Draft Pick Countdown: Honorable Mentions Who Just Missed Out on Our Top-10
Editor's Note: Here is our list of honorable mentions to our countdown of the 10-best Purdue draft picks in NFL history.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — After much consideration, our list of the top-10 best Purdue draft picks in NFL history is complete. Each player was weighed on where they were draft and NFL production while they were in the league.
Here is our list of our honorable mentions that were just on the cusp of making it and the final top 10 list:
Ryan Kerrigan
Ryan Kerrigan was simply a beast for the Boilermakers. In 2010, he was named a unanimous All-American selection, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-Big Ten selection. Kerrigan is tied for the all-time FBS record with 14 forced fumbles, which is a Big Ten record. He also is tied for second all-time at Purdue with 33.5 sacks and fifth in school history with 57 tackles for loss.
He was drafted in the first round with the 16th-overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. Kerrigan is the all-time leader for consecutive starts by a left outside linebacker in NFL history. He is a four-time Pro Bowler (2012, 2016-18) and is entering his 10th season in the league.
Mike Pruitt
Mike Pruitt played primarily at the fullback position at Purdue, where he earned second-team All-Big Ten honors thanks to his 899 rushing yards of production in 1975. He also set a Purdue school record on November 2, 1974 with a 94-yard touchdown run against Iowa.
Pruitt, however, turned out to be a better professional player in his 11-year career. He was drafted in the first round with the seventh-overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 1976 NFL Draft. From 1979 to 1983, Pruitt gained 6,713 yards from scrimmage in 72 games, an average of 93.2 yards per game, including eclipsing over 1,000 yards four times and making two Pro Bowls in that span. He ranks third in Browns' franchise history in career rushing yardage trailing only Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly.
Otis Armstrong
Otis Armstrong was one of the best running backs to don the gold and black at Purdue. He rushed for 3,315 yards in just three seasons and his senior season, he was named a consensus first-team All-American, Big Ten MVP and first-team All-Conference. He still holds the Purdue single-game rushing record, a 276-yard performance against Indiana. Armstrong was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
In the 1973 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected Armstrong in the first round with the ninth overall pick. In 1974, he was the NFL's leading rusher with 1,407 yards and led the league with a 5.3 yards-per-carry average, He was named as an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection that year. In his eight-year career, he made one other Pro Bowl in 1976.
Jim Everett
Jim Everett brought many Purdue fans great joy in his collegiate career. The New Mexico native led the Boilermakers to the 1984 Peach Bowl, and the path to get there that year included beating Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State all in the same year, a feat that has never been done by any other Purdue quarterback. In 1985, he led the NCAA in total offense and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
In the 1986 NFL Draft, he was selected in the first round with the third overall pick by the Los Angeles Rams. In his 12-year career, he played for the Rams, Saints and Chargers. In back-to-back seasons, in 1988 and 1989, he led the NFL in passing touchdowns. A year later, Everett made his sole Pro Bowl. Everett is the Los Angeles Rams career leading in passing yards, with 23,758.
Jeff Zgonina
Jeff Zgonina still holds Purdue records in tackles for loss in a single game (7.0), a season (28.0) and a career (72.0). His senior year, he recorded 28 tackles for loss, including 13 sacks. That season, he was selected as first-team All-Big Ten and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Zgonina was drafted in the seventh round with pick 185 by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1993 NFL Draft. He went on to a 17-year career in the league, playing for eight different teams. He won a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams in 2000 and his best season came in 2004 with the Miami Dolphins, when he recorded 63 tackles and five sacks.
Top-10 Best Purdue Draft Picks in NFL History
- No. 1: Drew Brees CLICK HERE
- No. 2: Rod Woodson CLICK HERE
- No. 3: Bob Griese CLICK HERE
- No. 4: Len Dawson CLICK HERE
- No. 5: Mike Alstott CLICK HERE
- No. 6: Erich Barnes CLICK HERE
- No. 7: Dave Butz CLICK HERE
- No. 8: Dick Barwegan CLICK HERE
- No. 9: Cecil Isbell CLICK HERE
- No. 10: Matt Light CLICK HERE
Follow Purdue football coverage here
- Sports Illustrated Purdue: Hit the follow button in the top right corner to see all of our great Purdue coverage all season.
- Facebook: Like our Purdue page on Facebook at Facebook.com/SportsIllustratedPurdue
- Twitter: Follow all of our coverage on Twitter @sports_Purdue
