7 Former College Lacrosse Stars Playing in the National Lacrosse League

The 2019 National Lacrosse season is about halfway over, and it's full of highlight-material goals, dime-dropping assists, spectacular saves and some heavy collisions.

If you're a college lacrosse fan at any level, there are former stars you'll recognize who are now lighting up the indoor league. Below are seven of the best who have carried their accomplished careers on campus into the pros.

Every NLL game is available to stream on B/R Live.

Lyle Thompson, Georgia Swarm (Albany)

Thompson twice won the Tewaaraton Award at Albany, college lacrosse's equivalent to football's Heisman. In 2017, he won the NLL's MVP award and could be on track to claim it again this season. Inside Lacrosse just named him as their Midseason Player of the Year, and Thompson is second in the league in goals scored with 29 in 11 games. The 26-year-old New York native also has 33 assists to his name this season. At Albany, he surpassed the single-season 100-point mark three times.

Austin Staats, San Diego Seals (Onondaga Community College)

A two-time All-American at Onondaga Community College, Staats passed on the chance to play at the NCAA level to jump straight into the pros. The attackman was selection No. 1 overall in the 2018 NLL draft by the Seals and did not disappoint in his debut, notching five goals and four assists. He leads San Diego in scoring this season with 20 goals and 17 assists in eight games. In two seasons of community college ball, he racked up 102 goals and 54 assists in just 26 games.

Eli Salama, Calgary Roughnecks (RIT)

Salama racked up Division III awards at the Rochester Institute of Technology his senior year, being named Long Pole of the Year by USILA, Defensive Player of the Year by the Liberty League and a USILA All-American. Salama has proved to be a versatile contributor as a rookie in Calgary. So far, he's notched three assists, scooped up 28 loose balls and forced eight turnovers in eight games. The 6'2", 22-year-old was the 12th overall pick in this past year's draft. RIT made the NCAA tournament each year Salama was in school and appeared in the national championship in 2017.

Ian MacKay, Buffalo Bandits (Vermont)

Another versatile player, MacKay was the fourth overall pick in the 2018 NLL draft after a standout career at Vermont. He was a two-time All-American, the America East Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and a two-time team captain. What's more, he left Vermont as the program's all-time leader in goals scored with 150. He also dropped 80 assists for the Catamounts, good for fifth all-time. In the NLL, McKay has played solid both ways as a rookie, tallying eight goals, 12 assists, 48 loose balls and 11 caused turnovers. The Bandits are 9-2 this season, and McKay's versatility is a big reason why.

Trevor Baptiste, Philadelphia Wings (Denver)

A beast in faceoffs, Baptiste's expert skill in college has transitioned well to the pros. At Denver, he was twice a finalist for the Tewaaraton Award and was named the Big East Midfielder of the Year four times. He set NCAA records for faceoff wins (1,158) and winning percentage (71.4). The 14th overall pick in the 2018 NLL draft has made an impact right away for the Philadelphia Wings, as he leads the league in faceoff wins with 186. He's also notched three assists and five forced turnovers.

Matt Rambo, Philadelphia Wings (Maryland)

The 2018-19 season is Rambo's first in the National Lacrosse League, and he's already making an impact as one of the league's top newcomers. So far this season for the Wings, the 24-year-old forward from Glenside, Pennsylvania, has tallied 11 goals and nine assists through nine games. He's also racked up 15 loose balls. Rambo was the 2017 Tewaaraton Award winner, was a two-time All-American, a three-time selection to the NCAA's all-tournament team and the 2017 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year at Maryland. As a Terp, he set program records for career points (257), goals (155), points in the NCAA tournament (62) and became the first Maryland player with 100 goals and 100 assists in a career.

Miles Thompson, Georgia Swarm (Albany)

The older brother of Lyle, Thompson has built a stellar career in college and pro lacrosse too. In 2014, he shared the Tewaaraton Award with his brother at Albany. He left college with 293 total points and scored a goal in every game he played in over his collegiate career. Thompson shares the NCAA Division I single-season record for goals scored with Jon Reese of Yale, both having scored 82 goals in 18 games. For the Swarm this season, Thompson has tallied 12 goals, nine assists and 25 loose balls through 11 games.