Due to his wife, the Rutgers all-time two players have officially announced there retirements due to…
From the program’s founding years to the first Greg Schiano period to the present, Rutgers has sent numerous football players to the NFL.
However, at the highest level of the game, who has been the greatest Scarlet Knight?
The list of the top 25 Rutgers NFL players in history is provided by NJ Advance Media. We considered a number of metrics, including intangibles and statistics, years in the league, draft position, on-field accolades, postseason success, and Pro Football Reference’s Career Approximate Value ratings.
The ranks are as follows:
1. Deron Cherry: The Chiefs signed the Palmyra native as an undrafted free agent in 1981, and he went on to become a six-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl safety. During his 11-year career, he was based in Kansas City.
and has been inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame. Cherry was selected to the NFL All-Decade Team during the 1980s. Throughout his career, Cherry racked up over 900 tackles and 50 interceptions.
2. Devin McCourty: A first-round selection in 2010 (at pick No. 27 overall), McCourty is a three-time Second Team All-Pro at safety and has won three Super Bowls with the Patriots. Following his re-signing this offseason, he will probably complete his career in New England.
3. Ray Rice: Following his spectacular Rutgers career, Rice was one of the NFL’s top running backs for a spell and helped the Ravens win a Super Bowl. However, Rice’s career ended following his domestic violence incident in an Atlantic City casino. Since then, rice has developed into an
vocal opponent of domestic abuse who has given talks at Rutgers. In the second round of the 2008 draft, Rice was selected by Baltimore at pick No. 55 overall. He had four seasons with 1,000 yards and was selected twice for the Second Team All-Pro. He was also a three-time Pro Bowler.
4. Bill Pickel: One of the most underappreciated players in Rutgers history is the defensive tackle. Pickel won a Super Bowl as a rookie and finished his 12-year career with 56 sacks with the Raiders and Jets. Pickel was selected by the Raiders with the 54th overall pick in the second round of the 1983 draft, and in 1986, he was named to the First Team All-Pro.
5. Bill Pellington: A 12-year veteran, the Paterson native joined the Baltimore Colts as an undrafted free agent.
from 1953 to 1964, playing linebacker; he won NFL titles in 1958 (the “Greatest Game Ever Played”) and 1959. In his final season, at the age of 38, Pellington—an aggressive, hard-nosed tackler—was named to the Second Team All-Pro and was frequently passed over for additional on-field awards.
