Ranking Top FSU Football Alumni in NFL History: No. 4

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. 4 – Walter Jones, Offensive Tackle (Seattle Seahawks 1997-2009)

While Jones’ time in Tallahassee was short – he played just one season after transferring from a junior college and did so well he declared for the draft early – his time in the NFL was fruitful, earning him a spot in the Hall of Fame and in the conversation as one of the best offensive lineman to ever play in the league.

Jones took his talented season at FSU and was picked sixth overall in 1997. Over the course of his time in the Northwest, he was a force on the left side of the line who helped the team’s running backs set league records while being a major reason the team was able to get to Super Bowl XL following the 2005 season.

Nine times he was picked for the Pro Bowl while being named an All-Pro six times – all while becoming just the third player in team history to have his jersey retired. His career came to an end with an injury during a 2008 game – though he attempted to come back, Jones missed the entire 2009 season and announced his retirement in early 2010.

The highlight came in 2014, when he was named as the fourth former Seminole to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Jones was also named as one of the NFL’s All-2000’s decade team and is considered a legend in Seattle – 2,880 yards from where it all started inside Doak Campbell Stadium during the 1996 season.