Ranking Top FSU Football Alumni in NFL History: No. 9
By Jason Parker
FSU football has sent hundreds of players to the NFL over the years – here’s another look at one of the ten best to play in the pro game.
This weekend, another class of talented former FSU Seminoles made their way to the National Football League when their respective teams drafted them. It was just another time when it was great to be associated with Florida State – a program that has sent hundreds of the best players to the next level since the first player was picked in 1951.
The list of former Noles who have excelled in the pro game is a who’s who of not just the best to come from FSU football, but some of the best to EVER play in the NFL. However, the question then becomes this: who were the best 10 players in NFL history who spent their college time in Tallahassee?
It may have been one of the hardest list we have ever had to come up with – dozens of former All-Pros, Pro Bowlers and even Super Bowl Champions didn’t make the cut. That’s how talented FSU’s crop of former players is. We also looked at the length of a career and what they did over that time – so while players like Jameis Winston, Devonta Freeman and Jalen Ramsey could make this list in another decade, they have to wait their turn.
Without further delay, here’s the latest installment of the top players in NFL history from Florida State.
Florida State Seminoles Football
No. 9 – Terrell Buckley, Cornerback (Green Bay, Miami, Denver, New England, New York Jets, New York Giants 1992-2005)
It might be a decent argument that Buckley was one of the best players in FSU football history, setting the school record for interceptions while setting the NCAA record for interception yards and touchdowns off picks as he won the Jim Thorpe Award in 1991 before becoming, at the time, one of the highest picks in school history when the Packers selected him in 1992.
After coming up with 10 interceptions in his first three seasons, T-Buck returned to the Sunshine State and played five seasons in Miami – having his two best NFL seasons with the Dolphins after coming up with six picks in 1996 and eight picks in 1998 while continuing to be one of the top defensive backs in the entire league in a secondary that featured names like Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain – father of top 2018 recruit and FSU target Patrick Jr.
After another season starting in Denver, Buckley took more of a reserve role starting with his stint in New England – where he won his only Super Bowl during the 2001 season – but was still pretty effective as he had more interceptions (12) than starts (eight) over the final five seasons of his career. Buckley returned to Tallahassee as support staff and an assistant for five seasons starting in 2007 before moving on to Akron, Louisville and currently Mississippi State.