With the 2024 NFL Draft quickly approaching, one question is forefront in BYU fans' minds: "Will anyone from BYU actually find success in the pros?" It's a fair question, and doesn't always deliver the answer that we'd hope for. If you mention Zach Wilson to a BYU fan--present company included--you'll often hear how his failure to meet expectations wasn't his fault, and that he was set up for failure. Whether that's true or not, the point is that success in college doesn't equal success on the higest level of the game.
But that's not to say that a successful NFL career is only measured by Super Bowl rings or league MVPs. Some players are successful in smaller ways, but the most significant evidence of a successful career is how they performed when given the chance.
It can be easy to feel trepidation when a player leaves his Provo home to brave the world of professional football. Like a proud mama bird watching her chicks fly from the nest, we helplessly watch and pray that our Cougars will take to the air, rather than fall flat.
With the NFL Draft approaching this week, let's take a look at some of the Cougar's greatest successes. This is the time for blind optimism, not a critical look at each player's chances of achievement. In this article, we're going to dust off the history books and show off some of Provo's finest: the greatest NFL careers in BYU football history.