Wake Forest Demon Deacons football - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

team represents Wake Forest University

Wake Forest University

Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...

in the NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference

Atlantic Coast Conference

The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...

. Wake Forest plays its home football games at BB&T Field

BB&T Field

This article is about the football stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. For the baseball stadium also in Winston-Salem, see BB&T Ballpark. For the baseball stadium in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, see BB&T Coastal Field....

.

Wake Forest struggled in football for much of the second half of the 20th century. This is largely because it is the third-smallest school in FBS in terms of undergraduate enrollment (behind only Rice

Rice Owls

The Rice University athletic teams are known as the Rice Owls. The name comes from the owls in Rice's crest.Rice participates in NCAA Division I athletics and is part of Conference USA. Rice was a member of the Southwest Conference until its breakup in 1996. Rice then joined the Western Athletic...

and Tulsa

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

Tulsa Golden Hurricane athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports team of the University of Tulsa. These teams are referred to as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane...

). It is also by far the smallest school playing in a BCS conference

BCS conference

An Automatic Qualifying conference is an athletic conference in NCAA Division I FBS whose champion receives an automatic berth in one of the five Bowl Championship Series bowl games...

. However, since the start of the 21st century, the Deacons have been mostly competitive.

Wake Forest was ranked in the Top 25 in the nation by the AP Poll

AP Poll

The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...

during most of the 2006 season. Wake Forest won the 2006 ACC Atlantic Division Title and the 2006 ACC Conference Championship by defeating Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are 8 men's and 7 women's teams that...

9-6 on December 2 in the ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville, FL. The win sent Wake Forest to the Orange Bowl to play Big East champion Louisville, where they lost to the Cardinals. This made Wake Forest the smallest school to ever compete in the Bowl Championship Series

Bowl Championship Series

The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...

.

For his part in the record-setting season, coach Jim Grobe

Jim Grobe

Jim Grobe is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Wake Forest University, a position he has held since the 2001 season. From 1995 to 2000, Grobe served as the head coach at Ohio University...

was unanimously selected ACC Coach of the Year, and handily won the AP Coach of the Year award several weeks later.

Wake Forest head football coaches

{| border="0" width="100%"
| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
!bgcolor="#080705"| Tenure
!bgcolor="#080705"| Coach
!bgcolor="#080705"| Years
!bgcolor="#080705"| Record
!bgcolor="#080705"| Pct.
|- align="center"
| 1888 || W.C. Dowd || 1 || 1-0 || 1.000
|- align="center"
| 1889 || W.C. Riddick || 1 || 3-3 || .500
|- align="center"
| 1891-93 || W.E. Sikes || 3 || 6-2-1 || .722
|- align="center"
| 1908 || A.P. Hall Jr. || 1 || 1-4 || .167
|- align="center"
| 1909 || A.T. Myers || 1 || 2-4 || .333
|- align="center"
| 1910 || Reddy Rowe || 1 || 2-7 || .222
|- align="center"
| 1911-13 || Frank Thompson || 3 || 5-19 || .206
|- align="center"
| 1914-15 || W.C. Smith || 2 || 6-10 || .375
|- align="center"
| 1916 || C.M. Billings || 1 || 3-3 || .500
|- align="center"
| 1917 || E.T. MacDonnell || 1 || 1-6-1 || .188
|- align="center"
| 1918-19 || Harry Rabenhorst || 2 || 3-8 || .273
|- align="center"
| 1920-21 || James L. White

James L. White (coach)

James Livingston White, Jr. was an American college baseball, basketball and football head coach for three different Southern universities, the University of Virginia, Wake Forest College and the University of Florida, in the 1910s and 1920s...

|| 2 || 4-15 || .211
|- align="center"
| 1922 || George Levene

George Levene

Israel George "Izzy" Levene was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Tennessee from 1907 to 1909 and at Wake Forest University in 1922, compiling a career record of 18–15–5.-Player career:Levene played college football at the...

|| 1 || 3-5-2 || .400
|- align="center"
| 1923-25 || Hank Garrity

Hank Garrity

Henry "Hank" Garrity was the head football coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football program from 1923 to 1924. During his tenure he compiled a 19-7-1 record. He currently has the school record for highest winning percentage among head coaches. He also served as the school's basketball coach...

|| 3 || 19-7-1 || .722
|- align="center"
| 1926-27 || James A. Baldwin

James A. Baldwin

James "Jim" Baldwin was an American football player, track athlete, coach of football, basketball, and baseball, and college athletics administrator in the United States...

