Former Ole Miss Rebels in the NFL

Through the years, the Ole Miss football program has had an abundance of talent and a significant number of those stars have made their way to the NFL.
The Rebel faithful cheer on their favorites, even when they playing in cities far away from Oxford. Your neighbor here is just as likely to be a New York Giants fan because of Eli Manning as an New Orleans Saint or Atlanta Falcon rooter.
With the 2014 NFL draft starting Thursday night and continuing through Saturday, many of us will be watching excitedly as Donte Moncrief finds out which NFL team he’ll be playing for in 2014.
Let’s take a minute and recap the current NFL players who once wore the Red and Blue:
Today, twenty former Ole Miss players are in the league and they are:
– Brandon Bolden is a running back with New England Patriots.
– BenJarvus Green-Ellis is a hard-charging running back with the Cincinnati Bengals (commonly known as the The Law Firm).
– Greg Hardy is one of the best defensive ends in the business, running down sacks currently for the Carolina Panthers.

– Peria Jerry, with the Atlanta Falcons, is a starting defensive tackle.
– Offensive lineman John Jerry was just acquired by the New York Giants to join his fellow Rebels Eli Manning and Turmaine McBride.
– Kendrick Lewis is a safety with the Houston Texans.
– Eli Manning is a two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants and the most famous former Rebel of all.
– Bobby Massie is another former Rebel offensive lineman, now playing for the Arizona Cardinals.
– Turmaine McBride plays cornerback with the NY Giants and made headway last year toward starting.
– Dexter McCluster is a shifty, highly productive running back with the Tennessee Titans.
– Michael Oher, the real-life subject of the movie The Blind Side, is now with the Tennessee Titans.

– Ashlee Palmer is a linebacker with the Detroit Lions because … somebody has to play for Detroit.
– Jeremy Parnell is another answer to the Ole Miss question, “Where’s the Beef?” The answer is: currently playing offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys
– Jerrell Powe is an immoveable nose-tackle with Houston Texans.
– Gerald Rivers hunts quarterback scalps as a pass-rushing defensive end with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
– Jamarca Sanford is looking for more playing time as a safety with the Minnesota Vikings
– Bradley Sowell is another mountain-of-a-man who holds down the fort at offensive tackle for the Arizona Cardinals
– Chris Spencer is a veteran offensive lineman who has been successful in the league and is now closer to home with the Tennessee Titans.
– Cassius Vaughn plays cornerback for the Detroit Lions, who will probably move up in this year’s draft to pick another wide receiver.
– Mike Wallace is a lightning-fast wide receiver with the Miami Dolphins after playing for years for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
– Patrick Willis is one of the best linebackers in the game and a perennial six time pro-bowler with the San Francisco 49ers.
Eli Manning has been in the league since 2004 with the Giants. Noted for his comeback ability and poise under pressure, this season he tries to rebuild his career after a lackluster 2013 (and 2012). The Giants have added the most free agents of any team in the off season in an attempt to surround Manning with the talent he’ll need to compete for another Super Bowl.
In addition to Manning being reunited with old Rebels McBride and Jerry, more former Rebel teammates will join forces in the NFL, including McCluster and Oher in Tennessee. Both came to the Titans in trades from Baltimore and and Kansas City, respectively.
– Written by Adam Brown, sports editor and Dallas Cowboys fan, and Andy Knef, editor and New York Giants supporter, of HottyToddy.com