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Every year the NFL hosts the NFL Draft and that draft is full of the best talent in college football. Throughout the seven rounds NFL teams select the players they want. With all the talent in college it is rare to see players in the NFL that never stepped foot on a college campus.
5 NFL Players that never went to college
1) Brian Banks (Atlanta Falcons)
Brian Banks may be the most inspirational player to ever play in the NFL without attending college. Banks was a highly recruited player in high school but it was all taken away from him when he was falsely accused of sexual assault. Brian Banks was a nationally ranked linebacker in high school.
Banks would accept a plea deal that would shorten his sentence. Brian Banks was exonerated after a long ten year fight against his innocence. Banks would be signed by the Atlanta Falcons in 2013 and would participate in training and practices. He would also make an appearance in the preseason before being released by the Falcons in August.
2) Michael Lewis (New Orleans Saints)
Michael Lewis would be driving a beer truck for Budweiser when he decided that he wanted more in life. Lewis would get the opportunity to try out for the New Orleans Saints and would make the team in 2000. Michael Lewis would put together a successful NFL career for a player who did not play football in college.
During his seven years in the NFL he would be selected to one NFL Pro Bowl team and one NFL All-Pro team. His best year in the NFL came during the 2002 NFL Season.
He would rack up 2,647 all-purpose yards for the Saints and score three touchdowns. In his career he would have four touchdowns and 8,377 all-purpose yards. His biggest accomplishment was being inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall-of-Fame.
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3) Jarryd Hayne (San Francisco 49ers)
Jarryd Hayne was a Rugby League Player turned into an NFL player. Hayne did not play college football. Jarryd Hayne would try to join American football through the collegiate system but he did not finish high school. This would make him not eligible to play college football in America.
Jarryd Hayne would make the jump to the NFL in 2015 NFL Season where the San Francisco 49ers would sign him. He would start one game for the 49ers in the 2015 season. In that game he would record 52 rushing yards on 17 attempts. He would not play in the NFL after his time with the San Francisco 49ers.
4) Robert Chancey (San Diego Chargers)
Instead of attending college Robert Chancey would play professional baseball right out of high school. Chancey would be drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 6th round of the 1992 MLB Draft. He was given a $108,000 signing bonus and would spend two years playing for the Gulf Coast Orioles.
Robert Chancey moved to San Diego Chargers in 1996 and would play more tha four years in the NFL. He would only start eight games in those four years. In those eight games though, he would rush for 320 yards and four touchdowns.
5) Efe Obada (Carolina Panthers)
Efe Obada would start his football career playing for the London Warriors in the British American Football Association National Leagues. He would play in five games for the Warriors. Obada spent time on the Dallas Cowboys in 2015 before being released to make room for linebacker Keith Smith.
He would be resigned to the practice squad but was later released in 2016. Efe Obada would play for the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons before finding a permanent location in Carolina. In the 2020 NFL Season he would record 10 solo tackles, 1 forced fumble and 5.5 sacks for the Panthers.
