Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

It doesn't cease to amaze me the severe lack of QBs who led their teams to National Championships in college who also had significant success as an NFL QB. In fact, I was just now about to type that I can't come up with any...but then Cam Newton and Bernie Kosar came to mind. But I think that's about it! I would have to roll up my sleeves and dig decades into history to find any others. Now as for undrafted NFL QBs who won the NC in college...can any of us even count how many??

Yes, the NFL is so much different than the college game as we all, of course, know. But to the actual point that next to no college champs playing under center make it to the NFL at that very position?? Heavy lack of NC QBs who never also won a SB? Okay, understandable. Heavy lack of NC QBs that make it into the NFL but no relevant career at the position? Uh, I guess, but not really. Shouldn’t there be more? And then the real mind-scrambler…all those countless UNDRAFTED QBs??


EDIT - I’m so ashamed! Just how did ’77 slip my mind??

Are you asking college National Champ winning QBs that went undrafted, then had success in the NFL?

Newton was drafted #1 overall, not undrafted. Kosar was taken in the supplemental draft, not sure if you're counting that as undrafted or not.

Joe Namath and Joe Montana won NC and Super Bowls.

sluggermatt15 wrote:Are you asking college National Champ winning QBs that went undrafted, then had success in the NFL?

Newton was drafted #1 overall, not undrafted. Kosar was taken in the supplemental draft, not sure if you're counting that as undrafted or not.

I meant either scenario. Either the best NFL QBs-period who won a NC (drafted or not), or those who went undrafted (picked up or not).

Bringing up some '80s names:

I'm assuming that Buck Belue of the '80 Bulldogs didn't get drafted. This is whether he even made himself eligible or not. He did play for the Montreal Expos for a few years (maybe he made it known he preferred baseball). But he did end up in Jacksonville (USFL) in '84 & '85.

John Shaffer went undrafted but did get a tryout with Dallas. He beat Landry to the punch by asking him to be cut. Unspectacular statistical rep aside (yes, he wasn't the "reason" Penn St beat Miami), Shaffer did post an insane 66-1 lifetime record as a starting QB going back to...7th grade!! His only loss a BIG one, though...to Switzer's Sooners in the Orange Bowl on 1/1/86!

Tony Rice, ND '88...I remember being surprised, at the time, he not getting drafted at all. But he did make it up north to the CFL for a bit.

I forgot that Robbie Bosco (BYU '84) did, indeed, get drafted. Played for Green Bay a bit.

Mark wrote:Joe Namath and Joe Montana won NC and Super Bowls.

NAMATH too! Forgot that as well! I'm slipping.

I still admire Steve Walsh. Leads the Canes to a national championship after the dreadful 1986 Orange Bowl and Testeverde hoopla, then has a 10 year NFL career with a weak-to-average arm.
Ken Stabler led the Crimson Tide to an undefeated season in 1966 but Alabama didnt win the NC due to racial policies in some peoples minds. His arm was considered average as well and his knee was bad coming out, where he signed with the Raiders but was assigned to a semi-farm team not making the roster till 1970.

I think Gino Torretta won a NC with Miami as well but was dreadful as a pro ...

The one that jumps out at me is Tom Clements who was the QB for the 1973 NC Fighting Irish. He went undrafted but played 10 years in the CFL, and then starting in 1992 has been employed on NFL coaching staffs through the present day.

RRMarshall wrote:The one that jumps out at me is Tom Clements who was the QB for the 1973 NC Fighting Irish. He went undrafted but played 10 years in the CFL, and then starting in 1992 has been employed on NFL coaching staffs through the present day.

Clements played briefly in 1980 for the Chiefs, but from 1975-1979 and 1981-1987 he was one of the top QBs playing in the CFL for four different teams, winning Grey Cups in 1976 with Ottawa and 1984 with Winnipeg. In his final season he was named the CFL Most Outstanding Player. He is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

This is an interesting question. Took a quick look at this century and I either forgot a lot of QBs or I wasn't following very closely in the first place.

I think the jury is still out on a few (Lawrence obviously, Tua, and maybe a couple others). Alabama wins a lot and they aren't necessarily known for their passing game.

Super Bowls aren't easy to win, but it does seems like if we add up the All-Pro seasons, or just loosely define whether the player became a star in the NFL, the number is a little low. What do you think? I did this without Google so I may have some mistakes. Does anyone recall others?

2021 Georgia - ?
2020 Alabama - ?
2019 LSU - ?
2018 Clemson - Lawrence is in this year's draft.
2017 Alabama - Hurts and Tua?
2016 Clemson - Deshaun Watson?
2015 Alabama - ?
2014 Ohio State - ?
2013 Florida State - Winston with Saints now
2012 Alabama ?
2011 Alabama ?
2010 Auburn Cam went to a SB
2009 Alabama ?
2008 Florida Tebow
2007 LSU ?
2006 Florida Tebow
2005 Texas - Vince Young
2004 Southern California - Matt Leinhart
2003 LSU, Southern California ?
2002 Ohio State ?
2001 Miami (Fla.) ?
2000 Oklahoma ?

TanksAndSpartans wrote:This is an interesting question. Took a quick look at this century and I either forgot a lot of QBs or I wasn't following very closely in the first place.

I think the jury is still out on a few (Lawrence obviously, Tua, and maybe a couple others). Alabama wins a lot and they aren't necessarily known for their passing game.

Super Bowls aren't easy to win, but it does seems like if we add up the All-Pro seasons, or just loosely define whether the player became a star in the NFL, the number is a little low. What do you think? I did this without Google so I may have some mistakes. Does anyone recall others?

2021 Georgia - ?
2020 Alabama - ?
2019 LSU - ?
2018 Clemson - Lawrence is in this year's draft.
2017 Alabama - Hurts and Tua?
2016 Clemson - Deshaun Watson?
2015 Alabama - ?
2014 Ohio State - ?
2013 Florida State - Winston with Saints now
2012 Alabama ?
2011 Alabama ?
2010 Auburn Cam went to a SB
2009 Alabama ?
2008 Florida Tebow
2007 LSU ?
2006 Florida Tebow
2005 Texas - Vince Young
2004 Southern California - Matt Leinhart
2003 LSU, Southern California ?
2002 Ohio State ?
2001 Miami (Fla.) ?
2000 Oklahoma ?

Give me a little time within the next week or two and I myself would like the roll up my sleeves, dive, and make a list (numerous years will have two champs) all the way into the '60s, or '50s, or so of National Champion QBs! So many no-names in the mix! Does a college football national champion even need a QB? Or, at least, only need one who..."won't screw it up"? Peyton at Tennessee gets bombed in big bowl games as well as against Florida in the regular season (which is a big part as to why I, obviously, wrongly, thought Leaf would do better), then Tee Martin (future-Steeler-no-name) takes over and wins-it-all in '99! Go figure.

Leinart's Trojans in '05 were so hyped, made to be 'rock-stars', that it's so easy to forget that Vince Young/Texas actually won it! Not only were both unbeaten going in, but its not as if the perceived 'gap' between both undefeateds was quite like Penn St/Miami in '86 (or Harvard/Yale '68). Yet it's still treated as a colossal upset and here I - already knowing the 'gap' wasn't that big - still keep forgetting Texas won! And Vince Young, though still overall not an NFL success, had some highlight moments. Better pro career FWIW than Leinart!

Joe Burrow off to a fine start! Already clinched his way into the upper echelon in this particular category/topic.

Burrow in 2019 - good one.

What about Heisman Trophy winning QBs? Do NFL "busts" outnumber successes? Seems like it off the top of my head.