Florida Football: Gators All-Time NFL Offensive Unit

The Florida Gators have produced some great NFL players on both sides of the ball, and an all-time offensive unit made up of Gator alumni would be a threat to any defense.

Some players on this list are quite obvious, but it is also interesting to note a lack of oomph at two positions in particular. But we'll get to that later.

To get on this list, players have to be consistent, start a lot of games, have long careers and hopefully, have the statistics and awards to back up their play. In the NFL that is. Sorry, Tim Tebow fans; he has a long way to go.

The formation of choice here is a wishbone formation. Yes, it is not a typical pro formation, but what would you expect with a Florida Gators team? 

The reason for this formation is a lack of depth at the tight-end position highlighted by the fact that even Aaron Hernandez is close to achieving some of the success of his predecessors. But he only has a few seasons under his belt.

So here goes a list of the Florida Gators all-time NFL Offensive unit. Hope you like it.

Honorable Mention

Quarterback: Steve Spurrier

Running Back: Neal Anderson

Full Back: John Williams

Wide Receiver: Ike Hilliard

Wide Receiver: Darrell Jackson

Wide Receiver: Cris Collinsworth

Tight End: Erron Kinney

Tight End: Ben Troupe

Offensive Linesman: Randy Jackson

Offensive Tackle: Max Starks

Max Starks is one of the few players on this list still playing, and he is also one of the most decorated.

After being picked in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft, he has spent his whole career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and has two Super Bowl rings to show for it.

While with the Steelers, he has played in 99 regular season games and started in 72. Starks has also been to the postseason three times so far in his career.

Guard: Kenyatta Walker

Kenyetta Walker is listed as an offensive tackle, but we shall put him as a guard here. Hopefully, that doesn't annoy too many purists. We are looking for the best, though.

Walker was a Super Bowl champion and a regular starter during his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His longevity may not compare to some of his fellow starters, but being a regular in a Super Bowl-winning team helped him get this spot.

Center: Jeff Mitchell

Jeff Mitchell had a solid nine-year career while playing for the Baltimore Ravens and then the Carolina Panthers.

Mitchell made it to the postseason three times and played in 119 regular season games starting 118 of them. Mitchell picked up a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in 2000, but had some good times at Carolina, too.

He was a part of the Carolina offensive line that had the fewest sacks allowed in 2003—the year the Panthers went to the Super Bowl—and also helped the Panthers to a team record of 2,091 yards on the ground.

Guard: Dan Fike

Dan Fike gets the nod here for playing the most compared to rest of the bunch. Fike played in 115 games for the Cleveland Browns, starting 102 of them.

Fike also made it to the playoffs with the Browns for five consecutive seasons (1985-89) and also played in three AFC Championship games.

Offensive Tackle: Lomas Brown

Lomas Brown is by far the most decorated lineman on this list. Brown's career carried him through four different cities: Detroit, Arizona, Cleveland, New York (for the Giants) and Tampa Bay.

During that time, Brown played 263 regular-season games, started in 251 and amassed a number of individual and team awards.

Brown was selected to the Pro Bowl for seven straight seasons. He was a first-team All-Pro selection three times and was selected second-team All-Pro three times as well. Brown was also a first-team All-NFC selection in four seasons.

Brown left the game at the top after finally being a member of a Super Bowl-winning team with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002.

Wide Reciever: Nat Moore

Nat Moore had a very productive 13 seasons in the NFL. While playing for the Miami Dolphins, Moore caught the ball 510 times for 7,546 yards and 74 touchdowns. He also added 249 yards and a touchdown in the rushing game.

Moore was also selected first-team All-Pro in 1977 and went to the Pro Bowl in the same year. Many of Moore's accomplishments while on the Dolphins were team records, though they were later broken by players that came after him.

Wide Reciever: Wes Chandler

Wes Chandler was another productive receiver to come from the University of Florida. In 11 seasons, Chandler played for the New Orleans Saints, the San Diego Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers

During that time, Chandler caught the ball 559 times for 8,966 yards and 56 touchdowns. He was selected All-Pro in 1979 and 1982 and went to the Pro Bowl four times. Chandler retired with both his receptions and receiving yards in the top 15 in NFL history.

He was also inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame.

Full Back: Rick Casares

Rick Casares played for few seasons in the NFL and one season in the AFL, appearing for the Chicago Bears, the Washington Redskins and the Miami Dolphins.

During that time, Casares carried the ball 1,431 times for 5,797 yards and 49 touchdowns. He appeared in the Pro Bowl five times and is third on the list of rushing leaders for the Chicago Bears. His rushing records were broken by current No. 1 Walter Payton.

Running Back: Emmit Smith

Emmit Smith is by far the most decorated and talented player on this list. Smith played 15 seasons in the NFL, appearing for the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals.

Smith carried the ball 4,409 times for 18,355 yards and 164 touchdowns. He is currently the record holder in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and most games with over 100 rushing yards. Smith won the Super Bowl three times and was selected the MVP once.

He appeared in the Pro Bowl eight times, was selected first-team All-Pro four times and second-team All-Pro once. He was the NFL MVP in 1993 and was selected to the 1990's NFL All-Decade team. Smith also won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1990.

In 2010, he was selected to the NFL Hall of Fame.

Running Back: Fred Taylor

Fred Taylor beat out Neal Anderson mainly because he had more rushing yards and touchdowns. During his 13-season career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots, Taylor was a force on the ground.

He carried the ball 2,534 times for 11,695 yards and 66 touchdowns. Taylor was selected All-Pro once in 2007 and went to the Pro Bowl in the same season.

He is also a member of the 10,000 yards rushing club.

Rex Grossman

Not too much to get excited about here, but it is Rex Grossman leading out this great array of talent. He gets the nod because of his Super Bowl appearance and the fact that he has been more of a starter than Spurrier so far in his career.

Grossman has passed for 8,213 yards and 46 touchdowns in his career so far. That is three less touchdowns than interceptions. Somehow, he has made it to the Super Bowl and has started a decent number of games.

Maybe he could be pretty good with this team. Maybe.