|| 2 || 7-10-3 || .425
|- align="center"
| 1928 || Stanley B. Cofall || 1 || 2-6-2 || .300
|- align="center"
| 1929-32 || F.S. Miller || 4 || 18-15-4 || .541
|- align="center"
| 1933-36 || James H. Weaver

Jim Weaver (ACC Commissioner)

James H. Weaver was the first commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference , head football coach and athletic director at Wake Forest University...

|| 4 || 10-23-1 || .309
|- align="center"
| 1937-50 || D.C. "Peahead" Walker

Peahead Walker

Douglas Clyde "Peahead" Walker was a former head coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and of the Montreal Alouettes....

|| 14 || 77-51-6 || .597
|- align="center"
| 1951-55 || Tom Rogers || 5 || 21-25-4 || .460
|- align="center"
| 1956-59 || Paul Amen

Paul Amen

-External links:* *...

|| 4 || 11-26-3 || .313
|- align="center"
| 1960-63 || Billy Hildebrand || 4 || 7-33 || .175
|- align="center"
| 1964-68 || Bill Tate

Bill Tate

Bill Tate is a former head coach of the Wake Forest college football program from 1964-1968. He was a graduate from Mattoon High School in Mattoon, Illinois....

|| 5 || 17-32-1 || .350
|- align="center"
| 1969-71 || Cal Stoll

Cal Stoll

-External links:...

|| 3 || 15-17 || .469
|- align="center"
| 1972 || Tom Harper || 1 || 2-9 || .182
|- align="center"
| 1973-77 || Chuck Mills

Chuck Mills

Morton J. "Chuck" Mills is a former American football coach. He served as the head coach at Pomona College , Indiana University of Pennsylvania , the United States Merchant Marine Academy , Utah State University , Wake Forest University , Southern Oregon University , and the...

|| 5 || 11-43-1 || .209
|- align="center"
| 1978-80 || John Mackovic

John Mackovic

John Mackovic is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of United States national American football team, which was formed to compete in the American Football World Cup...

|| 3 || 14-20 || .412
|- align="center"
| 1981-86 || Al Groh

Al Groh

Al Groh is the defensive coordinator of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team. He is also a former head coach of the University of Virginia football team, a former head coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team and the former head coach of the New York Jets of the NFL...

|| 6 || 26-40 || .394
|- align="center"
| 1987-92 || Bill Dooley

Bill Dooley

Bill Dooley is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , and Wake Forest University , compiling a career college football record of...

|| 6 || 29-36-2 || .448
|- align="center"
| 1993-00 || Jim Caldwell

Jim Caldwell (football coach)

-NFL:-External links:* *...

|| 8 || 26-63 || .292
|- align="center"
| 2001- || Jim Grobe

Jim Grobe

|| 11 || 68-66 || .507
|-align=center
!bgcolor="#caad71"| 1888–2011
!bgcolor="#caad71"| 31 coaches
!bgcolor="#caad71"| 109
!bgcolor="#caad71"| 420-608-33
!bgcolor="#caad71"| .411
|}

Conference championships

Conference Affiliations

1888-1931 Independent
1932-1936 Big Five Conference
1936-1952 Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
1953–present Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...

http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/acc/wake_forest/index.php

{| border="0" width="100%"
| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
!bgcolor="#080705"| Year
!bgcolor="#080705"| Conference
!bgcolor="#080705"| Overall Record
!bgcolor="#080705"| Conference Record
|- align="center"
| 1970 || ACC || 6-5 || 5-1
|- align="center"
| 2006 || ACC || 11-2 || 6-2
|- align="center"
| colspan=2 bgcolor="#caad71"| Total conference championships
| colspan=2 bgcolor="#caad71"| 2
|}

All-time bowl record

Wake Forest has played in nine bowls in its history and owns a 6-3 record in those games. For the 2006-07 season, the school earned a bid to its first ever BCS

Bowl Championship Series

game, with an Orange Bowl match-up against Louisville

Louisville Cardinals football

The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in college football as a member of the Big East Conference. Howard Schnellenberger started the program's rise to relevancy after winning the Miami Hurricanes' first national championship...

