The Best NFL Alumnus from the Top 25 BCS Teams

It's pretty well established that the man in the picture—Joe Montana—is the best player to enter the NFL after playing for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

However, as shocking as it my seem, the Notre Dame football team is not currently in the BCS top 25, so you will not be seeing any further mention of Montana in this article.

Every team in the top 25 has graduated notable NFL players. Some of the teams may have slightly more prestigious alumni, but you may be surprised by which of these currently elite teams have impressed in the past.

Though the past does not always influence the future, it is nice to have some knowledge of what stars each college has graduated. Here's a glimpse at the best previous players of the best current teams in all of college football.

25. Baylor: Mike Singletary

Nearly everyone knows Singletary's story. The former Bear dominated the NFL—eventually joining the Pro Football Hall of Fame—and eventually moved on as a coach, where he wasn't quite as successful.

What isn't as widely known is the fact that Singletary played his college games at Baylor. Yes, one of the NFL's best linebackers of all time played at Baylor, of all places.

An impressive player for any college, Singletary is far and away the best player to contribute to the Baylor football team.

24. Michigan: Tom Brady

It's hard to believe that a current NFL player is the best ever to play for as fine of a football program as Michigan. But then again, Tom Brady isn't any ordinary player. The New England star is already one of the best quarterbacks of all time—and he isn't done yet.

A star at the most important position on the football field, Brady has won three Super Bowls and been elected to six Pro Bowls. When Brady does eventually hang up the pads, he will undoubtedly enter the Hall of Fame.

23. Cincinnati: Trent Cole

For several years now, Trent Cole has been one of the more underrated players in the NFL. Cole is often spoken of as a good, maybe great player. But the former Bearcat is far better than "good."

Though Cole isn't particularly big, he is a relatively complete player and consistently racks up impressive sack numbers. Not surprisingly, Cincinnati doesn't have too many notable alums, and Cole is at the top of a short list of good players.

22. Southern Miss: Brett Favre

Southern Miss hasn't produced many great NFL players, but Brett Favre certainly is one. Throughout his career, Favre played for multiple teams with varying degrees of success, but he will undoubtedly go down as one of the best ever to play the game.

The gun-slinging Favre owns multiple NFL records—some good, some bad—and has certainly earned his place in the history books.

21. Georgia Tech: Billy Shaw

A Hall of Famer, Shaw spent his entire career with the Buffalo Bills. Shaw was one of the original pulling guards in the NFL and dramatically impacted the game of football.

Though Shaw didn't spend as much time in the NFL as many others did, he transformed the nature of offensive linemen.

20. Auburn: Frank Gatski

A center and linebacker, Gatski spent the majority of his career with the Browns. Gatski spent 12 years in the NFL and was eventually inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

19. Nebraska: Bob “Boomer” Brown

Brown was a dominant offensive tackle for the Eagles, Rams and Raiders throughout his career.

The Nebraska alum was eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame despite not playing for more than 10 years in the NFL.

18. Wisconsin: Arnie Herber

In the early days of professional football, Herber was one of the game's best quarterbacks. Herber led the league in passing multiple times and, as a result, was eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame.

17. Michigan State: Herb Adderley

Through the 1960s, Adderley was one of the NFL's elite defensive backs. The longtime Packer intercepted an astounding seven interceptions in 1962, and then followed up with five in the next season.

Adderley was eventually recognized for his outstanding performance when he entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

16. Texas: Earl Campbell

With Houston, Campbell solidified himself as one of the NFL's best running backs. At 230 pounds in the 1980s, Campbell had impressive bulk and was one of the most powerful runners in the history of football.

Campbell rushed for more than 1,000 yards on five three different occasions, nearly reaching 2,000 yards in 1980. The Hall of Fame running back is one of the best players all time, and is easily the best player to come out of Texas.

15. Georgia: Fran Tarkenton

A star in the 1960s and 1970s, Tarkenton played for an absurdly long 18 years. The longtime Viking led the NFL in specific passing statistics on multiple occasions. 

For a school as impressive as Georgia, it is somewhat surprising that there isn't a more impressive player to choose from here, but Tarkenton is worthy enough.

14. Kansas State: Henry Childs

A tight end who spent the majority of his career with the Saints, Childs contributed consistent statistics, making one Pro Bowl throughout his career. Childs wasn't elite by any means, but he was a solid player for many years.

