Double Dipping: DI All-Conference Hoopers Eventually Transitioning to NFL

Will Mo Alie-Cox (Indianapolis Colts) or George Fant (New York Jets), both in the midst of multi-year contract extensions, become the eighth major-university athlete to achieve NFL Pro Bowl status after earning all-league acclaim as a college hooper? Cox (Virginia Commonwealth) and Fant (Western Kentucky) are the only players in this category since fellow mid-major hoopers Darren Fells (UC Irvine) and Joe Reitz (Western Michigan) in 2008. Fant and Reitz are among 12 individuals earning all-conference acclaim at least three times before competing in the NFL. The only one of the group to be a four-time all-league choice is Kansas' Otto Schnellbacher in the 1940s before leading NFL with 11 interceptions in 1951 for the New York Giants.

It was a far different era at the start of national postseason competition when at least four versatile players were named all-league hoopers each year from 1936 through 1939 prior to entering the NFL. The Big Ten Conference hasn't contributed an athlete in this category in more than 50 years but boasted eight different such individuals from 1936 through 1969 including All-Americans Otto Graham (Northwestern), Vern Huffman (Indiana), Ron Kramer (Michigan) and Max Morris (Northwestern). In deference to the start of a new pro football campaign, following is an alphabetical list of all-conference basketball players from DI leagues who wound up competing in the NFL:

NOTE: Casares, Gates, Graham, Kramer, Lundy, Schnellbacher and Widby became NFL Pro Bowlers.