. Wake also had played in the 1982 Mirage Bowl in Tokyo, Japan against Clemson. However the NCAA does not recognize that game as an offical bowl game.
{| class="wikitable"
|-style="background: #080705" align=center
| Date || Bowl || W/L || Opponent || PF || PA
|-align=center
| January 1, 1946 || Gator Bowl

Gator Bowl

The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...

|| W || South Carolina

South Carolina Gamecocks football

The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...

|| 25 || 14
|-align=center
| January 1, 1948 || Dixie Bowl

Dixie Bowl

The Dixie Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game held New Year's Day at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The game was only held twice, following the 1947 and 1948 seasons, after which it was discontinued. Birmingham and Legion Field have since played host to a number of other bowl...

|| L || Baylor

Baylor Bears football

The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...

|| 7 || 20
|-align=center
| December 22, 1979 || Tangerine Bowl

Capital One Bowl

The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...

|| L || LSU

LSU Tigers football

The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...

|| 10 || 34
|-align=center
| December 31, 1992 || Independence Bowl

Independence Bowl

The Independence Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, so named because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial year, 1976....

|| W || Oregon

Oregon Ducks football

The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...

|| 39 || 35
|-align=center
| December 25, 1999 || Aloha Bowl

Aloha Bowl

The Aloha Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game played in Honolulu, Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. With the exception of the 1983-86 playings, the Aloha Bowl was traditionally played on Christmas morning in Honolulu. For most of its...

|| W || Arizona State

Arizona State Sun Devils football

The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....

|| 23 || 3
|-align=center
| December 30, 2002 || Seattle Bowl

Seattle Bowl

The Seattle Bowl was a college football bowl game played in 2001 and 2002 between teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Pacific-10 Conference in Seattle, Washington. This bowl game was a continuation of the Oahu Bowl which had moved to Seattle. The 2001 game was played at Safeco Field...

|| W || Oregon || 38 || 17
|-align=center
| January 2, 2007 || Orange Bowl || L || Louisville

Louisville Cardinals football

|| 13 || 24
|-align=center
| December 29, 2007 || Meineke Car Care Bowl || W || Connecticut

2007 Connecticut Huskies football team

The 2007 Connecticut Huskies football team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2007 college football season as a member of the Big East Conference. The team was coached by Randy Edsall and played its home games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut...

|| 24 || 10
|-align=center
| December 20, 2008||EagleBank Bowl || W || Navy

Navy Midshipmen football

The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...

|| 29 || 19
|-style="background: #caad71" align=center
| Total || 9 bowl games || 6-3 || || ||
|}

Rivalries

Wake Forest

Wake Forest University

is referred to as being a part of "Tobacco Road

Tobacco Road

Tobacco Road refers to the tobacco-producing area of North Carolina and is often used when referring to sports played among rival North Carolina universities...

" or the Big Four, terms that refer to the four North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

schools that compete heatedly against each other within the ACC. Wake's all-time records against the members of Tobacco Road

Tobacco Road

Tobacco Road refers to the tobacco-producing area of North Carolina and is often used when referring to sports played among rival North Carolina universities...

are 34-68-2 against UNC, 37-62-6 against NCSU, and 37-53-2 against Duke

Duke Blue Devils football

The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal...

. Wake Forest defeated North Carolina

University of North Carolina

Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...

6-4 on October 18, 1888 during the first intercollegiate football game played in the state of North Carolina. Wake Forest swept the series with its Tobacco Road rivals in 1924, 1951, 1970, 1984, 1987, 2006, and 2007. Wake Forest has a contract through 2014 to play Vanderbilt during the final "rivalry week" of the regular season.

Player

ACC Player of the Year

Bill Barnes - 1956

Brian Piccolo - 1964

Jay Venuto - 1979

Chris Barclay

Chris Barclay is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Wake Forest...

- 2005

Ray Guy Award
Ray Guy Award
The Ray Guy Award is presented annually to college football's top punter by the Greater Augusta Sports Council. The award is named after punter Ray Guy, a former All-American at Southern Mississippi and an all-pro player for the Oakland Raiders.-Criteria:...

Ryan Plackemeier

Ryan Steven Plackemeier is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft...

- 2005

2005 NCAA Division I-A football season

The 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the least amount of controversy surrounding the Bowl Championship Series title game in many years.To an extent it was a return to classic football...

ACC Rookie of the Year

James McDougald - 1976

Michael Ramseur - 1982

Riley Skinner

Riley Skinner is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Wake Forest.-College career:...

- 2006

Josh Adams - 2007

Butkus Award

Aaron Curry

Aaron Curry (American football)

-Seattle Seahawks:On August 8, 2009, Curry signed a six-year, $60 million contract including $34 million guaranteed, the most money ever guaranteed to a non-quarterback rookie in NFL history....

- 2008

Jacobs Blocking Award

Steve Justice - 2007

Coaches

ACC Coach of the Year

Paul Amen

-External links:* *...

- 1956

Paul Amen - 1959

Bill Tate

Bill Tate is a former head coach of the Wake Forest college football program from 1964-1968. He was a graduate from Mattoon High School in Mattoon, Illinois....

- 1964

Cal Stoll

-External links:...

