5 Best NFL Draft gems to come from Nebraska
No. 4: Vince Ferragamo | Los Angeles Rams |
|---|---|
Quarterback | 1977 - 4th Round |
There haven't been a ton of Nebraska QBs to have success in the NFL given that for most of hte program's history, running the football was what the Huskers majored in. One who broke the mold, though, was Vince Ferragamo.
After transferring from Cal in 1974, he played for the Huskers in 1975 and 1976. As a senior, he passed for 2,071 yards and 8 TDs while throwing only nine picks. That earned him third-team All-American honors.
Selected in the 4th round of the 1977 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, he didn't start until the middle of the 1979 season. But after taking over due to an injury, he guided his team to Super Bowl XIV with that Super Bowl being his only loss of the season.
The next year, he passed for a career-high 30 TDs while leading the Rams to an 11-4 record and another playoff appearance. Two years later, he threw for 3,276 yards (a career-high) and 22 TDs but the Rams went only 9-7.
In all, Ferragamo would play nine years in the NFL (including one year with Buffalo and one with Green Bay) making 53 starts. He finished with 11,336 passing yards and 76 TD passes. That makes him one of the most successful Nebraska QBs ever in the NFL and that lands him on our list of the best Cornhusker NFL Draft gems.