Double Majors: Long Dry Spell for College Hoop All-Americans Playing in NFL
September 6th, 2014 - 11:08
Appeasing the PC police, the Dallas Cowboys generated ESPN-approved headlines by emphasizing Sam Who I Am warrants a second, third and fourth chance of becoming an NFL player. But shouldn't America's Team be known more for being the last NFL franchise to give versatile college basketball All-Americans (Utah State's Cornell Green and Tennessee's Ron Widby in mid-1970s) an opportunity to labor as authentic NFL players?
Versatile athletes are becoming an endangered species. Right after Labor Day is when college basketball annuals hit the newsstands about the same time the NFL regular season commences. In an era of specialization, the odds are against any of the projected college hoop All-Americans in the magazines enjoying a genuine NFL career such as the following alphabetical list of seven well-rounded athletes including two from Utah State:
| All-American | College | Hoop Pos. (A-A Year) | Summary of NFL Career |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otto Graham | Northwestern | F (1943 and 1944) | Five-time All-Pro QB played 10 seasons (1946 through 1955) with the Cleveland Browns and led team to championship game each year (All-America Football Conference from 1946 through 1949 and NFL from 1950 through 1955). |
| Cornell Green | Utah State | F (1962) | Five-time Pro Bowler intercepted 34 passes in 13 years as a DB with the Dallas Cowboys (1962 through 1974). |
| Vern Huffman | Indiana | G (1936) | QB-DB passed for 484 yards and rushed for 368 yards with the Detroit Lions in 1937 and 1938. |
| Ron Kramer | Michigan | C (1957) | WR for 10 seasons (1957 and 1959 through 1967) with the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. First-round draft choice caught 229 passes for 3,272 yards and 16 TDs. |
| Banks McFadden | Clemson | C (1939) | Selected by the Brooklyn Dodgers in the first round (third pick overall) of the 1940 NFL draft. Finished fourth in rushing in the NFL in his only pro season, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. |
| Kent "Rip" Ryan | Utah State | F-C (1936) | Halfback with the Detroit Lions for three seasons from 1938 through 1940. |
| Ron Widby | Tennessee | F (1967) | Averaged 42 yards per punt in six seasons (1968 through 1973) with the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. Punter appeared in the Pro Bowl following the 1971 campaign. |