw some lineman names out, eh? Can't think of any legit D-tackles, either. Both of the guys I came up with are more 300-lb DE-types than "true" DTs, which is why I put them in the same spot.

Sammie Lee Hill - Stillman. Not a starter right now but a legit DT.

[OzTitan]

Cortland Finnegan probably deserves a mention.

[UKfan]

Pierre Garcon - Mount Union

[RagingColt]

Tony Romo played at Eastern Illinois not Northern. NIU is a Div 1-A school.

[fischbowl]

Your Punter:

http://www.themiaa.com/information/MIAAhalloffame/BrianMoorman.jpg?max_height=200&max_width=150

[WCH]

At this point in his career he's only better than Knox, who should be replaced by Austin not Driver

I'm not convinced he's better than Knox at this point in his career. He benefits a lot from the Packers system (he's basically the #4 target behind Jennings, Finley, and Nelson), and he's reached the point where there's constant speculation that they might cut him in favor of a Practice Squad guy.

I absolutely love Donald Driver, but emotional stuff aside, I'd trade him for Knox in a heartbeat.

[Caulibflower]

Sammie Lee Hill - Stillman. Not a starter right now but a legit DT.

He was on there. (Didn't have the "Lee," but he was there.)

Cortland Finnegan probably deserves a mention.

He was on there.

Pierre Garcon - Mount Union

He was on there.

Three in a row is pretty good, guys. :-)

[Caulibflower]

Tony Romo played at Eastern Illinois not Northern. NIU is a Div 1-A school.

Good catch. That was a typo.

[rodgers 4 mvp]

Brad Meester at center???

[Caulibflower]

So now the question is... Can this team beat an All-Big 10 team? All Big-12? Pac-12(...10)? All-SEC has to be out of the question. CUSA would be interesting to see, or the MAC. ACC might be interesting, too.

[OzTitan]

Oops, didn't see Finny down the bottom there - figured the 3 mentioned at CB1 were the 3 starters in a nickel D.

[stlouisfan37]

So now the question is... Can this team beat an All-Big 10 team? All Big-12? Pac-12(...10)? All-SEC has to be out of the question. CUSA would be interesting to see, or the MAC. ACC might be interesting, too.

You're joking, right? You could compile any All-America team you want and this team would destroy them, simply because they are physically more developed and 25-30 years old.

[stlouisfan37]

Jermon Bushrod - Towson St.
Brian Waters - North Texas (North Texas didn't move to 1A until 2001)

[phlysac]

You're joking, right? You could compile any All-America team you want and this team would destroy them, simply because they are physically more developed and 25-30 years old.

I think he meant NFL players. All Big 12 (in the NFL), etc.

Maybe not.

[K Train]

willie colon from hofstra at RT, maybe nate washington from tiffin at WR

[stlouisfan37]

I think he meant NFL players. All Big 12 (in the NFL), etc.

Maybe not.

Phew! Had me going there!