The Texas Tech football program has always been built on the backs of overachievers. So it is no wonder that some of the best NFL players from Texas Tech were overlooked in the NFL Draft.
That's true of undrafted players such as Wes Welker, Danny Amendola, and Terrence Steele who all went on to lucrative careers in the NFL. It's also true of some late-round NFL Draft picks who found success at the NFL level after great careers at Texas Tech.
Recently, we looked at some of the Red Raiders who proved to be busts in the draft. So today, let's flip the script and look at the best NFL Draft picks to come from Texas Tech in terms of value.
No. 5: Sammy Morris | Buffalo Bills |
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Running Back | 2000 5th Round |
In 1999, Texas Tech thought it had a Heisman Trophy Candidate in running back Ricky Williams. However, a knee injury sustained in the season opener would cost him the entire year. In his place stepped fullback Sammy Morris who had missed the previous two seasons because of NCAA academic eligibility issues. Morris would run for 562 yards and 3 TDs in nine games and parlay that into a fifth-round selection by the Buffalo Bills in the 2000 draft.
Not many people expected Morris to have the type of NFL career that he did, though. That's because he ran for only 788 yards and 7 TDs as a Red Raider.
On Sundays, though, he proved to be a durable and versatile running back. Morris would play 12 years in the NFL.
Over that time, he'd rack up 3,053 yards and 26 TDs despite rarely being a featured back. His best season was in 2008 when he ran for 727 yards and 7 TDs for the New England Patriots.
Morris would appear in 144 games before retiring in 2011. He played for the Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, and Cowboys (briefly). That's not a bad career for a fifth-round pick who missed half of his college career.