Silhouettes of two football players both jumping for ball in bright stadium

A Look at Where Pro Football Players Went to College

Do you know where your favorite athletes went to college? Check out these five big-name football players and their higher education alma maters.

While we may view our favorite pro athletes as gifted and talented, many of them went to college just like millions of other civilians. Whether they started at community college like Philadelphia Eagle’s cornerback Darius Slay Jr. or attended a top-notch university on a full-ride scholarship like Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool, these phenomenal athletes didn’t just put in the work at the gym and on the field—they started by putting school first. Here’s a look at five amazing athletes’ careers and their alma maters.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts: The University of Alabama and the University of Oklahoma

Drafted as the53rd pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft, Jalen Hurts had every Sooners fan on their feet during the 2019 season playing for the University of Oklahoma. But he started off his football career majoring in Communication at the University of Alabama from 2016–2018 before transferring to Oklahoma in 2019. Hurts was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles and signed a $6 million, four-year contract. As of right now, he’s the new starting quarterback for the Eagles, replacing Carson Wentz, who played four seasons on a $128 million contract.

Related: A Look at the Biggest College Athletic Conferences for Football

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb: The University of Oklahoma

You’ve probably heard of CeeDee Lamb, arguably the top steal of the 2020 wide receiver’s class. Lamb was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys as the 17th overall pick of the season. He majored in Communication and played football all four years of college at the University of Oklahoma—including one season with Jalen Hurts. Lamb proved to have the greatest hands, especially for a rookie, with 74 catches for 934 yards. As of today, he’s one of the Cowboys’ lead receivers and has a four-year, $14 million contract.

Linebacker TJ Watt: The University of Wisconsin

The last name Watt might seem very familiar—TJ Watt is the younger brother of JJ and Derek Watt. TJ has quickly made a name for himself in the NFL, being voted to represent the American Football Conference (AFC) in the Pro Bowl for three seasons in a row as well as being named the AFC Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. He played football for the University of Wisconsin and majored in Retailing & Consumer Behavior. For the 2020 season, TJ had the most sacks with 15, as well as 43 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one interception. He was drafted in 2017 and had a four-year, $9 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the NFL’s greatest defense teams.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Tailgating in College

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs: The University of Maryland

Stefon Diggs played football for three seasons at the University of Maryland from 2012–2014 while majoring in American Studies. He entered the 2015 NFL draft and was picked up by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round as the 146th pick, though he now plays for the Buffalo Bills. Diggs has made the playoffs, lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the conference championships, and averages $15.9 million per year. According to ESPN, he can run 23 miles per hour.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger: Miami University

As a Steelers fan, I personally consider Ben Roesthlisberger—Big Ben—to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, along with Drew Brees. He graduated from Miami University with a bachelor’s degree in Education. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers as the 11th overall pick and is currently the last actively playing quarterback of the 2004 Miami U class. Roethlisberger has won two Super Bowls in his career: Super Bowl XL (2006) and XLII (2009). In the 2020 season, he had a winning streak of 11–0 before it was broken by the Washington Football Team. Roethlisberger’s seasonal rates for the 2020–2021 season include 3,803 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

Related: 4 Focused College Search Tips for Student-Athletes

Every pro athlete has their own story. Each of these stars started playing college football and worked hard by training any chance they got. But they made it big by choosing to do more than just throw all their effort into sports; they chose the school where they felt the most comfortable, one they felt would bring out the best in them every time they stepped onto the field. You can follow in the footsteps of these great athletes by choosing the college or university with the best academics, sports, and health benefits for you—a school that makes you feel at home. 

Want to read more about football? We have a ton of great blogs, articles, and lists about sports in our College Athletics section! 

Sources

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About B. Juda

B. Juda is just a random 15-year-old kid with a passion for writing and helping others. B. likes cooking but not baking (if that makes sense) and is the only Steelers fan in Kansas City.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

Goucher College

Baltimore, MD


Carlie Cadet

Carlie Cadet

High School Class of 2019

CollegeXpress has helped me learn about an abundance of scholarships available to me and my situation. I was able to do research for colleges in my best interest with your website. I've had multiple colleges email me and offer me multiple scholarships and things of that nature because of this website! Thank you so much for uploading scholarships I didn’t even know existed, even if my life took a huge turn and I wasn’t able to go to college straight out of high school. CollegeXpress helped me a lot in high school to be even more motivated to get into my dream college (which I did, by the way). I'm looking forward to using the materials CollegeXpress has kindly provided me for free to look for scholarships to help pay for college.

Victoria Fuss

Victoria Fuss

March Madness Scholarship Winner, Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has helped me dramatically. Moving on to the next level has been a dream of my mine since I was just a young kid, and the support and help CollegeXpress has given me will help me further my education. I couldn’t be more grateful to everyone at CollegeXpress!

Mataya Mann

Mataya Mann

High School Class of 2022

To say that CollegeXpress is a helpful tool would be an understatement as it is much more than that. Before finding CollegeXpress, all I knew was that I wanted to go to college, it was going to be insanely expensive, and I felt lost. CollegeXpress has given me access to resources such as helpful tips for applications and scholarship [opportunities], and helped guide me in a direction where I feel confident moving forward and pursuing a career. CollegeXpress has helped instill a spark in me that makes me want to continue and supports me in doing so.

Maya Ingraham

Maya Ingraham

October 2021 Mini Scholarship Winner, Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has given me more confidence in my college process. With easy-to-access resources and guidance such as the CX Weekly Roundup, I have been able to find the best colleges for me. Most importantly, there’s a surplus of scholarship opportunities for every student to support their education.

Michael

Michael

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress showed me that Western New England University was a great match for me both with curriculum and location. CollegeXpress is an excellent resource both future and current college students.