[Click here for Part II, which focuses on more recent drafts.]
Gregg Rosenthal on NFL.com noted that both the Patriots and Buccaneers have eight former Rutgers players on each of their rosters. With former Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano coaching in Tampa Bay, seeing Scarlet Knights pop up in Florida isn’t too surprising. With Belichick, you can trace the Piscataway-Foxboro connection to the fact that Belichick has long been an admirer of Schiano’s program and that his son was a member of the Rutgers football team.In the 2013 draft, Belichick selected three players from Rutgers — cornerback Logan Ryan, safety Duron Harmon, and linebacker Steve Beauharnais. The Patriots were one of two teams to draft three players from one college. Down in Miami, the Dolphins selected three Florida Gators, linebacker Jelani Jenkins, running back Mike Gillislee, and kicker Caleb Sturgis.
It’s not unusual for teams to get smitten with the Gators program. In the last 25 years, only once has a team selected four players from the same college. That happened in 2003, when Chicago drafted the following players from Gainesville: quarterback Rex Grossman, defensive back Todd Johnson, and defensive tackles Ian Scott and Tron LaFavor.
Which team has selected the most players from one school? As it turns out, there’s a two-way tie. 2013 will mark the 77th season for the Rams, who spent their first nine years in Cleveland and their last eighteen in St. Louis. But the middle fifty years were spent in Los Angeles (or Anaheim), and the franchise has drafted 45 players from UCLA. The other team to draft 45 players from one school also had a local connection. The Steelers used to go to the Pittsburgh well repeatedly, although they have selected only Panther in the last 20 drafts. You can view the 90 Rams/Bruins and Steelers/Rams draftees here.
Want to see which school your favorite team likes? The table below shows the top five schools from which each NFL team has drafted the most players. I’ve also added a very cool feature: If you click on each school, you can see the full list of players drafted by that team. The table is fully searchable, too, so you can see which NFL teams like to draft from “Florida” or “Penn St.” or “Michigan.”
Finally, here’s a list of all teams that drafted 20 players from at least one school. This table is searchable, too.
Rank | Franchise | School | Players |
---|---|---|---|
1 | St. Louis Rams | UCLA | 45 |
1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Pittsburgh | 45 |
3 | Chicago Bears | Notre Dame | 41 |
3 | Green Bay Packers | Minnesota | 41 |
5 | St. Louis Rams | Washington | 38 |
5 | St. Louis Rams | USC | 38 |
7 | Green Bay Packers | Wisconsin | 37 |
7 | Arizona Cardinals | Oklahoma | 37 |
9 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Notre Dame | 35 |
10 | Washington Redskins | Notre Dame | 34 |
11 | Green Bay Packers | USC | 33 |
12 | Cleveland Browns | Ohio St. | 32 |
13 | Detroit Lions | USC | 31 |
13 | St. Louis Rams | Notre Dame | 31 |
15 | Chicago Bears | Ohio St. | 30 |
15 | New York Giants | Mississippi | 30 |
15 | Detroit Lions | Michigan | 30 |
18 | Washington Redskins | USC | 29 |
19 | Philadelphia Eagles | Notre Dame | 28 |
20 | Arizona Cardinals | Notre Dame | 27 |
21 | Chicago Bears | Texas | 26 |
21 | St. Louis Rams | Oklahoma | 26 |
21 | Chicago Bears | Oklahoma | 26 |
21 | St. Louis Rams | Ohio St. | 26 |
21 | Green Bay Packers | Notre Dame | 26 |
21 | Green Bay Packers | Michigan | 26 |
27 | San Francisco 49ers | USC | 25 |
27 | New York Jets | Penn St. | 25 |
29 | New York Giants | USC | 24 |
29 | New York Giants | Texas | 24 |
29 | Chicago Bears | Stanford | 24 |
29 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Penn St. | 24 |
29 | St. Louis Rams | Oregon | 24 |
29 | Arizona Cardinals | LSU | 24 |
29 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Florida | 24 |
36 | Philadelphia Eagles | USC | 23 |
36 | Arizona Cardinals | Texas | 23 |
36 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Purdue | 23 |
