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The 5 best NFL players of all time from Iowa State football
Iowa State football schedule 2024
Check out which teams Iowa State football will play on its 2024 schedule, including a few first-time opponents.
From Charles Heileman in 1939 to T.J. Tampa in 2024, Iowa State football has had 139 players selected in the NFL Draft.
There are no Iowa State alumni in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but a few have enjoyed prolonged periods of elite success at the next level.
Here’s a look at the best NFL careers of all time from former Cyclone stars:
More: Four potential breakout players in Iowa State football’s 2024 campaign
Matt Blair (LB, 1974-85)
After a terrific career at Iowa State, which saw him be named Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the 1971 Sun Bowl and a 1973 All-American, Blair was selected in the second round, 51st overall, by the Minnesota Vikings in 1974.
Blair earned by far the most recognition of any Iowa State alum during his NFL career. He notched six Pro Bowl nods (1977-82) and one first-team All-Pro (1980) selection in his 12 seasons, finishing his career with 160 games played, 130 games started, 23 sacks, 16 interceptions and 20 fumble recoveries.
He ranks third in NFL history with 20 blocked kicks on special teams, the most notable being his blocked punt against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl IX that resulted in a touchdown — the Vikings’ only points in the 16-6 loss.
Blair was also an integral part of Minnesota’s 11-2-1 1976 squad that sported the league’s second-ranked defense and returned to the Super Bowl. The former Cyclone during that season tallied two interceptions and five fumble recoveries, as well as two fumble recoveries in the Vikings’ 24-13 NFC Championship victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Blair was inducted into the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor in 2012.
He died on October 22, 2020, at the age of 70.
More: Former Iowa State, Minnesota Vikings football star Matt Blair remembered as a kick-blocking pioneer
Keith Sims (G, 1990-2000)
Sims’ Cyclones career was stellar, making him the 39th overall pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 1990 draft and an Iowa State Hall of Fame inductee in 2006.
The guard was an integral piece of the unit that blocked for Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. Sims earned three consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 1993-95, as well as second-team All-Pro honors in 1994.
Sims played his last three seasons for Washington after eight seasons in Miami. Overall, Sims started in 133 of his 142 career games, as well as all seven of his playoff games.
More: Iowa State football schedule 2024: Ranking the Cyclones’ six most compelling games
Marcus Robertson (DB, 1991-2002)
Robertson totaled 257 tackles, six interceptions and nine forced fumbles during his ISU career, good enough for the Houston Oilers to pick him in the fourth round, 102nd overall, in the 1991 NFL Draft. Iowa State inducted Robertson into its Hall of Fame in 2009.
He mostly played free safety during 12 professional seasons, with his best campaign coming in 1993 when Robertson was named first-team All-Pro. That year he notched 82 total tackles, seven interceptions, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries for a league-leading 107 fumble-return yards and one TD.
Although he never replicated that production again, Robertson remained a steady starter for more than a decade. He remained with the organization when it transitioned from the Houston Oilers to the Tennessee Titans and was a key piece of the team’s run to Super XXXIV, although he missed the game after getting injured during an interception in the AFC Championship Game.
Robertson played his final two NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks before retiring at age 33. Overall, he started in 144 of his 162 career games and finished with totals of 24 interceptions and 72 passes defensed.
Robertson remains involved in professional football. He began as the Titans’ director of player development, and he and his staff received the Winston and Shell Award in 2006 for innovation and commitment to player development.
The former Cyclone then shifted to the sidelines and is currently the defensive backs coach for the New Orleans Saints. He was also a coaching staff member for the Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions.
Kelechi Osemele (T, 2012-20)
Osemele vaulted up draft boards after his 2011 Cyclones season garnered him All-American honors from Sports Illustrated, as well as a first-team All-Big 12 selection. He was chosen in the second round, 60th overall, by the Baltimore Ravens in 2012.
Osemele started all 16 regular-season games as a rookie and all four playoff contests en route to the franchise’s Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The ex-Cyclone had back surgery during his sophomore campaign, missed 13 games over the next three seasons and was not resigned by Baltimore, making him a free agent. He eventually landed with the Oakland Raiders in 2016 on a five-year, $60 million deal.
In 2018, Osemele was the second-highest-paid left guard in the NFL.
He played the best football of his career in the silver and black. Osemele was named to the Pro Bowl in 2016 and 2017, and earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2016 for a Raiders offense that had the sixth-best rushing offense in the league.
Injuries then piled up for Osemele. He played in just 19 games over his final three seasons and was traded from Oakland to the New York Jets in 2019, and later signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020 before retiring.
Brock Purdy (QB, 2022-23)
“Mr. Irrelevant,” the 262nd and final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, has already etched himself onto the list of greatest NFL players from Iowa State.
Purdy’s three All-Big 12 selections and 32 Cyclones program records weren’t enough to garner significant interest from pro scouts, but just as he did when he began his ISU career, the Arizona native rose from the bottom of San Francisco’s depth chart to starter and never looked back.
