For some Sooners, their time at Oklahoma is just the beginning of their football careers.
OU has a strong tradition of sending players year after year to the NFL for successful professional careers. Some Sooners, though, find more success than others.
It's hard to narrow down, but these 10 former Sooners stood out as having the 10 best NFL careers in OU history and a few are even still building their legacies.
Tony Casillas, DT
Castillas lived up to the hype as a first-round 1986 NFL Draft pick during his 12 seasons between the Falcons, Cowboys and Jets. He won two Super Bowls with the Cowboys and was consistently one of the best defensive linemen in the league.
Jalen Hurts, QB
Hurts just solidified himself on this list after becoming the first former OU quarterback to win a Super Bowl as a starting quarterback with the Eagles. In just five seasons since being a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Hurts has already appeared in two Super Bowls while winning one as Super Bowl MVP and has been named a Pro Bowler twice. He was also Second-Team All-Pro in 2022.
Keith Jackson, TE
It's tough for a tight end to be considered among the greatest, but Jackson was that good. Jackson made the Pro Bowl in five of his nine NFL seasons and was a Super Bowl champion with the Green Bay Packers.
Baker Mayfield, QB
Maybe it's recency bias, but Mayfield has recently proven himself worthy of consideration for this group. He was dealt a tough situation as the 2018 NFL Draft No. 1 overall pick to Cleveland, but then still led the Browns to their first playoff appearance since 2002. He bounced around in 2022 but has rejuvenated his career in Tampa Bay.
Mayfield just made his second straight Pro Bowl and has also led the Buccaneers to a division title in back-to-back seasons. If Mayfield wins that illustrious Super Bowl title, then there would be no argument he belongs on this list.
Gerald McCoy, DT
McCoy spent 11 seasons in the NFL after being the third overall pick in 2010. He was a six-time Pro Bowler six straight seasons between 2012 and 2017. McCoy was a First-Team All-Pro in in 2013 and Second Team in 2014 and 2016.
Tommy McDonald, WR/RB
McDonald is a throwback after playing in 1957-68, but his accomplishments have stood the test of time. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998 after an NFL career that included a 1960 NFL championship and six Pro Bowl selections.
Adrian Peterson, RB
There should be no argument about this one among Sooner Nation. Peterson is a future Hall of Famer after an unheralded 15 seasons as a running back. A running back will probably never last that long again.
Peterson was the 2012 NFL MVP, 2007 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, seven-time Pro Bowler, four-time First-Team All-Pro and led the NFL in rushing yards three times.
Lee Roy Selmon, DE
Some consider Selmon the greatest pro Sooner ever as a 1995 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. Selmon was a six-time Pro Bowler in nine seasons with the Buccaneers and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1979.
Roy Williams, S
Williams was a fan-favorite because of how hard he hit with the Cowboys and Bengals. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and First-Team All Pro in 2003.
Trent Williams, OL
It takes a special talent to stand out as an offensive lineman, but Williams has been one of the best in the trenches since entering the league in 2010 as the No. 4 overall pick. He's an 11-time Pro Bowler, three-time First-Team All-Pro, Second-Team All-Pro in 2015, and he's still going.
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