Here we take a look at the top 10 Auburn football players to ever play in the NFL.
This weekend’s Pro Bowl, set in Orlando, Florida, for the first time after decades in Honolulu, Hawaii, signals the end of the National Football League season — except for the Super Bowl.
More than 285 football players from Auburn have been drafted by the NFL, and hundreds of other Tigers went undrafted and played on Sunday.
Here’s a look at the top 10 NFL players from Auburn based on their career statistics and Pro Bowl appearances.
10. Carlos Rogers, defensive back, Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers
Rogers was one of four Auburn players drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft, and he played 10 seasons, primarily with the Washington Redskins. His best season was in 2011, when he had six interceptions for 106 yards and a touchdown. For his career, Rogers recorded 17 picks for 374 yards and two TDs, and 412 tackles. His lone Pro Bowl was after the 2011 season.
Oct 12, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders cornerback Carlos Rogers (27) reacts against the San Diego Chargers at O.co Coliseum. The Chargers defeated the Raiders 31-28. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
At Auburn, Rogers won the Jim Thorpe Award as the country’s best defensive back. He was a key member of the undefeated 2004 team and played part of the 2003 season with a broken thumb. During his Auburn career, he had 7 interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.
9. Takeo Spikes, linebacker, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers
Drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round in 1998, Spikes played 15 years in the league. His best seasons were in 2003 and 2004 when he was named to the Pro Bowl and was an All Pro in 2004. In that season, Spikes had five picks for 122 yards and two touchdowns. He finished his career with 1013 tackles and 29 sacks.
Spikes entered the draft after his junior year, when he was named an All-American by The Sporting News and led the Tigers with 136 tackles. His high was 18 tackles against Florida. Spikes also had two interceptions that year, including one for a touchdown.
8. William Andrews, running back, Atlanta Falcons
A third-round draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 1979, Andrews rushed for 1,000 yards in his rookie season and never looked back. A four-time Pro Bowler, Andrews had his best year in 1983 when he has 331 carries for 1567 yards and seven TDs. That same year, he also caught 59 passes for 609 yards and another four TDs. Andrews would have been higher on this list, but injuries curtailed his career.
During three years at Auburn, Andrews rushed for 1,347 yards, averaging 5 yards per carry. He also had 7 touchdowns, but Andrews was primarily used as a blocking fullback for Joe Cribbs and James Brooks. In the 1978 Georgia game that ended in a 22-22 tie, Andrews thought he scored a touchdown on the last play of the first half, but referees ruled him down at the half yard line. There were no replays back then.
7. Stephen Davis, running back, Washington Redskins and Carolina Panthers
Davis was a fourth-round pick by the Redskins in 1996, but he quickly won the starting running back spot had more than 1300 yards rushing in four different NFL seasons, including 1405 yards rushing and a whopping 17 TDs in 1999. Davis made the Pro Bowl in 1999, 2000 and 2003, when he was with the Carolina Panthers. He was named second-team All NFL by the Associated Press in 1999.
Davis rushed for more than 1,000 yards at Auburn during both the 1994 and 1995 seasons, and he was a member of the undefeated 1993 team. He averaged more than 5.5 yards per rushing attempt in each of his seasons on the Plains and finished his Tiger career with 30 rushing touchdowns. His 17 total touchdowns in 1995 led the SEC.
6. Joe Cribbs, running back, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers
Drafted in the second round in 1980 by the Buffalo Bills, Cribbs rushed for more than 1000 yards in three of his first four NFL seasons, making the Pro Bowl in 1980, 1981 and 1983. His best year was in 1984 for the Birmingham Stallions when he led the USFL in rushing with 1467 yards. Cribbs returned to the NFL after his stint in the rival league, but he never made the Pro Bowl again.
Cribbs also rushed for more than 1,000 yards in his 1978 and 1979 seasons at Auburn, and he finished his Tiger career with 34 rushing touchdowns. He was the 1979 SEC Player of the Year and led the league in rushing touchdowns in 1978 and 1979. Cribbs also returned punts and kickoffs at Auburn.