- 1970

John Mackovic

- 1979

Bill Dooley

- 1987

1987 NCAA Division I-A football season

The 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Miami winning its second national championship during the 80s in an Orange Bowl match-up featuring a rare #1 vs...

Bill Dooley - 1992

1992 NCAA Division I-A football season

The 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant...

Jim Grobe

- 2006

Walter Camp Coach of the Year

John Mackovic

- 1979

Associated Press Coach of the Year

Jim Grobe

- 2006

Bobby Dodd Award

Jim Grobe

- 2006

Current NFL players

Tyson Clabo
Tyson Clabo
Tyson Clabo is an American football offensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons. He was originally signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Wake Forest.-Early years:...

- Offensive Lineman, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
Desmond Clark
Desmond Clark
Desmond Darice Clark is an American football Tight End who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wake Forest...

- Tight End
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...

, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
Aaron Curry
Aaron Curry (American football)
-Seattle Seahawks:On August 8, 2009, Curry signed a six-year, $60 million contract including $34 million guaranteed, the most money ever guaranteed to a non-quarterback rookie in NFL history....

- Linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...

, Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
Chris DeGeare
Chris DeGeare
Chris DeGeare is an offensive guard for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted 161st overall pick by the Vikings in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played collegiate football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He played high school football for Robert B...

- Offensive Guard, Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
Brandon Ghee
Brandon Ghee
Brandon Ghee is an American football cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bengals in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft...

- Cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...

, Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
Ovie Mughelli
Ovie Mughelli
Ovie Phillip Mughelli is an American football fullback for the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL. He signed a 6-year, $18 million contract with a $5 million signing bonus on March 2, 2007 with the Falcons...

- Fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...

, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
Calvin Pace
Calvin Pace
Calvin Lamar Pace is an American football linebacker for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by Arizona Cardinals in the first round in the 2003 NFL Draft...

- Linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...

, New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
Fred Robbins
Fred Robbins
-Minnesota Vikings:Robbins was drafted on the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He signed a four-year $5.5 million deal with the Vikings. As a rookie in 2000, played in 8 games as a reserve and had 5 tackles and one sack. In 2001, played in 16 games with 12 starts and had...

- Defensive Tackle, St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
Alphonso Smith
Alphonso Smith
Alphonso Smith, Jr. is a professional football cornerback for the Detroit Lions. Smith played college football at Wake Forest...

- Cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...

, Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
Steve Vallos
Steve Vallos
Steve Vallos is an American football guard and center for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft...

- Offensive Lineman, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
Marshall Williams - Wide Receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...

, Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
Joe Zelenka
Joe Zelenka
Joseph John Zelenka is an American football long snapper for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 1999...

- Tight End
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...

, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

Other famous players

Richard Burr
Richard Burr
Richard Mauze Burr is the senior United States Senator from North Carolina and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Burr represented North Carolina's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives....

- Current Republican Senator of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
Jim Clack
Jim Clack
James Thomas Clack was an American football guard in the National Football League. He played for 11 seasons between 1971 and 1981. He died of heart failure in 2006, after a four-year battle with cancer....

- Former NFL center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...

who won Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...

rings with Pittsburgh and played for New York Giants
Charlie Crist
Charlie Crist
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General...

- Former Republican Governor of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
Clark Gaines
Clark Gaines
Clark Daniel Gaines is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He played for the New York Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs over the course of his 7 year career.-Early years:...

- Former NFL running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...

, holds NFL record for most receptions in a game by a running back (3rd most receptions in a game among all players), and was the first undrafted rookie to rush for over 500 yards in a rookie season; currently serves as Assistant Executive Director of the NFL Players Association.
Brian Kuklick - Former NFL quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Rusty LaRue
Rusty LaRue
Rusty LaRue is an American former multi-sport athlete who played basketball, baseball, and football at Wake Forest University. He later played for the Chicago Bulls team that won the 1998 National Basketball Association Championship...

- Still owns several NCAA passing records
Brian Piccolo - Former NFL running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...

, basis for the movie Brian's Song
Brian's Song
Brian's Song is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the details of the life of Brian Piccolo , a Wake Forest University football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro, told through his friendship with Chicago Bears running back teammate and Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale...
Ricky Proehl
Ricky Proehl
Richard Scott Proehl is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. Proehl played 17 seasons with the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers, and Indianapolis Colts...

- Former NFL wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...

who won Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...

rings with St. Louis and Indianapolis
Norm Snead
Norm Snead
Norman Bailey Snead is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football for Wake Forest University and was drafted in the first round of...

- Four time Pro Bowl quarterback.

External links

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