The 5 Most Successful Small-School Pass-Catchers in the NFL
Vincent Jackson, Wide Receiver
College: University of Northern Colorado (FCS)
Drafted: 2005, 2nd Round (61st Overall)
Career Total NEP: 776.46
Vincent Jackson's draft stock was the polar opposite of Marques Colston's. Mainly a basketball player in high school and an exemplary student with a 4.1 GPA, Jackson was accepted to Columbia University. He instead decided to go to the University of Northern Colorado on a partial basketball and football scholarship. He was an Associated Press second-team All-American in his junior year and set career records in nearly every statistical category possible at Northern Colorado. This fantastic college career was what led to his high draft slot despite his lower-tier college status.
The highly-regarded Jackson took a little longer to get going in the league than most receiver prospects, partially due to injuries. His size and speed made him good as a red zone target and situational deep threat early on, but he didn't reach 90.00 Total NEP in a season until his fourth year in the league.
Since that point, however, he has turned in three elite-level seasons of production across a 10-year career in the NFL, both with the San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His breakout 2008 campaign saw him start a string of six consecutive seasons with 1,000 yards receiving, not counting his injury-shortened 2010.