5. James Brooks, running back, San Diego Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals
Brooks was the youngest of the ABC (Andrews-Brooks-Cribbs) backfield trio at Auburn and was drafted in the first round in 1981 by the San Diego Chargers. He didn’t make the first of his four Pro Bowl appearances until 1986, however, when he was with the Cincinnati Bengals and leading the league in 5.3 yards per rushing attempt. Brooks also made the Pro Bowl in 1988, 1989 and 1990. He’s also the only Auburn running back to appear in a Super Bowl. His best rushing year was in 1989 when he ran 221 times for 1239 yards and seven TDs.
Brooks also rushed for 1,000 yards for Auburn in 1979, giving the Tigers two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season. In 1978, Brooks averaged a whopping 7.4 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns. He followed that season up with 1,314 rushing yards in 1980. Brooks also led the SEC in kick returns in 1977 and 1979.
4. Willie Anderson, right tackle, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens
Anderson was drafted in the first round in 1996 by the Bengals, and he played his first 12 seasons for them. He was a four-time Pro Bowl player and was named an All Pro three times — in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Anderson played in 195 totals games in his NFL career, ending up with a final season with the Baltimore Ravens. His mammoth size — he was 6-foot-5 and weighed 340 pounds — allowed him to push defensive lineman out of the way and protect his quarterback.
Anderson’s son, Jair Anderson, is a wide receiver for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. When the elder Anderson was at Auburn, he played for the undefeated 1993 team. Anderson was also a first alternate for the Pro Bowl in 2001 and 2002. A USA Today High School All-American, Anderson retired from the Ravens to spend more time with his son.
3. Cam Newton, quarterback, Carolina Panthers
Give Cam another six or seven productive years and another Super Bowl appearance, and he’ll likely be ranked higher on this list. Currently, Newton has three Pro Bowl appearances and was named to the 2015 All Pro team, when he was also the league most valuable player. In six seasons, he’s thrown for 136 touchdowns and 21,772 yards and rushed for 3566 yards and 48 touchdowns. A down season in 2016 left him frustrated, but Newton has plenty of time left in his career to rack up more Pro Bowls.
Jan 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) signals the fourth quarter in the NFC Championship football game against the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Newton spent just one year at Auburn, but what a season it was. He led the Tigers to its first national championship since 1957 and won the third Heisman Trophy at Auburn, earning him a statue outside Jordan-Hare Stadium. Newton passed for 2,854 yards and 30 touchdowns and rushed for 1,473 yards and 20 touchdowns during the 2010 season. Oh, and he also caught a touchdown pass.
2. Kevin Greene, linebacker and defensive end, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers
Drafted by the Rams in the fifth round in the 1985 draft, Greene played 15 years in the NFL and made the Pro Bowl for three different teams — the Rams, Steelers and Panthers. He had five Pro Bowl appearances and was a two-time All Pro. His best seasons were in 1988 and 1989, when he had 16.5 sacks apiece. He led the league in 1996 with 14.5 sacks. In 228 games, he finished with 160 sacks, which ranks third overall behind Bruce Smith and Reggie White. And he’s just one of two Auburn alums in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Greene was a walk-on at Auburn, but he led the SEC in 1984 with 11 sacks, a season that ended with a Cotton Bowl appearance. He was named the Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC that year. Greene is one of the few Auburn players to play in a Super Bowl when he was with the Steelers. Greene was NFL Linebacker of the Year in 1996 and 1998.
1. Frank Gatski, center, Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions
Gatski was known as “Gunner” because of his intense playing style — he never missed a game or practice in 12 years of pro football, and the Browns kept only one center on the roster as a result. He was a member of the last Lions team to win the NFL championship. After he retired, he was a scout for the Boston Patriots in the American Football League. He was elected to the Hall of Fame the same year as O.J. Simpson, Joe Namath and Roger Staubach.
Just missing out on making this list are running back Ronnie Brown, who made one Pro Bowl with the Miami Dolphins; Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson, who made one Pro Bowl; and Steve Wallace, who made one Pro Bowl blocking for Joe Montana on the San Francisco 49ers. Bo Jackson was named to a Pro Bowl with the Oakland Raiders, but was injured and did not play.
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