30 best HBCU football players of all time, ranked

Jerry Rice, Walter Payton and the 30 best HBCU football players of all time

By Dante Pryor | May 11, 2021

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 28: Jerry Rice #80 of the San Francisco 49ers runs with the ball against the Denver Broncos during Super Bowl XXIV on January 28, 1990 at the Super Dome in New Orleans, LA. The 49ers won the Super Bowl 55-10. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Joseph Labolito/NFLPhotoLibrary) /

11. Michael Strahan, defensive end, Texas Southern

Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan has one of the more incredible journeys to the NFL and Canton. A Houston, Texas native, Strahan is the son of a retired Army major and boxer. The elder Strahan was stationed in Germany when Michael was nine years old.

While coming up on a US Army base in Germany, Strahan was introduced to football and played at the base high school in Germany. Strahan’s size and natural ability led his father to send Strahan to his uncle, former NFL player Arthur Strahan to play his senior year back in Houston.

Though Strahan did not receive any significant college offers, he was offered a scholarship by Texas Southern. While at Texas Southern, Strahan set a school record with 19 sacks as a senior. In 1992, Strahan was the SWAC’s defensive player of the year and first-team all SWAC.

Strahan left Texas Southern, and he was the Tigers’ all-time leader in sacks (41.5). The New York Giants drafted Strahan in the second round in 1993, where his dominance over quarterbacks continued.

Strahan’s break-out season was 1997, where he led the team in sacks (14). In 2001, Strahan broke Mark Gastineau’s single-season record for sacks (22.5) on his way to being named NFL defensive player of the year. Strahan ended his career as part of the 100 sacks club.

Strahan was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

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