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RU's best ever NFL player?

RUich

Heisman Winner
Aug 2, 2001
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So, I'm enticed to work through one of those single click after click things that are claiming every P5 best player to the NFL. It was alphabetical, so it took quite awhile to get to Rutgers. It first gets in a dig about the "first" school to play FB and that we have not sent many to the pros but then names Devin McCourty as our best.
Hard to say he is not one of the best, but anyone have thoughts on anyone else?
 
Devin and Jason McCourty , Deron Cherry, Ray Rice the list goes on ...how about Shaun O’Hara does he come to mind . we have had a number of players play in the NFL... these fools don’t do any research... I would actually love to see the list of D 1 schools and the number of NFL pros.
 
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Deron Cherry tried out for the NFL as a UFA punter and ended up having an 11 year career at safety with 6 Pro Bowl seasons, (more impressively) 5 All-Pro seasons and ended up with 50 interceptions and 14 fumble recoveries in 148 games. He was named to the NFL All Decade team for the 1980's.
 
Deron Cherry made the NFL All Decade team for the 1980s. In 1987, he was selected to the Chiefs 25 year All-Time Team.

Also, Cherry became a limited ownership partner in one of the NFL’s then-new expansion teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars. This made him the first minority owner of an NFL franchise in the league's history.
 
I’d have to go with Deron Cherry as well. But what if Ray didn’t have his off the field issue or Anthony Davis didn’t retire early? We’ll never know.
 
Devin and Jason McCourty , Deron Cherry, Ray Rice the list goes on ...how about Shaun O’Hara does he come to mind . we have had a number of players play in the NFL... these fools don’t do any research... I would actually love to see the list of D 1 schools and the number of NFL pros.

While this isn't total number of pro players because it is just draft picks but it shows all schools ever I believe.

 
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Those clowns know nothing and just jump on the most current visible name. During my lifetime, I'd have to say it's one of Deron Cherry, Ray Rice or Shaun O'Hara.
 
Deron Cherry would also get my vote.

Deron Cherry is in the Rutgers Hall of Fame as a punter and safety; the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame and the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame as a free safety making the Pro Bowl every year from 1983-88 during his 1980-91 NFL career. A section in Arrowhead Stadium is named in his honor

Honorable mentions to:

Rutgers’ longest NFL career is 15 seasons held by (Rutgers 1983-86) Harry Swayne who played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins for a total of 186 games – a Rutgers record. He also started 13 of 18 playoff games he was in. He played defensive end and offensive tackle and is the only Rutgers player whose career spanned three decades (1987-2001). Three Super Bowl rings

Bill Pellington of the Baltimore Colts (1953-64) and Colts defensive captain in the "Greatest NFL Game Ever Played" - the 1958 Championship game between the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts; co-captain of the 1964 Colts and second team All Pro that year.
 
Don't forget about Gary Brackett with the Indianapolis Colts. I think 9 years and superbowl championship. Undrafted free agent.
 
1) Cherry 2) DM 3) O'Hara 4) Brackett 5) Rice 6) JM 7) Zuttah 8) Sanu 9) Britt 10) Harris 11)AD
 
Deron Cherry would also get my vote.

Deron Cherry is in the Rutgers Hall of Fame as a punter and safety; the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame and the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame as a free safety making the Pro Bowl every year from 1983-88 during his 1980-91 NFL career. A section in Arrowhead Stadium is named in his honor

Honorable mentions to:

Rutgers’ longest NFL career is 15 seasons held by (Rutgers 1983-86) Harry Swayne who played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins for a total of 186 games – a Rutgers record. He also started 13 of 18 playoff games he was in. He played defensive end and offensive tackle and is the only Rutgers player whose career spanned three decades (1987-2001). Three Super Bowl rings

Bill Pellington of the Baltimore Colts (1953-64) and Colts defensive captain in the "Greatest NFL Game Ever Played" - the 1958 Championship game between the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts; co-captain of the 1964 Colts and second team All Pro that year.
Was going to put Harry up as well but there are a bunch of others that Joe Fafondo knows nothing about. Wish Kratch or Politi would put the entire list up and not just draft picks...
 
There was an article last year about every NFL team and player on that team that should be in hall of Fame. Cherry was the Chief player that should be in the Hall,
 
There was an article last year about every NFL team and player on that team that should be in hall of Fame. Cherry was the Chief player that should be in the Hall,
And what school did he play for?😃👍🏻
 
Great question.
I’m going with Harry. although Mcourtey is running out of fingers for Super bowl rings.
There was a time ( not so long ago). I never would have thought we would have so many choices. This staff gets rolling I’m sure we’ll have more tough choices in the not so distant future.
 
Cherry has the best awards career. Unfortunately Rice didn't get to finish his career, and I think he would have done a lot more. Rice only started 4 games his first season, and he was hurt in his final season (when the OL was atrocious because the personnel couldn't pull-off the zone blocking the OL coach was forcing on them). Still, Rice managed 9000+ total yards and 43 TDs in only 6 seasons. Ravens won SB because of Rice's epic diddle up the middle in playoffs

Some people who never really followed Rice, thought he was finished after a short career (due to his injury year behind a miserable line.) He was healed, and 15 pounds lighter in his 2013 return. He was ready for maybe his best year. In practice and pre season games he was smoking people.
 
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Deron Cherry made the NFL All Decade team for the 1980s. In 1987, he was selected to the Chiefs 25 year All-Time Team.

Also, Cherry became a limited ownership partner in one of the NFL’s then-new expansion teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars. This made him the first minority owner of an NFL franchise in the league's history.

dude belongs in the HOF
 
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Not my vote for the top guy.. but one guy who doesn't get enough love around here. In my opinion should always be among the top 3 - former All- Pro player Bill Pickel !!
Pickell was a very good NFL player but Deron Cherry is a Hall of Famer and he arguably deserves that honor... had Ray Rice not screwed up he had a legit shot at perhaps our best ... we have had some very good ones but we haven’t promoted them well especially under Ash ... people outside of NJ NY are brain dead when it comes to Rutgers past football players in the NFL...our fault as a university...Greg was working on it part 1 and I’m sure eventually we will be seeing a promotion regarding our NFL history if we ever play again.
 
Not my vote for the top guy.. but one guy who doesn't get enough love around here. In my opinion should always be among the top 3 - former All- Pro player Bill Pickel !! How many of he others were voted as NFL all- pro ?
Actually a number of them have been All Pro during there careers.
 
Not my vote for the top guy.. but one guy who doesn't get enough love around here. In my opinion should always be among the top 3 - former All- Pro player Bill Pickel !! How many of he others were voted as NFL all- pro ?


Although not a candidate for our top NFL performer he is perhaps the most rarely mentioned Scarlet Knight given his lengthy NFL career. That's Jay Bellamy. He was good enough to put together a 14 year career in the NFL which is quite an achievement.
 
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