Sports

Aaron Rodgers:
Rodgers is far and away the greatest Cal football alumni currently in the NFL, mostly because he is arguably the NFL’s best player. Drafted 24th by the Packers in 2005, Rodgers sat behind Brett Favre for the first three years of his career. In 2008, he gained the starting gig, and won a Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP in 2010. Last year, Rodgers won the NFL MVP, completing the trifecta of ultimate accomplishments in the pros. Although off to a slow start this season, Rodgers’ ability to throw the football immediately transforms any offense into an elite one, regardless of the supporting cast.

— Michael Rosen

DeSean Jackson:
The five-star recruit from Long Beach Poly thrilled Cal fans for three seasons in Berkeley, racking up more than 3,200 all-purpose yards in the process of becoming an All-American and All-Pac-10 selection. Then DeSean Jackson took his talents to the NFL as a second-round draft pick by the Eagles in 2008. A two-time Pro Bowler, Jackson lit up the blogosphere and SportsCenter by a returning a punt 65 yards for a touchdown to beat the Giants in December of 2010 — it was the only game-winning walk-off punt return touchdown in NFL history. This season, Jackson is eighth in the league with 191 receiving yards and has also caught 11 passes for the undefeated Eagles.

— Jonathan Kuperberg

Marshawn Lynch:
Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch has been an enigma his entire career. A first round pick in 2007 by the Bills, Lynch rushed for over 1,000 yards his first two seasons in the league. A down year in 2009 forced him out of Buffalo, however, and his reputation in the league took a hit. Lynch resurfaced with the Seahawks in 2010, and found his former mojo. “Beast Mode” rushed for over 1,200 yards and 12 TD’s in 2011, and ensured his place in Seattle sports history lore with a legendary 77-yard run against the Saints in the 2010 playoffs that solidified a historic upset.

— Michael Rosen

Alex Mack:
Mack was drafted in 2009 with the 21st overall pick by the Cleveland Browns, and has completely lived up to his billing. As a rookie center in 2009, Mack started all 16 games for the Browns, anchoring their offensive line by committing just one penalty and giving up just one sack. He’s since made two pro bowls, the second of which he scored his first career touchdown after taking a lateral into the endzone. Barring any major setbacks or injuries, Mack is on the trajectory to becoming one of the greatest centers of all time.

— Connor Byrne

Nnamdi Asomugha:
After establishing himself as one of the best collegiate free safeties in the nation, Asomugha was taken in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders, who then converted him to a cornerback. The switched proved to be a prudent one, as he steadily improved every year  until breaking out in the 2007 season, when opposing quarterbacks only threw the ball his way 31 times all year for just 10 completions. Since then, he’s been considered as the best man-coverage corner in football, and in 2009 became the highest paid defensive back in NFL history.

— Connor Byrne

Bryan Anger:
Anger is making the Jaguars not regret taking him in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, the highest pick for a punter since 1995. After two games, Anger leads the NFL with a 52.6 yard average. He’s punted 13 times so far, with a long of 60 yards this past Sunday. It’s no surprise, really; he’s just continuing the success he has had his entire career. He’s one of just two Cal players to be named first-team all-conference for three consecutive seasons. Unfortunately for Anger and the city of Jacksonville, the Jaguars have yet to win a game.

— Jonathan Kuperberg

Tony Gonzalez:
Following the 1996 season, Tony Gonzalez decided to forego his senior season at Cal to enter the NFL draft. Sixteen years later, he’s still playing professional football — adding the final touches to the greatest career for a tight end in NFL history. The twelve-time Pro Bowler currently holds NFL records for tight ends for single season receptions (102), career receptions (1,149) career touchdowns (95) and career receiving yards (13,339). But what might be his most impressive attribute is his ability to stay healthy, having missed just two games in his entire career while playing one of the most physically demanding positions in football.

— Connor Byrne

Nick Sundberg:
Nick Sundberg is not a household name in the NFL. An undrafted long snapper for the Washington Redskins, Sundberg rarely has a chance to make headlines. That all changed last week, when he broke his left arm in the second quarter against the New Orlean Saints. Instead of heading to the locker room, Sundberg just wrapped his arm up and came back to play for the entire second half. He took the field six more times, delivering perfect snaps on every play — and the rest of the league took notice.

— Connor Byrne

Chris Conte:
Conte was overlooked the first three years of his Cal career until he switched from corner to safety and enjoyed a breakout senior year that culminated in third round selection by the Chicago Bears in the 2011 NFL Draft. He hasn’t disappointed. After being named to several all-rookie teams last season, Conte has had even more success in 2012. In week 1, Conte picked off Andrew Luck, former Stanford and current Colts quarterback. This past Thursday, he tallied four more tackles in a loss to Aaron Rodgers’ Packers.

— Jonathan Kuperberg

Joe Ayoob:
Joe Ayoob is a name that has likely been forgotten by most fans of Cal football. Ayoob took over for injured starter Nate Longshore in 2005 and was among the worst quarterbacks in the conference. After returning to his backup position in 2006, Ayoob left the school for good. Ayoob now spends his days slinging footballs in the Arena Football League for the Tri-Cities Fever (feel the excitement). Ayoob is perhaps most notable for breaking the world record for a paper airplane toss last year with a throw of 226 feet, 10 inches. The YouTube video of the throw has registered almost 3 million views, making Ayoob one of the millions of random YouTube celebrities.

— Michael Rosen

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