Joe Montana — Notre Dame (Independent) (1975-1978)
Notre Dame tops other schools when it comes to the number of former players that are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and it is the only school regarded as a Power Five program which doesn’t officially compete in any conference. While icons like Tim Brown, Jerome Bettis and Paul Hornung are on the list, the best player the school has produced has to be Joe Montana. His five years at Notre Dame was remarkable and he led the Fighting Irish to the 1977 national title. In the NFL, “Joe Cool” was even better, putting together a legacy that few quarterbacks can rival. He won four Super Bowls, was a two-time NFL MVP, never threw an interception during the Super Bowl and did not lose the game in four appearances, making him arguably the best big-game quarterback ever.
Joe Montana — Notre Dame (Independent) (1975-1978)
Cris Carter — Ohio State (Big Ten) (1984-1986)
Ohio State has a long history of football icons, so it was tough to pick the greatest Buckeye, but ultimately, wide receiver Cris Carter gets the nod. Carter was a unanimous All-American at OSU, something that no wide receiver had done at the school. In the pros, Carter was initially taken in the fourth round, having been considered a problematic player, but he proved all the doubters wrong while he was with the Minnesota Vikings. With the team, he made eight Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams, and for three seasons, he was the league leader in receiving touchdowns. Other brilliant Buckeyes include Ezekiel Elliott, Chris Spielman, Lou “The Toe” Groza, and Eddie George.
Cris Carter — Ohio State (Big Ten) (1984-1986)
