Best college football players of all time from every state

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STANFORD, CA – 1982: Quarterback John Elway #7 of the Stanford Cardinal talks with head coach Paul Wiggin during a time out circa 1982 at the Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California. (Photo by Stanford/Collegiate Images/Getty Images) /

Washington – John Elway

John Elway, a Port Angeles, Washington native, was a football and baseball star at Stanford and despite never leading his team to a Bowl Game, had a very accomplished collegiate career.

In his time with the Cardinal, Elway completed 774 passes for 9,349 yards and 77 touchdowns and a 20-23 record. However, Elway’s 24 touchdown passes in 1982 had led the nation, and Elway held nearly every meaningful Pac-10 passing record.

He was the Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1980 and 1982, and was a consensus All-American as a senior, finishing in second place for the Heisman Trophy. Also a second-round pick in the MLB Draft, Elway graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

Elway used his baseball career as leverage to force a trade to the Broncos where he had a Hall of Fame career and won a pair of Super Bowls in five appearances in Big Game.

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