FSU football: 15 greatest NFL careers ever by former Seminoles

FSU football greatest NFL career No. 8: Antonio Cromartie

A great weapon at Florida State back in the early 2000s, Antonio Cromartie was an elite defensive back who played for more than a decade in the NFL. After that success with the Seminoles, he became a 1st round draft pick in 2006 by way of the San Diego Chargers.

Cromartie was a solid backup in the secondary as a rookie but really broke out in his second season, leading the NFL with 10 interceptions in 2007 to earn First-Team All-Pro honors. Cromartie also made the first of four Pro Bowls in his career.

After four seasons with the Chargers, with a total of 15 interceptions, he signed with the New York Jets in 2010. Cromartie was a major weapon for Rex Ryan’s defense across the next four seasons, starting nearly every game and racking up at least 3 interceptions in each of those seasons.

Cromartie had a few interceptions in the postseason and helped lead both the Chargers and the Jets to the AFC title game, but fell just short of appearing in the Super Bowl. He spent the 2014 season with the Arizona Cardinals before returning to the Jets the following season. His career ended in 2016 after appearing in just four games for the Indianapolis Colts.

A consistent weapon in the secondary for a decade, Cromartie was one of the best defensive backs in the game and certainly had incredible hands. That 10-interception still stands out and he certainly emerged as one of the Chargers’ best defensive players of the late 2000s while also doing great work late in his career.