The Best NFL Player from Every School Playing in a 2011-2012 BCS Bowl Game

As 2011 draws to a close and 2012 begins, 10 of the nation's elite college football programs will square off in the five BCS bowl games, beginning Jan. 2 when Oregon and Wisconsin meet in the Rose Bowl and culminating on Jan. 9 when Louisiana State and Alabama play in the BCS National Championship Game.

These institutes of higher learning have churned out a number of players who have gone on to very successful careers in the National Football League, but the following group of NFL stars represents the very best that these colleges have to offer at football's highest level.

1. Haloti Ngata, DT (Baltimore Ravens/Oregon)

Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was the first consensus All-American from the University of Oregon in 43 years in 2005. Ngata has since gone on to a stellar career with the Baltimore Ravens, racking up more than 300 tackles and 17 sacks in his six seasons with the team.

Runner-up: Patrick Chung, SS (New England Patriots)

2. Joe Thomas, OT (Cleveland Browns/Wisconsin)

Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas won the Outland Trophy as the nation's top lineman in his senior season at the University of Wisconsin in 2006 before being selected third overall in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Thomas has since gone on to the Pro Bowl every season of his NFL career, hasn't missed a game in five seasons and is arguably the best offensive lineman in the National Football League.

Runner-up: Owen Daniels, TE (Houston Texans)

3. Dez Bryant, WR (Dallas Cowboys/Oklahoma State)

Wide receiver Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys was a first team All-American at Oklahoma State University in 2008 before being declared ineligible the following season.

With 15 touchdowns his first two seasons in the NFL, Bryant seems poised to be just as big a star in the pros as he was in college.

Runner-up: Brandon Pettigrew, TE (Detroit Lions)

4. Doug Baldwin, WR (Seattle Seahawks/Stanford)

Quarterback Andrew Luck will almost certainly lay claim to this spot soon enough, but after leading the Seattle Seahawks in catches, yards and receiving touchdowns as a rookie wide receiver, Doug Baldwin is presently the top NFL player to hail from Stanford University.

Runner-up: Toby Gerhart, RB (Minnesota Vikings)

5. Michael Vick, QB (Philadelphia Eagles/Virginia Tech)

Michael Vick finished third in voting for the Heisman Trophy as a freshman at Virginia Tech in 1999, and after two seasons as a Hokie, Vick was selected first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft. Vick has since embarked on a roller coaster career that included serving prison time as the result of a dogfighting scandal and a career resurgence in Philadelphia as quarterback for the Eagles.

Runner-up: James Anderson, LB (Carolina Panthers)

6. Tom Brady, QB (New England Patriots/Michigan)

Before guiding the New England Patriots to three Super Bowl championships, marrying a supermodel and becoming one of the biggest megastars in the National Football League, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was a star at the University of Michigan, leading the Wolverines to a victory over Alabama in the 2000 Orange Bowl.

Runner-up: Charles Woodson, CB (Green Bay Packers)

7. Leroy Hill, LB (Seattle Seahawks/Clemson)

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Leroy Hill is enjoying one of his best seasons in the NFL in 2011, recording the second-highest tackle total of his seven-year career.

But before plying his trade in the Pacific Northwest, Hill was a standout at Clemson University, logging more than 250 total tackles in two seasons as a starter for the Tigers.

Runner-up: Brian Dawkins, SS (Denver Broncos)

8. Adam Jones, CB (Cincinnati Bengals/West Virginia)

West Virginia University hasn't exactly cranked out NFL superstars in recent years, so Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones begrudgingly gets the nod here—even though the fifth-year pro has made significantly more news off the field than he has on it.

Runner-up: Owen Schmitt, FB (Philadelphia Eagles)

9. Dwayne Bowe, WR (Kansas City Chiefs/Louisiana State)

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe has made great strides in his five seasons in the NFL, topping 1,000 receiving yards three times and more than justifying the high pick the Chiefs spent on him in the 2007 NFL Draft after a stellar career at Louisiana State University, where Bowe caught more than 150 passes and scored 26 touchdowns.

Runner-up: Todd McClure, C (Atlanta Falcons)

10. Roman Harper, SS (New Orleans Saints/Alabama)

Roman Harper has grown into one of the finest big-play safeties in the National Football League over his six-year career. He has logged 17 sacks and forced 14 fumbles for the New Orleans Saints after an outstanding career at the University of Alabama, where he was an All-SEC selection in 2004 and 2005.

Runner-up: Julio Jones, WR (Atlanta Falcons)