USC Trojans Football: The 10 Best Trojans in the NFL

As USC prepares for its biggest home game of the season, a number of former Trojans will be waiting eagerly to see if their alma mater can upset Andrew Luck and Stanford.

While USC is currently ranked 20th in the AP Poll and is ineligible for all other major rankings, the Trojans still have a number of athletes that will be making their way to the NFL in the near future.

These players will join a long and elite list of former Trojans that are currently spending their days in the pros.   

In this slideshow, I will rank the 10 best players currently on NFL rosters that spent their college years at USC.  These rankings will be based on each athelete's performance in the pros and not their success with the Trojans.   

10. Steve Smith

A star athlete out of Taft High School in Los Angeles, Smith was a very reliable receiver during his days with the Trojans.  After earning first-team All-Pac-10 honors in 2006, Smith was selected by the Giants in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft.

While Smith only played in five games during his rookie season, he was great in the playoffs and caught five passes in the Super Bowl to help New York upset the Patriots.

Smith remained with the Giants for the next three seasons, with his best year coming in 2009.  Not only was Smith selected as a member of the NFC Pro Bowl team that year, but he also caught a franchise record 107 passes for 1,220 yards and seven touchdowns.

After a less than spectacular 2010 campaign, Smith agreed to terms with the Eagles over the offseason.

9. Reggie Bush

I know a number of USC fans cringe when they see his name, but Reggie Bush has been a reliable player in the NFL for the past six seasons. 

After winning the Heisman Trophy, he was selected by the Saints with the second pick in the 2006 draft.

While he has not yet lived up to his expectations as a running back, Bush has been a threat as a receiver and a special teams player.  In fact, Bush was chosen as an All-Pro in 2008 for his work as a punt returner. 

He helped lead New Orleans to their first ever Super Bowl title at the end of the 2009 season, as he caught a key touchdown late in the NFC Championship Game against the Vikings. 

Bush was traded to the Dolphins this past offseason, where he looks to revitalize his career.    

8. Sedrick Ellis

Sedrick Ellis enjoyed an extremely decorated career at USC.  After he earned the Morris Trophy and was selected to multiple All-Pac-10 and All-American teams, he was chosen by the Saints with the seventh overall pick in the 2008 draft.

Ellis continued where he left off in college after entering the pros.  In three and a half seasons in New Orleans, he has amazed 120 tackles and 12.5 sacks. 

After missing six games during the 2009 regular season, he recorded three tackles in Super Bowl XLIV to help the Saints claim their first title in franchise history.

At the young age of 26, Ellis still has a lot of time to expand his already very impressive résumé.

7. Mike Patterson

A member of two national championship-winning teams at USC, Mike Patterson was selected by the Eagles with the second to last pick of the first round in the 2005 NFL fraft.

Patterson has missed just one game in the last seven years as a starting defensive tackle for Philadelphia.  

In total, he has recorded 309 tackles and 14 sacks throughout the course of his career.  He has recovered six fumbles and intercepted one pass.

During his rookie season, he scooped up a 49ers fumble and returned it 98 yards for a touchdown, making it the longest score of its type in franchise history.

Patterson suffered a seizure and was diagnosed with AVM this past August.  As he continues to gear up for the Eagles, we wish the best of him in the future.    

6. Mark Sanchez

As much as his critics have put him down, Mark Sanchez has been a success through the first three-and-a-half seasons of his career. 

After sitting behind John David Booty for two years, Sanchez led USC to the Rose Bowl and threw for a school record 34 touchdowns in his only year as a full time starter in college.

He left the Trojans with a year left of eligibility and was selected by Jets with the fifth pick in the 2009 draft.

Sanchez has started every single game since he entered the NFL and has led New York to the AFC Championship Game two years in a row.  In fact, his four road victories in the postseason are tied for the most by any quarterback throughout an entire career in history.   

At only 24, Sanchez still has a lot of time to reach his potential.  For now, his 7,280 passing yards and 41 touchdowns are not too shabby. 

5. Ryan Kalil

An All-Pac-10 selection in 2005 and 2006, Ryan Kalil was regarded as one of the best centers in all of college football during his time at USC.  After winning the Morris Trophy in 2006 for the best offensive lineman in the conference, Kalil was selected by the Panthers in the second round of the draft.

He has emerged into a top-tier player during his five season in Carolina.  After taking over as the team's primary center in 2008, Kalil has started 47 of the 50 games that he has played in throughout his NFL career.  He was selected to the NFC Pro Bowl team for the first time in 2009 and then again in 2010.

This past offseason, Kalil agreed with the Panthers to a six-year extension worth $49 million.  The deal made him the highest paid center ever.   

4. Brian Cushing

After a fantastic high school career in New Jersey, Brian Cushing took his talents to Southern California.  In four years at USC, Cushing started in the Rose Bowl Game every single year and was selected as a first-team All-American his senior year.

Cushing was drafted by the Texans with the 15th overall pick in 2009.  He was an instant success in the NFL, as he recorded 134 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles and four interceptions during his first year in the pros.

He was honored as the Defensive Rookie of the Year and was selected to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro team.

However, Cushing tested positive for performance-enhancing substances that year and was suspended for the first four games of the 2010 season.  While this has certainly left a damper on his career, Cushing still has a lot of time to make up for his mistake. 

3. Carson Palmer

The winner of the 2002 Heisman Trophy and the first overall pick in the 2003 draft, Carson Palmer blossomed into a solid quarterback during his days under Pete Carroll and Norm Chow at USC.

Despite playing for a mediocre team for most of his career, Palmer put together decent statistics as the starting quarterback of the Bengals. He broke a number of franchise records and set the NFL mark for the most consecutive games with a passer rating over 100.  He has been selected to two AFC Pro Bowl teams and won the game's award back in 2006.

Palmer's best season in the NFL thus far came in 2005.  Not only did he lead the Bengals to their first playoff appearance since 1990, but he also threw a league-high 32 touchdown passes. 

His time in Cincinnati ended in an ugly fashion after he decided not to play until he was traded.  Palmer was sent to the Raiders last week. 

2. Clay Matthews

A member of one of the most legendary families in NFL history, Clay Matthews has emerged into one of the best defenders in the league since he was drafted by the Packers with the 26th pick in the 2009 NFL draft. 

Matthews came to USC as a walk-on, but by his senior year, he was one of the most heralded linebackers in the country. 

He has only continued to develop into an even more dangerous player over the last three years in Green Bay. 

In his rookie season, he totalled 51 tackles and 10 sacks to earn NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, while he accumulated 60 tackles and 13.5 sacks on his way to the Butkus Award and the Super Bowl title last year.   

1. Troy Polamalu

If Troy Polamalu is not the best defensive player in the entire NFL, he is certaintly the best defender to come out of USC.  Known for his long luscious hair that has earned him a number of endorsements, Polamalu was a two-time All-American during his three years as the Trojans' starting safety.

He became an instant success in the pros after being chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 16th pick in the 2003 draft.  

In his nine seasons as a member of the Steelers, Polamalu has been selected to the All-Pro team four times and the Pro Bowl on six occasions.  He has led Pittsburgh to the AFC title three times, including victories in Super Bowl's XL and XLIII. 

Despite missing two games due to injuries, he claimed his first ever Defensive Player of the Year Award last season.  Polamalu tied a career high with seven interceptions on the way to the Super Bowl.