Greatest college football player born in each state
The University of Delaware has a longstanding history of college football success, and claims six national championships – the most recent being the 2003 NCAA Division 1-AA title – and the Fighting’ Blue Hens finished as the runner-up in the FCS in both 2007 and 2010.
However, the greatest college football player ever born in the state of Delaware played at Vanderbilt – a program on the opposite end of the success spectrum. The 1990s was a particularly forgettable decade in what is a largely forgettable football history for the Commodores, but linebacker Jamie Duncan was a star at Vandy from 1994 to 1997.
The Wilmington native recorded 425 tackles in his career, was named an All-American twice, and was selected as the SEC’s co-Defensive Player of the Year in 1997 (the first and only time a Vanderbilt defender has earned that honor) despite playing for a team that finished the season 3-8. Duncan’s best season was his junior year, in which he had 152 total tackles, six sacks, 14 tackles for a loss and forced five fumbles.
Following his successful collegiate career, Duncan was selected in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spent seven seasons in the NFL with the Bucs, the St. Louis Rams and the Atlanta Falcons.
Other Notable College Football Players From Delaware:
- Luke Petitgout, OL, Notre Dame
- Randy White (went to high school in Delaware), DE, Maryland
- Tim Wilson, RB, Maryland
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