36 | Philadelphia Eagles | Ohio St. | 23 |
36 | Green Bay Packers | Ohio St. | 23 |
36 | Detroit Lions | Ohio St. | 23 |
36 | Chicago Bears | Northwestern | 23 |
36 | Green Bay Packers | Nebraska | 23 |
36 | New York Giants | Minnesota | 23 |
36 | New England Patriots | Boston Col. | 23 |
46 | Oakland Raiders | USC | 22 |
46 | Cleveland Browns | Purdue | 22 |
46 | Green Bay Packers | Oklahoma | 22 |
46 | St. Louis Rams | Nebraska | 22 |
46 | Arizona Cardinals | Indiana | 22 |
46 | Arizona Cardinals | Auburn | 22 |
52 | San Diego Chargers | USC | 21 |
52 | Philadelphia Eagles | Texas | 21 |
52 | Detroit Lions | Tennessee | 21 |
52 | Washington Redskins | Penn St. | 21 |
52 | Philadelphia Eagles | Penn St. | 21 |
52 | Green Bay Packers | Iowa | 21 |
52 | Philadelphia Eagles | Georgia | 21 |
52 | Green Bay Packers | Alabama | 21 |
52 | Arizona Cardinals | Alabama | 21 |
61 | Arizona Cardinals | Texas A&M | 20 |
61 | St. Louis Rams | Texas | 20 |
61 | Philadelphia Eagles | Purdue | 20 |
61 | Detroit Lions | Purdue | 20 |
61 | Detroit Lions | Oklahoma | 20 |
61 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Ohio St. | 20 |
61 | New York Giants | Ohio St. | 20 |
61 | San Francisco 49ers | Notre Dame | 20 |
61 | New York Giants | Notre Dame | 20 |
61 | Minnesota Vikings | Minnesota | 20 |
61 | St. Louis Rams | Michigan St. | 20 |
61 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Michigan St. | 20 |
61 | New York Giants | Michigan St. | 20 |
61 | Cleveland Browns | Michigan St. | 20 |
61 | New York Giants | Michigan | 20 |
61 | Chicago Bears | Michigan | 20 |
61 | Arizona Cardinals | Georgia | 20 |
78 | Arizona Cardinals | Wisconsin | 19 |
78 | Indianapolis Colts | Syracuse | 19 |
78 | Green Bay Packers | South Carolina | 19 |
78 | Chicago Bears | Purdue | 19 |
78 | Indianapolis Colts | Penn St. | 19 |
78 | Buffalo Bills | Penn St. | 19 |
78 | Washington Redskins | Nebraska | 19 |
78 | Detroit Lions | Michigan St. | 19 |
78 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Michigan | 19 |
78 | Chicago Bears | Miami (FL) | 19 |
78 | Washington Redskins | Maryland | 19 |
78 | St. Louis Rams | LSU | 19 |
78 | Philadelphia Eagles | LSU | 19 |
78 | New York Giants | LSU | 19 |
78 | Chicago Bears | Illinois | 19 |
78 | Chicago Bears | Florida | 19 |
78 | Philadelphia Eagles | Arkansas | 19 |
78 | Green Bay Packers | Arkansas | 19 |
78 | Chicago Bears | Arkansas | 19 |
78 | Washington Redskins | Alabama | 19 |
78 | New York Giants | Alabama | 19 |
99 | Arizona Cardinals | Washington | 18 |
99 | Tennessee Titans | Texas | 18 |
99 | Washington Redskins | Tennessee | 18 |
99 | Dallas Cowboys | Tennessee | 18 |
99 | Arizona Cardinals | Tennessee | 18 |
99 | Green Bay Packers | SMU | 18 |
99 | Arizona Cardinals | Ohio St. | 18 |
99 | Indianapolis Colts | Ohio St. | 18 |
99 | Buffalo Bills | Notre Dame | 18 |
99 | Chicago Bears | Maryland | 18 |
99 | Detroit Lions | LSU | 18 |
99 | Arizona Cardinals | Duke | 18 |
99 | Green Bay Packers | Colorado | 18 |
99 | Cleveland Browns | Baylor | 18 |
99 | Chicago Bears | Baylor | 18 |
114 | Chicago Bears | Wisconsin | 17 |
114 | Chicago Bears | Wake Forest | 17 |
114 | New Orleans Saints | USC | 17 |
114 | Chicago Bears | USC | 17 |
114 | Philadelphia Eagles | Texas A&M | 17 |
114 | Philadelphia Eagles | Tennessee | 17 |
114 | Chicago Bears | Tennessee | 17 |
114 | Philadelphia Eagles | TCU | 17 |
114 | Green Bay Packers | TCU | 17 |
114 | Chicago Bears | TCU | 17 |
114 | New York Giants | Syracuse | 17 |
114 | San Francisco 49ers | Pittsburgh | 17 |
114 | St. Louis Rams | Oregon St. | 17 |
114 | Cincinnati Bengals | Ohio St. | 17 |
114 | New England Patriots | Notre Dame | 17 |
114 | Detroit Lions | Notre Dame | 17 |
114 | Arizona Cardinals | Missouri | 17 |
114 | Philadelphia Eagles | Mississippi | 17 |
114 | Indianapolis Colts | Michigan St. | 17 |
114 | New England Patriots | Michigan | 17 |
114 | Cleveland Browns | Michigan | 17 |
114 | St. Louis Rams | Georgia Tech | 17 |
