5 Best Florida NFL Players
The Swamp has produced three Heisman winners, three national titles, and a steady stream of NFL talent at nearly every position. These five Gators are ranked on their college careers, which means the guy with the best pro career is not automatically at the top. Award seasons, title games, and sheer statistical dominance drove the order.
1. Tim Tebow
Quarterback · 2006 to 2009
Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy in 2007, when he threw for 32 touchdowns and ran for 23 more, the first player in FBS history to hit 20 in each category in one season. He won two national championships, went 35 and 6 as a starter, and finished with 88 rushing touchdowns and 57 passing scores. The speech he gave after the 2008 Ole Miss loss is literally on a plaque outside the stadium, and Florida did not lose again that year. Whatever anyone thinks of his NFL career, he is arguably the most impactful college football player of his era.
2. Emmitt Smith
Running Back · 1987 to 1989
Smith ran for 1,341 yards as a true freshman, including a 224 yard game in his first career start, and left after three seasons with 3,928 yards and 36 touchdowns. He set 58 school records in an offense that gave him almost no help schematically. His vision and short area quickness were already NFL ready, which showed up when he became the league's all time leading rusher. He finished ninth in Heisman voting as a freshman, which almost never happens.
3. Danny Wuerffel
Quarterback · 1993 to 1996
Wuerffel won the 1996 Heisman and led Florida to its first national championship while running Steve Spurrier's Fun N Gun offense at full speed. He threw 114 career touchdown passes and posted a 178.4 passer rating as a senior, an NCAA record at the time. He took an enormous number of hits behind a young line and kept standing in the pocket to deliver deep balls. He also won the Maxwell and Davey O'Brien awards and beat Florida State in the title game after losing to them a month earlier.
4. Jack Youngblood
Defensive End · 1968 to 1970
Youngblood was an All American in 1970 and one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the SEC in an era of run heavy offenses. He was long, relentless, and physically stronger than most tackles he faced, and he chased plays down from behind on a regular basis. Los Angeles took him in the first round in 1971 and he became a Hall of Famer, famously playing a full postseason on a broken leg. His college tape set the standard for Gator defensive ends.
5. Percy Harvin
Wide Receiver · 2006 to 2008
Harvin was a matchup nightmare who lined up at receiver, in the backfield, and in the slot, averaging more than 9 yards per carry and 17 yards per catch in his college career. He totaled 3,781 all purpose yards and 32 touchdowns in three seasons while playing through a chronic heel injury. He was the fastest player on the field in two national championship games and produced in both. Minnesota drafted him in the first round in 2009 and he was Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Tough Calls
Alex Brown, Wilber Marshall, Lomas Brown, Kevin Carter, Reggie Nelson, Joe Haden, and Carlos Dunlap all have arguments. Wilber Marshall in particular was a two time All American and one of the most feared defenders of the 1980s. This list weighted Heisman level production and championship impact.
Florida by the Numbers
Florida has three Heisman winners, three national championships, and more than 40 first round NFL draft picks. The strongest pipelines have been at defensive back, defensive end, and receiver, with the Gators regularly producing multiple day one and day two picks in the same class. The 2010 draft famously included nine Florida players.
Why the Swamp Prepares Players
Florida plays a full SEC schedule in serious heat, against defensive backs who will be drafted, and often in front of hostile crowds in Baton Rouge or Tuscaloosa. That combination of speed and pressure is close to what rookies see in the NFL. Gainesville also recruits an in state talent pool that is as fast as any in the country, so practice reps are genuinely competitive.
Test Yourself on Florida Players
Reading about them is one thing. Naming them on sight is another. CollegeGuessr shows you an NFL player and asks which college he came from. Build a streak, post your score on the Big Board, and see how your football knowledge holds up.