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While most colleges and universities field a football team as part of its general athletics program, there are some for which football is more than merely a sport—it's akin almost to a religion. Devotion to the team and its colors is as important to that school's culture as a religious icon is to a believer. These programs actively scout and recruit notable high school players, and are in turn rigorously applied to by matriculating seniors eager to make a name for themselves at the collegiate level.

Among the college football empires are Notre Dame, the universities of Alabama, Michigan, Texas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, Penn State, Ohio State—.

But for every touchstone football school, there is an outlier that has produced some of the most successful and cherished players in the game. Think Jackson State, which gave us , Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton. Or Mississippi Valley State, which yielded 3-time Super Bowl champion and #1 Player in NFL History, as voted by the NFL Network, Jerry Rice.

Each year, the college draft serves as a source of renewal to professional football and a testament to the quality of college programs nationwide. With the 2022 NFL draft set to take place April 28-30 in Las Vegas, compiled a list of the highest NFL draft picks from the Marshall Thundering Herd using data from . Ties were broken by the most recent year drafted.

#20. Jonathan Goddard (DE)
- Draft pick: Round 6, #206 overall in 2005
- Drafted by: Detroit Lions
- Years as a starter in NFL: 0

#19. Garrett Scott (OL)
- Draft pick: Round 6, #199 overall in 2014
- Drafted by: Seattle Seahawks
- Years as a starter in NFL: 0

#18. Troy Brown (WR)
- Draft pick: Round 8, #198 overall in 1993
- Drafted by: New England Patriots
- Years as a starter in NFL: 5 (1 Pro Bowls)

#17. Carl Lee (DB)
- Draft pick: Round 7, #186 overall in 1983
- Drafted by: Minnesota Vikings
- Years as a starter in NFL: 10 (3 Pro Bowls)

#16. James Williams (WR)
- Draft pick: Round 6, #175 overall in 2000
- Drafted by: Seattle Seahawks
- Years as a starter in NFL: 0

#15. Lee Smith (TE)
- Draft pick: Round 5, #159 overall in 2011
- Drafted by: New England Patriots
- Years as a starter in NFL: 4 (0 Pro Bowls)

#14. Justin Rohrwasser (K)
- Draft pick: Round 5, #159 overall in 2020
- Drafted by: New England Patriots
- Years as a starter in NFL: 0

#13. John Wade (C)
- Draft pick: Round 5, #148 overall in 1998
- Drafted by: Jacksonville Jaguars
- Years as a starter in NFL: 7 (0 Pro Bowls)

#12. Josh Ball (OL)
- Draft pick: Round 4, #138 overall in 2021
- Drafted by: Dallas Cowboys
- Years as a starter in NFL: 0

#11. Steve Sciullo (G)
- Draft pick: Round 4, #122 overall in 2003
- Drafted by: Indianapolis Colts
- Years as a starter in NFL: 1 (0 Pro Bowls)

#10. Michael Barber (WR)
- Draft pick: Round 4, #112 overall in 1989
- Drafted by: San Francisco 49ers
- Years as a starter in NFL: 0

#9. Doug Chapman (RB)
- Draft pick: Round 3, #88 overall in 2000
- Drafted by: Minnesota Vikings
- Years as a starter in NFL: 0

#8. Chris Crocker (DB)
- Draft pick: Round 3, #84 overall in 2003
- Drafted by: Cleveland Browns
- Years as a starter in NFL: 7 (0 Pro Bowls)

#7. Vinny Curry (DE)
- Draft pick: Round 2, #59 overall in 2012
- Drafted by: Philadelphia Eagles
- Years as a starter in NFL: 1 (0 Pro Bowls)

#6. Aaron Dobson (WR)
- Draft pick: Round 2, #59 overall in 2013
- Drafted by: New England Patriots
- Years as a starter in NFL: 1 (0 Pro Bowls)

#5. Darius Watts (WR)
- Draft pick: Round 2, #54 overall in 2004
- Drafted by: Denver Broncos
- Years as a starter in NFL: 0

#4. Rogers Beckett (DB)
- Draft pick: Round 2, #43 overall in 2000
- Drafted by: San Diego Chargers
- Years as a starter in NFL: 3 (0 Pro Bowls)

#3. Randy Moss (WR)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #21 overall in 1998
- Drafted by: Minnesota Vikings
- Years as a starter in NFL: 12 (6 Pro Bowls)

#2. Chad Pennington (QB)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #18 overall in 2000
- Drafted by: NY Jets
- Years as a starter in NFL: 5 (0 Pro Bowls)

#1. Byron Leftwich (QB)
- Draft pick: Round 1, #7 overall in 2003
- Drafted by: Jacksonville Jaguars
- Years as a starter in NFL: 3 (0 Pro Bowls)

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