10 Greatest Iowa Hawkeye Football Players in NFL History

The University of Iowa has a long tradition of producing players that go on to star in the NFL.

I'm not sure where Iowa ranks all time, but after 2011, Iowa was tied for the 11th-most players currently in the NFL.

That number will only go up following this year's draft when Marvin McNutt, Riley Reiff, Shaun Prater and potentially six other Hawkeyes suit up for the NFL.

The following represents the Hawks that have gone on to have the most NFL success.

The primary concern of this list is not what the players in question did in college, but how much success they achieved at the next level.

Furthermore, in order to get consideration, the player in question had to play at least eight seasons in the NFL.

Why eight? No reason, but there has to be a cutoff point.

Perhaps, in another five years, Chad Greenway, Pat Angerer and Shonn Greene will supplant three Hawkeyes that currently populate this list.

Emlen Tunnell: DB, Left Team After 1947

Hawkeye Accomplishments

• Originally played for Toledo Rockets before breaking his neck and enlisting in the U.S. Coast Guard
• Left Coast Guard following WWII, enrolled at Iowa and played in 1946 and 1947
• Played quarterback, halfback and defense
• Led the team in passing in 1946 and receiving in 1947

NFL Accomplishments

• Joined the New York Giants after going undrafted
• Played for the Giants (1948-1958) and the Green Bay Packers (1959-1961)
• Nine-time Pro Bowl selection
• Two-time NFL Champion (1956 and 1961)
• Finished career with 79 interceptions, which was than an NFL record that was later surpassed by another Hawkeye
• First African-American elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame (1967)

Non-NFL Post-College Accomplishments

• Became a scout and assistant coach with the Giants before passing away in 1975
  

Alex Karras: DT, Class of 1957

Hawkeye Accomplishments

• Key member of first-ever Iowa Rose Bowl team (1956)
• Key member of first-ever Iowa team to win a Rose Bowl (1957)
• 1957 Outland Trophy winner for college football's best interior lineman
• Was runner up in the 1957 Heisman Trophy voting—one of only three linemen ever to finish first or second in the voting
• 1957 Consensus All-American

NFL Accomplishments

• The Detroit Lions chose Karras with the 10th-overall pick in the 1958 NFL Draft
• Four-time Pro Bowl selection
• Selected to the NFL's 1960's All-Decade team
• Played for 12 seasons (1958-62, 1964-1970) with Detroit
• Despite consistently fielding a strong defense, Karras' Lions only once made the playoffs

Non-NFL Post-College Accomplishments

• Blazing Saddles, Porky's and Webster. How many can say they have that many classics on their resumes?
  

Bob Jeter: CB, Class of 1959

Hawkeye Accomplishments

• Three-year starter
• More well known as halfback in college football than as defensive back
• Key player on two Iowa Rose Bowl teams
• Was named Outstanding Player (currently known as MVP) of the 1959 Rose Bowl, in which he rushed for 194 yards and one 81-yard touchdown run

NFL Accomplishments

• Drafted by the Green Bay Packers with the 17th pick in the 1960 NFL Draft
• Played in the Canadian Football League for two years before joining the Packers in 1962
• Super Bowl champion (I and II) and NFL Champion in 1965
• Two-time Pro Bowl selection
• Traded to Chicago Bears in 1971
• Retired in 1973
• Finished career with 26 interceptions

Non-NFL Post-College Accomplishments

• Worked for the Chicago Park District coordinating citywide sporting events for children
  

Paul Krause: S, Class of 1963

Hawkeye Accomplishments

• Played two ways at Iowa, starting as both a receiver and defensive back
• Tied the then-Iowa record of six touchdown pass receptions in a season

NFL Accomplishments

• The Washington Redskins chose Krause 18th overall in the 1964 NFL Draft
• Eight-time Pro Bowl selection
• Led the NFL with 12 interceptions in his rookie year
• Played for the Redskins (1964-1967) and the Minnesota Vikings (1968-1979)
• In 16 seasons, only missed two games due to injuries
• Holds the NFL record with 81 career interceptions
• Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988

Non-NFL Post-College Accomplishments

• Currently serves as Dakota County, Minnesota's District 6 commissioner
  

John Niland: OG, Class of 1965

Hawkeye Accomplishments

• Started Hawkeye career as a fullback, but switched to guard in his junior year
• Received All-American recognition his junior year
• Second-team All-American his senior year

