NFL Players Who Were Drafted After High School Years Ft. Eric Swann

NFL player out of high school is the Punter Sav Rocca. He played Australian Football for Collingwood Football Club from 1992 to 2000.

Hailing from Australia’s Victoria, Rocca signed with the side at 18 in 1991. He was a strong full forward with great kicking ability.

After 150 games with Collingwood, he was delisted and drafted by North Melbourne in 2001. He played for the Kangaroos till 2007.

At 32, when most athletes consider hanging up their boots, Sav tried out for a Punter role for the Buffalo Bills in 2006. Unfortunately, he was not called for the training camp.

Instead, the Philadelphia Eagles came knocking on the door. He performed excellently in the 2007 preseason games and made the NFL roster cut. He was picked over Dirk Johnson.

He played his rookie year at 33, making him the oldest rookie in the league.

The Australian recorded 299 punts for 12,817 net yards for the Eagles from 2007 to 2010.

Washington Redskins acquired him in 2011 as a free agent, and he played for them till 2004. He made 218 punts for 9,352 net yards in three seasons.

The current New Orleans Saints Team Ambassador, Michael Lewis, attended Grace King HS and played football only during his freshman year.

Due to the family’s financial crisis and to support his newborn child, he took a job and quit playing football.

During his late teens, he started playing flag football, and pro indoor leagues. He was part of the Arena Football League.

Michael used to take the Budweiser beer truck to his league as he worked as the truck driver. Because of that, he was called the ‘Beer Man.’

After spending time with Louisiana Bayou Beast (1998 and 1999), New Orleans Thunder (1999), and New Jersey Red Dogs (2000), he was invited by several NFL teams for the training camp.

In the 2000 preseason, the Philadelphia Eagles contracted him. He was cut before the regular season.

In the late 2000 season, the New Orleans Saints signed him, and he was sent to play in the 2001 NFL Europe league’s Rhein Fire.

The Wide Receiver returned in 2002 as the Saints return specialist. He played for them till 2006. The San Francisco 49ers recruited him in 2007.

His NFL stats stand at 28 receptions for 553 yards. He made 7,807 return yards with four touchdowns.

The Tight End played all his professional football career with the San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers. He was signed as an UDFA in 2003.

Central High School’s alma mater was a Michigan State University basketball player. He got a chance to play football under Nick Saban but chose to pursue basketball.

He transferred to Eastern Michigan and was later recruited by Kent State University. Gates wore No. 44 and enjoyed a great run with the Golden Flashes.

Antonio performed for NFL scouts after being labeled as a ‘tweener’ by NBA scouts. Thus, the journey towards greatness began for the newly turned football player.

During his career, Gates received eight straight Pro Bowl nominations from 2004 to 2011. He made the First-team All-Pro from 2004 to 2006.

He was part of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team.

The 43-year-old has 11,841 receiving yards and 116 TDs under his name. His contribution to the Chargers earned him a place in the Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame.

Eric Swann played as a Defensive Tackle in the NFL for a decade. He is a former student of Western Harnett High School.

During his high school days, he participated in discus throwing and shot-put. He was a state runner-up in both sports.

Due to academic ineligibility, Swann couldn’t join North Carolina State University. He enrolled in Wake Technical Community College but dropped out in 1990 to play semi-pro football.

Bay State Titans hired him at a $5/hour.

Following that, he entered the 1991 NFL Draft and was selected by the Phoenix Cardinals as the sixth overall. His peak performance came in 1995 and 1996, earning him a Pro Bowl selection.

After spending nine years with the Cardinals, he was waived in 2000. Carolina Panthers signed him on a one-year deal, making his last year in the league.

He made 463 tackles and 46.5 sacks as a professional footballer.

Efe Obada was born in Nigeria but was brought up in the Netherlands and England. He played the 2014 season with London Warriors.

He played as a Tight End and Defensive End for the Warriors.

Upon the recommendation from Aden Durde, he was invited for a workout session at the Dallas Cowboys camp. They signed him in 2015, making him the first sportsperson to transition into the NFL from European football.

He was part of the Cowboys’ practice squad in 2015. He spent the 2016 season with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Atlanta Falcons on the offseason roster.

After signing with the Carolina Panthers, his debut game came in 2018 against Cincinnati Bengals. He played with the Panthers till 2020.

In 2021, the Buffalo Bills recruited the DE. He made 12 tackles in a dozen games for the Bills with 3.5 sacks.

Since 2022, he has been a Washington Commanders player. His overall statistics read 86 tackles, 15 sacks, six pass deflections, and two fumble recoveries.

Toni Fritsch is the only person to represent the Austrian national soccer team and play in the NFL. He is the first Austrian to set foot in the NFL.

The striker joined Rapid Vienna at 13 and started playing pro league in 1964. He played 123 matches and scored 15 goals.

Upon getting the international team call-up, he helped beat England in 1965 at the Wembley Stadium. Fritsch scored twice in the 3-2 win against the English.

The Dallas Cowboys scouts discovered him and made him kicker. He was signed as a UDFA in 1971.

He played five seasons for the Cowboys till 1975. He won Super Bowl VI, making him the first to win association and American football trophies.

Other franchises represented by the athlete are:

• San Diego Chargers – 1976
• Houston Oilers – 1977-81
• New Orleans Saints – 1982
• Houston Gamblers – 1984-85

In his twelve-year NFL career, he played 125 matches and made 137 field goals in 231 attempts. He converted 287 extra points out of 300 possible points.

The ‘Big Daddy‘ of football studied at the Miller High School. Lipscomb joined the US Marine Corps and never set a foot in the college.

During his time as a marine, he played football in the camp.

Los Angeles Rams knocked at his door in 1953 and signed him as a UDFA. He played for the Rams till 1955.

The 1956 to 1960 phase with the Baltimore Colts was the highlight of his football career. He won two NFL Championships with the Colts in 1958 and 1959.

He made the First-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl on both occasions. His teammates at the franchise include the legendary Art Donovan and Gino Marchetti.

Pittsburgh Steelers acquired Gene via trade and paired him up with Buzz Nutter in 1961. Other notable defensive players include Joe Lewis, Jimmy Orr, and Dick Campbell.

Lipscomb led the sacks leaders chart in 1961. His impressive season with the Steelers earned him his third Pro Bowl invite in 1962.

New England Patriots signed the Guard as an undrafted free agent in 2001. Neal was waived on 26 August that year.

Tracking back to his San Diego High School years, Stephen played various sports, including wrestling, tennis, swimming, football, and track and field.

As a senior, he secured 4th place at the California State Wrestling Tournament in the 189-pound category with a 45-2 record.

Following that, Stephen enrolled at California State University and compiled 156-10 records in four years. During that period, he defeated Brock Lesnar in the 1999 championship match.

Neal won gold in 1998 Cleveland (275 lb) and 1999 State College (285 lb) championships and made many other records.

After college, he shifted sports and became a footballer for the Patriots in 2001. Philadelphia Eagles included him in the 2001 practice squad.

In December 2001, the Patriots re-signed the sportsperson. That year, the team won the Super Bowl XXXVI.

Likewise, the second stint lasted till 2010 before his retirement on March 2, 2011.

During a decade of playing Guard for the Patriots, Neal won two more Vince Lombardi trophies in 2004 and 2005. He is the most decorated NFL player without a college football game under his belly.