The Nicholls Colonels football team, representing Nicholls State University, has had 16 American football players drafted into the National Football League (NFL). The highest that a Colonel has ever been drafted is the 3rd round/57th overall, which happened in 1987 with the selection of wide receiver Mark Carrier by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The most Colonels selected in a single NFL Draft are two. In the 1987 NFL draft, Carrier was selected by the Buccaneers and quarterback Doug Hudson by the Kansas City Chiefs. [1]
The Washington Redskins have drafted the most Colonels with a total of three. The Chiefs, Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers are next, drafting two players each. [2]
| B | Back | K | Kicker | NT | Nose tackle |
| C | Center | LB | Linebacker | FB | Fullback |
| DB | Defensive back | P | Punter | HB | Halfback |
| DE | Defensive end | QB | Quarterback | WR | Wide receiver |
| DT | Defensive tackle | RB | Running back | G | Guard |
| E | End | T | Offensive tackle | TE | Tight end |
| * | Inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame | ||||
| Year | Round | Pick | Overall | Player | Team | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 3 | 14 | 74 | Gary Barbaro | Kansas City Chiefs | DB | — |
| 1977 | 7 | 15 | 182 | Gerard Butler | Chicago Bears | WR | — |
| 1982 | 4 | 4 | 87 | Dwight Walker | Cleveland Browns | WR | — |
| 1984 | 3 | 2 | 58 | Johnny Meads | Houston Oilers | LB | — |
| 1985 | 4 | 13 | 97 | Anthony Tuggle | Cincinnati Bengals | DB | — |
| 7 | 17 | 187 | Lionel Vital | Washington Redskins | RB | — | |
| 1986 | 5 | 9 | 119 | Oscar Smith | Detroit Lions | RB | — |
| 1987 | 3 | 1 | 57 | Mark Carrier | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | WR | — |
| 6 | 18 | 186 | Doug Hudson | Kansas City Chiefs | QB | — | |
| 1989 | 5 | 5 | 117 | Jamie Lawson | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | FB | — |
| 1990 | 10 | 16 | 264 | Dee Thomas | Houston Oilers | DB | — |
| 1995 | 3 | 4 | 68 | Darryl Pounds | Washington Redskins | DB | — |
| 2004 | 5 | 18 | 110 | Chris Thompson | Jacksonville Jaguars | DB | — |
| 2007 | 6 | 3 | 177 | Jacob Bender | New York Jets | T | — |
| 2008 | 6 | 14 | 180 | Kareem Moore | Washington Redskins | DB | — |
| 2009 | 3 | 24 | 88 | Lardarius Webb | Baltimore Ravens | DB | — |
Note: No drafts held before 1920
| Debut year | Player name | Position | Debut NFL/AFL team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Rusty Rebowe | LB | New Orleans Saints | |
| 1984 | Jay Pennison | C | Washington Redskins | |
| 1985 | Sheldon Andrus | DT | New Orleans Saints | |
| 1989 | Terrence Cooks | LB | New England Patriots | |
| 2010 | Antonio Robinson | WR | Chicago Bears | |
| 2012 | Bobby Felder | CB | Minnesota Vikings | |
| 2022 | Dai'Jean Dixon | WR | New Orleans Saints |
John Mark Carrier is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1987 NFL draft. He worked for the Carolina Panthers in their front office from 2011 to 2020, and was hired by the Buffalo Bills as their player engagement director in 2021.
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