Pro Football is a funny business. While some of the game’s greatest players hail from big, history-laden college programs, many have also come from schools that you may have never heard of. It’s the classic example of how you should never judge a book by its cover.
In that vein, I decided to compile, then rank, each of college football’s Mount Rushmores based on its most successful NFL players. As you would imagine, some of the schools that made the cut are household names, but there are more than a few surprise schools that made the cut.
Below is the criteria used when putting the ranking together:
Individual career records, achievements Inclusion in the Hall of Fame/NFL 100 All-Time Team Lasting impact on the game
If a player attended multiple schools, they were considered only at the school where they made the most significant contribution. Troy Aikman, for example, was only considered for his accomplishments at UCLA and not Oklahoma, where his NCAA career started. (Note: The names listed under “honorable mentions” are Hall of Fame inductees who didn’t make the cut on the team’s Mount Rushmore.)
1. Pittsburgh
Mount Rushmore: QB Dan Marino, WR Larry Fitzgerald, DL Aaron Donald, RB Tony Dorsett
Honorable mentions: CB Darrelle Revis, TE Mike Ditka, OL Jimbo Covert, OL Russ Grimm, LB Ricky Jackson, RB Curtis Martin, LB Joe Schmidt, DL Chris Doleman
Marino and Donald were slam-dunk choices to make Pitt’s Mount Rushmore, with Fitzgerald being a fairly easy choice, too. It was a tough call, however, when it came to choosing the final spot that came down to Ditka, Dorsett and Doleman.
All three players have compelling cases. Ditka was a record-setting tight end who led the Bears to the 1963 NFL title. Doleman enjoyed an incredible…
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