In just two seasons leading the 49ers’ talented roster, Purdy has taken the franchise to consecutive NFC Championship Games and Super Bowl LVIII. In 25 career games, he’s thrown for 5,654 yards, 44 TDs and just 15 interceptions.
He has a 17-4 regular-season record as a starter, and his only playoff loss when playing a full game came in the Super Bowl against back-to-back champion Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in overtime.
When it’s all said and done, Purdy could be Iowa State’s greatest NFL product.
Gus Martin is a Digital Producer/Content Director for The Des Moines Register. Follow him on X at @GusMartin_DMR.
The Iowa State Cyclones have been making up for lost time recently, securing commitments from several high school football players to bolster their Class of 2027.
After some recent commitments, there are now 14 players committed to play for head coach Jimmy Rogers in the future. Two of them happen to be quarterbacks, Cash Hollingshead and Blake Moser.
Both players took part in camps recently in Ames and performed well enough to receive scholarship offers. They didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity, accepting the offers shortly after receiving them.
However, they won’t be competing against each other on the quarterback depth chart in the future. Instead, Hollingshead is going to be targeting Moser in the passing game, with the talented athlete officially accepting a challenge from the Cyclones.
Iowa State secures commitment from Blake Moser
Moser took part in the drills at camp at wide receiver and has committed to Iowa State, looking to give the skill position a chance instead of accepting an offer from the Portland State Vikings, Idaho Vandals, Montana Grizzlies or Northern Arizona Lumberjacks to play quarterback.
“I want to play receiver, and I really like what’s going on here,” Moser said, via Bill Seals of Cyclone Report (subscription required).
Listed at 6 feet and 180 pounds, Moser was as dynamic with his legs as his arm during his junior year. He completed 155-of-233 pass attempts for 2,612 yards with 39 touchdowns and only six interceptions.
On the ground, he racked up 850 yards and 16 touchdowns, showing incredible athleticism that Rogers and Iowa State are going to look to take full advantage of, initiating his transition to wide receiver.
Blake Moser has athleticism to successfully transition to wide receiver
Moser impressed during his opportunity at camp, showing incredible speed in his 40-yard dash and a skill set the coaching staff thinks will translate to wide receiver after playing quarterback and running back in high school.
“I ran a 4.37 for my 40, so I think initially they liked my speed and then my playmaking ability.
“When I was running one-on-ones, like even in high school I’ve been playing quarterback and running back, but was able to go out and get some really good reps. (Coach Jimmy Rogers) just told me I’m just good at football and one of those players that they really want to develop,” the Lake Stevens product said.
It will certainly be interesting to see how his senior year goes. Knowing that a positional change is coming once he begins his career with the Cyclones, it is fair to wonder if he will start the transition during his senior year with Lake Stevens.
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Noah Gratias is an Iowa State alum from Waukee.
Whether in political debates, Bleeding Heartland essays, or everyday conversations, the idea that Iowa is in decline is frequently invoked. Many Iowans worry about brain drain, water quality, health care access, and the job market.
Still, Iowa is better off than much of this rhetoric suggests. By many measures that count, including affordability, education, and health care, Iowa remains one of the country’s best places to live.
EA Sports College Football 27 is right around the corner, and fans can’t wait to play the new edition of the game. With new features including NIL, stadium builder, and a revamped road to glory, the game is once again going to be better than ever.
But of course, the main game mode that most fans like to play is dynasty. And the Iowa State Cyclones may be the perfect team to rebuild in College Football 27.
Iowa State is entering a new era. After former head coach, Matt Campbell, left for the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Cyclones have now hired Jimmy Rogers to take over the program. In the video game, you can start the dynasty fresh, with a new roster, a new coach, and new goals.
Speaking of the roster, Iowa State has tons of young, intriguing talent for next season. They have Cameron Pettaway, a freshman All-American who still has three years of eligibility, Omari Hayes who still has two years left, and Montreze Smith who still has three years, and a young offensive line as well. This team has a lot of fun young pieces.
The Cyclones fanbase is big, and they are passionate as well. Coming from Iowa, many midwestern college football fans pick Iowa State as their team. And their stadium backs that claim up. 61,500 seats is no small stadium by any means. The fans are rowdy, loud, and often have themes that look aesthetic as well.
In addition, the Cyclones’ jerseys are wonderful. Of course, they have their iconic home red uniforms, but also have away ones with red and yellow accents as well. Their blackout and whiteout jerseys are unbelievable as well, and super unique compared to the rest of the country. Their throwback uniform perfectly becomes the final touch to a perfect collection. Those are going to be very fun to use in game.
Overall, Iowa State is quite the team to use in College Football 27. It’s not the flashiest program, or one that can compete for a championship in year one, but a process that will take some time, but lead to great results. If you want a team that is entering a new era, has intriguing young talent, has a big fanbase and stadium, and provides jerseys that look great, you have to perfect the program to rebuild in the new video game coming this summer.
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