NFL Accomplishments

• The Dallas Cowboys chose Niland with the fifth-overall pick in the 1966 NFL Draft
• Niland started as a rookie and remained the Cowboys' starting left guard through 1974
• Selected to Pro Bowl six times
• NFC Champion in 1971 and 1972
• Super Bowl champion (VI)
• Only missed two games in eight years
• Traded to Philadelphia Eagles in 1975, where he played one year before retiring

Non-NFL Post-College Accomplishments

• Runs an active and regularly updated blog
  

Ed Podolak: RB, Class of 1968

Hawkeye Accomplishments

• Three-year starter
• Set then Big Ten single-game rushing record of 286 yards
• Played quarterback and halfback

NFL Accomplishments

• Selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 48th-overall pick in the 1969 Common Draft
• Played entire career with the Chiefs, retiring in 1977
• Is currently the Chiefs' fourth all-time leading rusher
• Also was on special teams and was an able receiver
• Combined career yardage of 8.178 yards is second-most in team history

Non-NFL Post-College Accomplishments

• Works as the color commentator for Hawkeye radio broadcasts
  

Andre Tippett: LB, Class of 1981

Hawkeye Accomplishments

• Key member of first Iowa Rose Bowl team in over 20 years
• Key member of defense that allowed 86.9 rushing yards per game—still a school record
• Consensus All-American defensive end (1981)
• Two-time All-Big Ten defensive end (1980 and 1981)

NFL Accomplishments

• Drafted by the New England Patriots with the 41st pick of the 1982 NFL Draft
• Five-time Pro Bowl selection
• AFC Linebacker of the Year from 1985-1987
• Recorded 100 sacks in career. This currently ranks fourth in NFL history amongst linebackers
• Member of NFL's 1980 All-Decade team
• Holds Patriot record for career sacks
• Holds top-three Patriot single-season marks for sacks
• Retired following 1993 season after playing his entire career with the Patriots
• Selected to Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008
• Key member of 1985 AFC Championship team

Non-NFL Post-College Accomplishments

• Currently a Pop Warner coach
  

Reggie Roby: P, Class of 1982

Hawkeye Accomplishments

• Part of Iowa's first Rose Bowl team in over 20 years
• Two-time first team All-American (1981 and 1982) and one-time honorable mention All-American (1979)
• Handled kickoffs, punts and long-range field goals
• Averaged 49.8 YPP in 1981. That was and still remains a NCAA record
• Iowa record holder for punting average in a game (55.8), season (49.8) and career (45.4)

NFL Accomplishments

• Chosen by the Miami Dolphins with the 167th pick of the 1983 draft
• Played for the Dolphins, Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston/Tennessee Oilers and San Francisco 49ers
• Seven-time All-Pro selection
• Career YPP of 43.3 and net average of 34.0 YPP
• Holds Dolphins' single-game record of 58.5 YPP
• Chosen as second-team punter for the NFL's All-80's team
• Retired in 1998

Non-NFL Post-College Accomplishments

• Featured on urbandictionary.com
  

Bob Sanders: SS, Class of 2003

Hawkeye Accomplishments

• Four-year starter for Hawkeyes (started second half of true freshman year)
• One of key players in first Iowa undefeated conference slate in 80 years (2002)
• Captain and key player in 2003 top-10 scoring defense
• Key player in No. 5 rushing defense (2002) and No. 8 rushing defense (2003)
• Two-time First Team All-Big Ten honoree

NFL Accomplishments

• Chosen by the Indianapolis Colts with the 44th pick of the 2004 NFL Draft
• Two-time All-Pro selection
• Super Bowl champion (XLI)
• 2007 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year
• Has played for the Colts (2004-2010) and the San Diego Chargers (2011-present)

Non-NFL Post-College Accomplishments

• When you're 5'8", 206 pounds, and you play like you're 6'8", 320 pounds, you get injured a lot. Consequently, Sanders has only twice played anything approaching a full NFL season—2005 and 2007.
  

Nate Kaeding: K, Class of 2003

Hawkeye Accomplishments

• Four-year starter
• Key member of 2002 Big Ten Championship team
• Iowa's career scoring leader with 373 points
• Shares Big Ten record with 367 career kick scoring points
• Two-time First Team All-American
• 2002 Lou Groza Award winner (college football's best kicker)

NFL Accomplishments

• The San Diego Chargers took Kaeding with the 65th-overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft.
• Two-time Pro Bowler
• Kaeding made 91.4 percent of his field goals in 2009. This led the NFL.
• Following the 2011 season, Kaeding is the most accurate kicker of all-time, having converted 86.5 percent of his career field goal attempts.

Non-NFL Post-College Accomplishments

• Kaeding owns Short's Burger and Shine in Iowa City, which serves all-local meat and almost all-local food.