For a program like Kansas State, Childs isn't a bad "leader of the pack," but he isn't anything to be proud of, either.

13. South Carolina: Dunta Robinson

Currently a Falcon, Robinson mostly makes this list because of a lack of notable South Carolina alumni. Robinson is by no means a bad player, but he isn't elite in today's NFL, either.

The former first-round draft pick Robinson is just solid, not amazing. Robinson doesn't accumulate overly successful interception numbers, but he is solid and consistent.

12. Penn State: Jack Ham

An outside linebacker, Ham accumulated excellent interception numbers throughout his career and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988.

Over the course of a 12-year career, Ham won four Super Bowls and spent his entire career with the Steelers.

11. Houston: Simon Fletcher

Fletcher doesn't have elite numbers over the course of his career, but he was occasionally dominant. In five straight seasons, Fletcher racked up at least 11 sacks.

Though Fletcher didn't play incredibly long in the NFL, he still retired with good numbers. For a school as small as Houston, a player like Fletcher is plenty good.

10. Virginia Tech: Bruce Smith

The No.1 pick in 1985, Smith is the all-time NFL sack leader. Though Smith didn't have many incredible seasons, he was consistently effective.

Smith played 19 seasons in the NFL, and as a result, accumulated 200 sacks. Though Lawrence Taylor usually receives the title, Smith may be the best pass rusher of all time.

To put it simply, Virginia Tech has one of the best players ever as the school's best ex-player.

9. Clemson: Michael Dean Perry

For a school with a deep-rooted history in college football, Clemson surprisingly has no Hall of Fame players.

Though Michael Dean Perry was never anything special, he did have some big seasons and helped contribute to some good Browns teams in the early 1990s.

8. Arkansas: Lance Alworth

On three occasions, Alworth led the league in receiving. The Hall of Fame wideout managed to win one Super Bowl, while he gained more than 1,000 yards on seven different occasions.

7. Oregon: Dan Fouts

The quarterback for the dominant Air Coryell offense, Fouts led the league in passing on multiple occasions. Eventually, the incredibly productive passer was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Leading an offense loaded with talent, Fouts certainly received his fair share of help, but he was still an excellent quarterback.

6. Oklahoma: Lee Roy Selmon

An excellent pass rusher who moved along the defensive line, Lee Roy Selmon was one of the best defensive linemen to play the game.

Though he retired in 1985, Selmon did not receive Hall of Fame recognition until 10 years later.

5. Boise State: Dave Wilcox

It's difficult to find much statistically on Wilcox, but the one-time Boise State linebacker still made the Hall of Fame.

Until recently, Boise State was widely considered a joke in college football, so it doesn't take too much for Wilcox to win the title here.

4. Stanford: John Elway

Though Elway isn't the best quarterback ever, he is one of the better signal callers in history. Elway was possibly the most talented player in the history of the NFL, and he won two Super Bowls with the Broncos.

Stanford has shockingly undergone a drastic turnaround in recent years, and Elway is easily the best NFL player to play for the Cardinal.

Though some believe Andrew Luck could pass up Elway some day, that time won't be here very soon.

3. Alabama: Don Hutson

At first glance, Hutson's numbers aren't all that impressive. However, Hutson played in the 1930s and 1940s and more or less invented the modern wide receiver position.

There are many other notable Alabama graduates, but Hutson's impact on the game earns him the victory. Without Hutson, the wideout position probably would have still been invented. It just would have taken much longer.

2. Oklahoma State: Barry Sanders

One of the best running backs in the history of the NFL, Sanders was obviously an incredible player. Sanders had rare shiftiness and speed, and he used his natural gifts to dominate the most sound of defenses.

Unfortunately for Sanders, he never had a competent team around him, and the Oklahoma State star's career ended without the ultimate prize—a Super Bowl victory.

1. LSU: Y.A. Tittle

A quarterback in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, Tittle may be the best player no one has ever heard of. Tittle spent the majority of his career with the San Francisco 49ers and frequently led the NFL in various passing statistics.

Though LSU has many worthy candidates, none are quite as good as Tittle. Perhaps the most incredible aspect of Tittle's career is how long he lasted—he played 17 seasons in the NFL.