Best college football players of all time ranked by jersey number
By John Buhler
Glenn Davis
Running Back, Army Black Knights
The Army Black Knights were a football powerhouse in the 1940s. Army used to have some of the best tailbacks in college football. While many of the service academies still like to pound the rock, few did it better than Black Knights running back Glenn Davis.
Davis was a three-time All-American from 1944 to 1946. He was the 1946 Heisman Trophy winner and finished runner-up the previous two seasons. Davis left West Point with 2,309 rushing yards on 266 carries for 36 touchdowns. His career yards per carry of 8.7 is jaw-dropping. As a dual-threat tailback, he would find pay dirt 12 times for 790 yards through the air on 38 catches. He even toss the pigskin a bit in college for the Black Knights.
Ronnie Lott
Safety, USC Trojans
There may not be a more impactful player for the safety position that Ronnie Lott. While he would go on to be the Pro Football Hall of Famer for the San Francisco 49ers, Lott remains the best pure prospect to have ever played safety in college football.
Lott starred for the USC Trojans from 1978 to 1980. He was an All-American in 1980, when he had eight interceptions for 166 yards in the Pac-10. Lott would leave Los Angeles for the NFL with 14 career interceptions for 291 yards and two touchdowns as a prominent member of the Trojans secondary.
Terry Kinard
Safety, Clemson Tigers
Before the arrival of Deshaun Watson in 2014, there was no question who the greatest player in Clemson Tigers history was. Safety Terry Kinard was a two-time All-American in the Clemson defensive backfield in 1981 and 1982. He was the signature player on the 1981 National Championship team for the Tigers.
Kinard was a model of consistency in the Clemson secondary. He had 17 career interceptions for 146 yards in 46 career games. While he would play 10 years in the NFL mostly for the New York Giants, he is best known as one of the best tacticians in an ACC defensive backfield.
Jim Brown
Running Back, Syracuse Orangemen
There was no doubt that the best pure running back talent football has ever seen wasn’t going to make the list. While Jim Brown is best known for terrorizing linebackers in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, he is the best college football player to have worn No. 44.
At Syracuse, Brown rushed for 2,091 yards on 361 carries for 19 touchdowns. As a receiver, Brown had two career touchdown catches in college on 11 receptions for 120 yards. He may have only finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1956, but reached legendary status professionally while with Cleveland.