Best college football players of all time ranked by jersey number
By John Buhler
Red Grange
Running Back, Illinois Fighting Illini
Red Grange was a star running back for the Illinois Fighting Illini and helped legitimize the NFL as a member of the Chicago Bears. Grange was an inaugural member of both the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame. His No. 77 jersey is retired by both Illinois and the Bears.
At Illinois, Grange was a three-time All-American running back. In his three seasons with the Fighting Illini, Grange would rush the football 388 times for 2,071 yards and 31 touchdowns. With a nickname like “The Galloping Ghost”, you know that Grange had to be an all-time football talent.
Bruce Smith
Defensive Tackle, Virginia Tech Hokies
Dual-threat southpaw quarterback Michael Vick would eventually change the position in Blacksburg, but the greatest member of the Virginia Tech Hokies football team is defensive tackle Bruce Smith. He would have 46 career sacks playing college football before being the No. 1 overall pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 1985 NFL Draft.
Smith is a College Football Hall of Famer and a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Nobody got after after the quarterback more than Smith. He was a two-time All-American and an Outland Trophy winner at Virginia Tech. Smith holds the NFL record for most career sacks at a cool 200.
Jonathan Ogden
Offensive Tackle, UCLA Bruins
Blue-chip left tackles like Jonathan Ogden don’t come around very often. He was a truly dominant player for the UCLA Bruins in the mid-1990s. Ogden would allow only two quarterback sacks as upperclassmen. He was a unanimous All-American and a winner of the 1995 Outland Trophy.
Ogden would be the first ever draft pick made by the Baltimore Ravens. He went No. 4 to Baltimore back in 1996. Ogden became the first player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a career Raven in 2013. He has had his No. 79 jersey be retired by the Bruins and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Rick Bryan
Defensive Tackle, Oklahoma Sooners
Rick Bryan was another outstanding disruptive force in the middle of the Oklahoma Sooners defensive line. He was a two-time All-American in 1982 and 1983 with the Sooners. Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer applauded him for his work ethic.
Bryan was Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year in 1982. He was all-conference academically three times. Bryan holds the Oklahoma record for most career tackles by a defensive linemen at 365. He would have a 10-year NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons after being selected ninth overall in the 1984 NFL Draft.