Rutgers Football: 5 Former Knights with Best NFL Careers

While Rutgers University isn't known as an NFL factory, the program has produced its fair share of successful professional players.

When you think about the best ex-Knights, current players such as Ray Rice and Devin McCourty come to mind initially.  However, there are also several former players who had prosperous NFL careers.  

Since 1970, Rutgers has produced 36 draft picks—nothing to write home about.  Ironically, numerous former Knights who have enjoyed successful careers in the NFL entered the league as undrafted free agents.  

Here are the former Rutgers Scarlet Knights with the best NFL careers.  

While Shaun O'Hara was never renowned as the best offensive lineman in the NFL, the Rutgers alumnus had a very successful nine-year NFL career, one that saw multiple Pro Bowls and history almost be made in 2008.    

O'Hara graduated in 2000 and after going undrafted in that year's NFL draft, he signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns, where he played both guard and center.  

O'Hara stayed in Cleveland for three seasons, starting the final two.  After the 2003 season, the Chicago-native took his talents to New York to join the football Giants.  

In his fourth year in the Big Apple, O'hara was selected to his first Pro Bowl as well as his first All-Pro team.  Not so coincidentally, that was also the year that Eli Manning and the Giants defeated the previously undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.  

On an offensive line that was vital to the Giants offense, O'Hara was often regarded as the best lineman on the team.  

Two more Pro Bowls came in 2009 and 2010, both of which O'Hara was named the starting center for the NFC.  

Gary Brackett's NFL career was very similar to his career as a Scarlet Knight at Rutgers.  

Brackett walked on to the football team in 1999 and rarely played, mostly on special teams. By the time his career in Piscataway was over, Brackett had become a captain and led the team in tackles his senior season.  

After going undrafted, Brackett joined the Indianapolis Colts in 2003.  Like his time at Rutgers, he did not see significant playing time right away.  But eventually, Brackett became the starting middle linebacker for the Colts and recorded three straight 100-tackle seasons and five straight of at least 99 tackles.

In 2006 Brackett was named defensive captain of the Colts and started in their Super Bowl victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.  Brackett and the Colts played in another Super Bowl just four years later in Super Bowl XLIV but lost to the New Orleans Saints.

Brackett never made a Pro Bowl, but his 709 career tackles, two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl victory are enough to get him on this list.  Furthermore, Brackett was the leader of the Colts defense that helped win that championship in 2006.

Devin McCourty, despite having just two NFL seasons under his belt, has already become one of the better cornerbacks in the league.  

McCourty was drafted in 2010 by the New England Patriots in the first round at No. 27 overall. As a rookie in 2010, the New York native had 82 tackles, seven interceptions, one sack, two forced fumbles and 17 passes defended, earning a spot in that year's Pro Bowl as well as a selection onto the 2010 All-Pro team.  He also received a couple of votes (two) for AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.  

The former Scarlet Knight had a very successful career in Piscataway, earning first-team All-Big East honors as a senior in 2009.  

McCourty has a twin brother, Jason, who started opposite of him at Rutgers and is now a member of the Tennessee Titans.  While Jason had over 100 tackles and two interceptions last season, Devin has certainly out-shined his brother thus far in the NFL.

Overshadowed by fellow running backs like Darren McFadden, Chris Johnson and Jonathan Stewart in the 2008 draft, Ray Rice wasn't selected until the second round by the Baltimore Ravens.

Today, Rice is arguably the best back of that group—his 12 touchdowns in 2011 matched the combined touchdowns of the other three last season.  And only Johnson has more rushing yards, in large part due to his 2,000 yard season all the way back in 2009.  

Since entering the league in 2008, Rice has been named to the All-Pro team twice and been selected to two Pro Bowls.

It's no surprise that the the 25-year-old has enjoyed such great success.  Rice holds virtually every significant rushing record at Rutgers.  This includes: career yards, attempts, touchdowns, single-season yards, attempts, touchdowns, consecutive 100-yard games, career 100-yard games, career 200-yard games and single-game yardage.  

If Rice can continue his stellar play for his entire career, he'll also be the owner of Ravens records and could find himself slipping into a nice golden jacket after he retires.  

Deron Cherry, despite being undrafted , is known as one of the best free safeties of all time.

Over his illustrious 11-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs, Cherry was named to six straight Pro Bowls from 1983 to 1988 and was selected to a total of five All-Pro teams.

Along with playing safety, and being named to the All-East second team in 1980, Cherry also played punter while at Rutgers.  He set school records in career punts and punt yardage as well as single-season punts and punt yardage. 

In fact, when Cherry first tried out with the Chiefs, he did so as a punter.  He didn't make the final cuts but returned as a safety.  And the rest, as they say, was history.

Cherry was one of the greatest ball hawks to ever roam the defensive backfield.  He is one of just 38 NFL players with at least 50 interceptions.   

The former Knight was named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Second Team for his accomplishments.  He is undoubtedly the cream of the crop when it comes to ex-Scarlet Knights in the NFL.