Just last season, I saw A.J. McCarron lead Alabama to a 52-0 win. A few seasons ago, I saw Terrelle Pryor beat Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl. When I was eight years old, I saw the Razorbacks beat an Ole Miss team led by Eli Manning.
I did some research and found that Arkansas has played several legendary quarterbacks through the years. They played, and lost to, all three of the Mannings (Archie, Peyton and Eli). Heisman Trophy winners Jim Plunkett, Gino Toretta, Matt Leinart and Cam Newton have also beaten the Razorbacks. In bowl games, NFL greats Y.A. Tittle, Troy Aikman and Tom Brady squared off against Arkansas.
However, many of these quarterbacks never had the opportunity to play in Fayetteville. Like I mentioned above, some only played Arkansas in bowl games. Some only played Arkansas at their own home field, while some played in Arkansas, but only in Little Rock.
Over the next few days, I will be unveiling my list of the 20 best quarterbacks to ever play in Fayetteville. I tried to place the most importance on each player's college career, but I also considered their professional success.
Here are No. 16 through No. 20.
20. Jay Cutler - Vanderbilt
Cutler would probably be higher on the list if he played on a better team. Nonetheless, he had a successful career with the Commodores and is now the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears. He led Vanderbilt to a 28-24 victory over Arkansas and accounted for three total touchdowns at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in 2005.
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| Photo from bleacherreport.com |
19. King Hill - Rice
A three-sport letterman (football, basketball, golf), Hill was an All-American and led Rice to a Southwest Conference championship in 1957. After being picked No. 1 overall in the 1958 NFL draft, Hill spent 11 seasons with three different franchises. In 1956, the Razorbacks beat him and Rice 27-12 in Fayetteville.
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| Photo from riceowls.com |
18. Larry Isbell - Baylor
Despite being named an All-American in 1951 and selected as the seventh overall pick in the 1952 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins, Isbell signed with the Boston Red Sox in the MLB. After two seasons at the AAA level, he decided to go back to football and played six seasons in the Canadian Football League. Arkansas defeated Isbell’s Bears 27-6 at Razorback Stadium in 1950.
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| Photo from fanbase.com |
17. Tommy Kramer - Rice
A first round selection in the 1977 NFL draft, Kramer spent 14 years in the NFL and was a Pro Bowler in 1986. Before the NFL, he was an All-American in 1976 and held numerous school records for over 30 years. Kramer was 0-2 in Fayetteville, falling 25-6 in 1974 and 41-16 in 1976.
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| Photo from news.rice.edu |
16. Don Trull - Baylor
Trull won the Sammy Baugh Trophy in 1961 and 1962 as the best passer in college football and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1963. In 1962, Arkansas beat Trull and Baylor 28-21 in Fayetteville.
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| Photo from footballfoundation.org |
Stay Tuned
No. 11 - No. 15 to be released Oct. 1
No. 6 - No. 10 to be released Oct. 2
No. 1 - No. 5 to be released Oct. 3
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