114 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Georgia | 17 |
114 | Chicago Bears | Georgia | 17 |
114 | San Francisco 49ers | Florida | 17 |
114 | Detroit Lions | Detroit Mercy | 17 |
114 | San Francisco 49ers | California | 17 |
114 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Baylor | 17 |
114 | Philadelphia Eagles | Baylor | 17 |
114 | New York Giants | Arkansas | 17 |
114 | Arizona Cardinals | Arkansas | 17 |
145 | Philadelphia Eagles | West Virginia | 16 |
145 | St. Louis Rams | Washington St. | 16 |
145 | Detroit Lions | Washington St. | 16 |
145 | Indianapolis Colts | USC | 16 |
145 | Cleveland Browns | USC | 16 |
145 | Dallas Cowboys | UCLA | 16 |
145 | Chicago Bears | UCLA | 16 |
145 | Green Bay Packers | Tulane | 16 |
145 | Washington Redskins | Texas A&M | 16 |
145 | St. Louis Rams | Texas A&M | 16 |
145 | Washington Redskins | Texas | 16 |
145 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Texas | 16 |
145 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Tennessee | 16 |
145 | San Francisco 49ers | Stanford | 16 |
145 | Philadelphia Eagles | Stanford | 16 |
145 | Detroit Lions | South Carolina | 16 |
145 | Washington Redskins | Purdue | 16 |
145 | Green Bay Packers | Purdue | 16 |
145 | St. Louis Rams | Penn St. | 16 |
145 | San Francisco 49ers | Oregon | 16 |
145 | Philadelphia Eagles | Oklahoma | 16 |
145 | Arizona Cardinals | Northwestern | 16 |
145 | Buffalo Bills | North Carolina | 16 |
145 | New York Jets | Nebraska | 16 |
145 | New Orleans Saints | Nebraska | 16 |
145 | Detroit Lions | Nebraska | 16 |
145 | Cleveland Browns | Nebraska | 16 |
145 | Chicago Bears | Nebraska | 16 |
145 | Washington Redskins | Michigan St. | 16 |
145 | Washington Redskins | Michigan | 16 |
145 | Arizona Cardinals | Michigan | 16 |
145 | Chicago Bears | LSU | 16 |
145 | Philadelphia Eagles | Iowa | 16 |
145 | St. Louis Rams | Illinois | 16 |
145 | Green Bay Packers | Illinois | 16 |
145 | Arizona Cardinals | Illinois | 16 |
145 | Washington Redskins | Georgia | 16 |
145 | Green Bay Packers | Georgia | 16 |
145 | New York Giants | Florida | 16 |
145 | Philadelphia Eagles | Colorado | 16 |
145 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Clemson | 16 |
145 | New York Giants | Clemson | 16 |
145 | Chicago Bears | California | 16 |
145 | Philadelphia Eagles | Boston Col. | 16 |
145 | St. Louis Rams | Baylor | 16 |
145 | San Francisco 49ers | Alabama | 16 |
191 | Detroit Lions | West Virginia | 15 |
191 | Green Bay Packers | Washington | 15 |
191 | Arizona Cardinals | Wake Forest | 15 |
191 | Green Bay Packers | UCLA | 15 |
191 | Indianapolis Colts | Texas A&M | 15 |
191 | New York Giants | South Carolina | 15 |
191 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Oklahoma | 15 |
191 | Tennessee Titans | Oklahoma | 15 |
191 | Washington Redskins | Ohio St. | 15 |
191 | Buffalo Bills | Ohio St. | 15 |
191 | Kansas City Chiefs | Notre Dame | 15 |
191 | Cleveland Browns | Notre Dame | 15 |
191 | Washington Redskins | North Carolina | 15 |
191 | Arizona Cardinals | North Carolina | 15 |
191 | Oakland Raiders | Nebraska | 15 |
191 | New York Giants | Nebraska | 15 |
191 | Arizona Cardinals | Nebraska | 15 |
191 | Philadelphia Eagles | Mississippi St. | 15 |
191 | Chicago Bears | Minnesota | 15 |
191 | Philadelphia Eagles | Michigan St. | 15 |
191 | Green Bay Packers | Michigan St. | 15 |
191 | Chicago Bears | Michigan St. | 15 |
191 | Indianapolis Colts | Michigan | 15 |
191 | Miami Dolphins | Miami (FL) | 15 |
191 | Cleveland Browns | Maryland | 15 |
191 | Detroit Lions | Iowa St. | 15 |
191 | Washington Redskins | Georgia Tech | 15 |
191 | Denver Broncos | Florida | 15 |
191 | New York Giants | Colorado | 15 |
191 | Cleveland Browns | Colorado | 15 |
191 | Washington Redskins | California | 15 |
191 | Philadelphia Eagles | California | 15 |
191 | Green Bay Packers | Boston Col. | 15 |
191 | St. Louis Rams | Arkansas | 15 |
191 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Arkansas | 15 |
191 | San Francisco 49ers | Arizona St. | 15 |