5 Best Texas A&M NFL Players
Kyle Field seats more than 100,000 and the Twelfth Man tradition makes it one of the loudest environments in the sport. Texas A&M has turned that home field into a pipeline of NFL pass rushers, receivers, and one of the most famous freshman seasons ever played. These five Aggies are ranked on their college careers in College Station.
1. Johnny Manziel
Quarterback · 2012 to 2013
Manziel became the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy in 2012, accounting for 5,116 total yards in his first season as a starter, an SEC record. He beat an undefeated, number one ranked Alabama team in Tuscaloosa in A&M's first year in the conference, which is the game that made him a national phenomenon. He improvised constantly, escaping pressure and throwing accurately on the move in a way defenses had no plan for. He followed it up with an even better statistical season in 2013 and left with two 4,000 yard years.
2. Von Miller
Linebacker and Edge Rusher · 2007 to 2010
Miller won the Butkus Award in 2010 and led the nation with 17 sacks in 2009, finishing his career with 33 sacks and 50.5 tackles for loss. He was a converted defensive end who could bend around tackles at a speed that Big 12 offenses simply could not block one on one. He came back for his senior year after a big junior season and improved his coverage and run defense enough to go second overall. Denver drafted him in 2011 and he became a Super Bowl MVP.
3. Myles Garrett
Defensive End · 2014 to 2016
Garrett had 11.5 sacks as a true freshman, which broke the SEC freshman record, and finished his three year career with 31 sacks and 47 tackles for loss. He was 6 foot 4 and 270 pounds with elite explosiveness, and opponents built entire game plans around chipping him with a back or tight end. Even in a junior season slowed by an ankle injury he was clearly the best defensive player in the conference. Cleveland took him first overall in 2017.
4. Dat Nguyen
Linebacker · 1995 to 1998
Nguyen won the Bednarik and Lombardi awards in 1998 and left A&M as the school's all time leading tackler with 517 stops. He was undersized at around 235 pounds and compensated with elite instincts, arriving where the ball was going before the play developed. He captained the Aggies to a Big 12 championship, upsetting a number two ranked Kansas State team in double overtime. He became a Pro Bowl middle linebacker with Dallas.
5. Mike Evans
Wide Receiver · 2012 to 2013
Evans went from a walk on basketball background to catching 69 passes for 1,394 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2013 while dominating SEC defensive backs physically. He had 279 receiving yards against Alabama in one afternoon, which is still one of the great single game performances in conference history. At 6 foot 5 he treated contested throws as basketball rebounds, and Manziel simply threw it up to him. Tampa Bay took him seventh overall in 2014.
Tough Calls
John David Crow, the 1957 Heisman winner, Ray Childress, Richmond Webb, Jacob Green, Luke Joeckel, and Christian Kirk all deserve mention. Crow is the only other Aggie Heisman winner and Childress was a dominant defensive lineman for a decade in Houston. This list weighted national awards and modern era production against SEC competition.
Texas A&M by the Numbers
Texas A&M has produced two Heisman winners, multiple number one and number two overall NFL draft picks, and a long run of first round edge rushers. The defensive line pipeline from Jacob Green through Von Miller and Myles Garrett is one of the best in the sport. Recruiting inside Texas keeps that pipeline full.
Why College Station Produces Pass Rushers
A&M has consistently recruited long, explosive high school athletes from a state that produces more of them than anywhere else, then coached them in an attacking front. Playing SEC offensive tackles every week gives scouts direct comparisons against future NFL starters. The noise at Kyle Field also helps edge rushers, because visiting offenses cannot use hard counts and defenders can pin their ears back.
Test Yourself on Texas A&M 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.