Colorado is one of the hottest football states right now. Unsurprisingly, a lot of that has had to do with coach Deion ‘Prime’ Sanders arriving in town to coach the Buffaloes. And while his first season in charge of the program was disappointing, we can expect some elite Colorado football commits to join the NFL in the upcoming years.
Nonetheless, this state’s football tradition goes way back. Starting from one of the biggest prides of the state, the Denver Broncos, legends like John Elway or Peyton Manning, or even some homegrown talents like Fred Glick, Dutch Clark, Vincent Jackson, and so many more, Colorado has provided the National Football League with talented players throughout the course of the years.
Today, we’re going to take a look at the current best players from this state:
4. Daniel Carlson (K)
In a league where many fans tend to ignore the kicker position, a Colorado native knew how to get a name for himself and establish himself as one of the best in his position. Unless you’re a big-time name like Justin Kicker or Stephen Gostkowski, it’s hard to see fans giving respect where is due.
Carlson enjoyed an honored college career at Auburn, setting a new scoring record in the SEC. After that, he made it to the big league with the Minnesota Vikings, who cut him midway through his rookie season. This move would later prove to be the right one for Carlson, who became a big deal with the historical franchise, even leading the league in scoring twice and becoming the fifth-most accurate kicker in the NFL.
Carlson's career suffered one major change that took him from the Vikings to the Raiders, making two completely different impressions on each team. While he couldn't succeed in Minnesota, he found his place in the world with the Raiders, putting on impressive numbers.
3. Jordan Hicks (OLB)
Also born in Colorado Springs, Jordan Hicks has been a synonym for consistency ever since he stepped onto an NFL field. After a successful stint with the Texas Longhorns, where he went on to dominate and earn a second-team All-Big 12 selection in his final year with the program, the Philadelphia Eagles took him in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
There, the talented linebacker became a perennial contributor and even helped them win the Super Bowl in 2017. He has also had brief stints with the Arizona Cardinals and now the Minnesota Vikings, logging 874 tackles, 14.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, 11 fumble recoveries, 13 interceptions, 49 pass deflections, and even a couple of defensive touchdowns over nine years in the league.
2. Calais Campbell (DE)
Calais Campbell has become one of the most respected veterans in the league. Ever since he entered the competition, the defensive star has been a perennial starter, counting up 17 years now. As of right now, Campbell owns a notable NFL record, having played the most games by any player born in Colorado (244), and you could argue that he still has plenty left in the tank.
The Denver native made it to the league after a dominant tenure with the Miami Hurricanes, being taken in the second round by the Arizona Cardinals. He stayed there for eight years before moving on to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, and now Atlanta Falcons.
Thus far, he’s been selected to three All-Pro teams (one first, two seconds), six Pro Bowls, is a member of the 2010s All-Decad team, and won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award in 2019. He has three defensive touchdowns, three interceptions, 17 forced fumbles, 13 fumble recoveries, 58 pass deflections, 865 total tackles, and 105.5 sacks.
1. Christian McCaffrey (RB)
The top (or bottom, in this case) spot of this list takes us to talk about Christian McCaffrey, the most versatile offensive weapon by a significant margin. The then Carolina Panthers RB and current San Francisco 49ers star has had a terrific NFL career that's only missing one thing: a Super Bowl ring.
McCaffrey has carried the torch of being the son of a former NFL WR. Contrary to what many may have thought, he was unfazed by this, competing at the highest level and turning a lot of heads to him ever since he was in college.
That's why the Panthers considered him the next big thing for the franchise until things went south and McAffrey joined the 49ers.
Thus far, he has been to three Pro Bowls, has earned four All-pro selections, led the league in rushing yards once, and has an NFL record for the most consecutive games with a touchdown (17). He has rushed for 6,15 yards for 52 touchdowns to go along with 509 receptions for 4,320 receiving yards and 29 receiving touchdowns.
