We’re still about six weeks away from USF’s first football game of the season, which means for platforms like this, it’s a time of lists rather than consequential news.
However, some of those lists can be interesting fodder. I am a longtime Cincinnati Bengals fan (pray for me), and with training camp about to open, my favorite team hasn’t signed NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson or its first two draft picks.
In checking the news (or lack thereof) about Hendrickson, his bio showed that he played collegiately at Florida Atlantic. I didn’t know that.
Intrigued, I asked ChatGPT to list the best NFL player ever from each American Athletic Conference program.
This is what it created.
The alternate choices for each program are mine. Oh, and I disagreed with its choice of quarterback Jeff Blake for East Carolina, so I changed it.
Army
Glenn Davis — Halfback
He won the Heisman Trophy in 1946 and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 1947 (but served his military commitment first)
Davis played in the NFL from 1950–1952.
Doc Blanchard was also a Heisman winner, but never played in the NFL due to military service.
Alternate choice: Alejandro Villanueva, an offensive lineman and former Army Ranger, who played eight NFL seasons with Pittsburgh and Baltimore after serving three tours of duty in Afghanistan.
Charlotte
A young program, but the best so far: Larry Ogunjobi (DT) – Browns, Bengals, Steelers.
Alternate choice: Pittsburgh linebacker Alex Highsmith
East Carolina
Earnest Byner (RB). He played 14 seasons with the Browns, Washington, and Baltimore. Best remembered for his fumble at the 2-yard line while going in for the tying touchdown against Denver in the 1987 AFC Championship game in Cleveland.
Denver recovered, and Broncos’ quarterback John Elway then executed “The Drive” – an epic 98-yard scoring march to deny the Browns a trip to the Super Bowl.
Alternate choice: Jeff Blake (QB) – Bengals, Saints, etc. Pro Bowler, long NFL career.
Florida Atlantic
Alfred Morris (RB) – Washington, etc.
2× Pro Bowler, 3 straight 1,000+ yd seasons to start his career.
Alternate choice: Trey Hendrickson. He has 35 sacks over the last two seasons for the Bengals.
Memphis
Isaac Bruce (WR) – St. Louis Rams
Hall of Famer, Super Bowl champion, over 15,000 receiving yards.
Alternate choice: DeAngelo Williams (RB) had a long and productive career with the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Navy
Roger Staubach (QB) – Dallas Cowboys
Hall of Famer, Super Bowl champion, one of the greats of the 1970s.
Alternate choice: Napoleon McCallum (RB) played six seasons with the Raiders before a gruesome knee injury on Monday Night Football ended his career.
North Texas
"Mean" Joe Greene (DT) – Pittsburgh Steelers
Hall of Famer, 4× Super Bowl champion, iconic part of the “Steel Curtain.”
Alternate choice: Abner Haynes. He had eight professional seasons with the Dallas Texans (1960-1963), Kansas City Chiefs (1963-1964), Denver Broncos (1965-1966), Miami Dolphins (1967) & New York Jets (1967) he had 4,630 career rushing yards & 12,065 combined total yards. He was subjected to racism in 1956 when he enrolled at North Texas and became the first Black player in the state of Texas.
Rice
Tommy Kramer (QB) – Minnesota Vikings
Pro Bowl QB, over 24,000 career passing yards.
Alternate choice: Chris Boswell, PK for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
South Florida
Jason Pierre-Paul (DE) – Giants, Bucs
3× Pro Bowler, 2× Super Bowl champion
Alternate choice: Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR). He’s a two-time Super Bowl champion with Kansas City and caught a touchdown in the Chiefs’ 25-22 SB win over San Francisco in 2024. I also could have chosen LB Kawika Mitchell or RB Marlon Mack, and wouldn't have been wrong.
Temple
Joe Klecko (DL) – New York Jets
Member of the “New York Sack Exchange,” Pro Football Hall of Fame (2023).
Alternate choice: Todd Bowles (DB). He played seven seasons for Washington and one for San Francisco. He played on the Washington team that won Super Bowl XXII. He now coaches the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tulane
Max McGee (WR) – Green Bay Packers
He was a member of Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay teams and caught the first TD pass in Super Bowl history.
Alternate choice: Matt Forte (RB). He played a combined 10 seasons with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets.
Tulsa
Steve Largent (WR) – Seattle Seahawks
Hall of Famer, over 13,000 yards, 100 TDs.
Alternate choice: Howard Twilley (WR). He played 10 seasons for the Miami Dolphins and finished his NFL career with 212 receptions for 3,064 yards and 23 touchdowns
UAB
Roddy White (WR) – Atlanta Falcons
4× Pro Bowler, over 10,000 career receiving yards.
Alternate choice: Chris Hubbard (OG), who has played for Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Tennessee, and most recently the New York Giants. He is still in the league.
UTSA
Another young program, but the best so far: Marcus Davenport (DE) – former 1st-round pick, Saints, Vikings.
Alternate choice: Riq Woolen (DB). He was drafted by the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft. Woolen made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2022.