Category: Sports

In late 1993, the United States wanted to restart its professional soccer program about a decade after the fall of the North American Soccer League. The hope was that some of the world’s best players would want to come to the United States and join the new clubs, and thus Major League Soccer was born with the first season being played in 1996.

Though the prestige of the MLS hasn’t matched the major leagues around the world just yet, there have been plenty of international players who have made their way stateside and earned some big salaries. Here are five international stars who cashed in on the MLS. Before we get to the list, some of the names that just missed the cut include David Villa, Jorge Campos, Gareth Bale, and Robbie Keane.

Carlos Valderrama

Colombian footballer Carlos Valderrama was the original MLS superstar, and the midfielder had spent much of the 1980s and early 1990s as one of the best players in the world. Known mostly for his time with Deportivo Cali in the late 1980s, Valderrama joined Major League Soccer during its first season, signing with the Tampa Bay Mutiny while in his mid-30s.

Valderrama spent six years in the MLS, and on top of Tampa Bay also played for the Miami Fusion and Colorado Rapids before retiring after the 2002 season. Valderrama finished his career with 175 matches and 16 goals, winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield in his first season, and was the MVP of the first season. Valderrama was far and away the highest-paid player of the fledgling league.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has had a lot of stops throughout his professional football career, playing for more than half a dozen clubs before joining the MLS. Most notably, Ibrahimovic was with Inter Milan for three years, netting 57 goals in just 70 matches.

Prior to the 2018 MLS season, Ibrahimovic surprised a lot of people by signing a contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy for just $1.5 million. That salary would increase dramatically the following year, with the star earning $7.2 million. While it might not seem like a lot, the MLS does have a low salary cap and Ibrahimovic was earning plenty on the side. After two seasons, he headed back to Europe and joined AC Milan in 2020, finishing with 56 games and 52 goals, making the All-Star Team in both seasons.

Thierry Henry

French football star Thierry Henry found a lot of success at the beginning of his career with Monaco, but truly hit it big when he joined Arsenal and became a tremendous goal scorer. After eight years with the club, Henry spent three more with Barcelona, then made his way to America.

Henry joined the New York Red Bulls on a five-year contract worth $22.4 million. This set a new precedent in the MLS as Henry’s salary alone exceeded the cap that was set by the league. Henry played for all five seasons, with his most impressive being the 2012 campaign in which he had 15 goals and 12 assists in 25 games. Overall, Henry had 51 goals before retiring following the 2014 season.

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney was an absolute legend in England, starting his professional career with Everton for three years before being transferred to Manchester United. Rooney spent 13 years with Man U, scoring 183 goals in nearly 400 appearances, and then made another stop with Everton before heading to the United States. 

The details of Rooney’s contract weren’t explicitly stated for his second season, but he made nearly $2.8 million in his first year. Insiders said that the second season paid him north of $6 million, and those were his only two in Major League Soccer. However, Rooney would retire and become the manager of the team who signed him (D.C. United) and earned a cool $1 million in his first year. In his 48 career MLS games, Rooney scored 23 goals.

David Beckham

Even if he wasn’t the truly greatest player that England has ever seen, David Beckham was certainly one of the most famous. Beckham had come up with Manchester United, spending more than a decade with the club before heading to Real Madrid for a few years during the mid-2000s. 

Beckham was the biggest acquisition in American soccer history, with the player earning $36.5 million over his six seasons with the LA Galaxy from 2007 to 2012. During that time, Beckham scored 18 goals in 98 career games, but the most lucrative part of his contract was the ownership stipulation. Beckham’s contract allowed him to own an MLS team after his playing days, and he started an expansion team (Inter Miami).

Being a professional football scout is a dream job compared to recruiting for college football. In the pros, you make a list of who you think the best players are coming out of college, and when it’s your turn in the draft, you simply select the best player available and he’s on your team. In college, though, there’s a lot of convincing that you have to do as a recruiter to get a player to come to your school.

For the most part, smaller schools are eliminated from getting any highly-rated high school players due to their lack of resources. However, there have been a handful of instances in which a smaller school outside of the power five (and especially the Southeastern Conference) has landed big names. Here are five of those times when the little guy got the big fish.

Ofa Mohetau (BYU)

When he was coming out of high school in 2002-03, ESPN said that Ofa Mohetau could be the best offensive guard in a decade. That’s why it stunned so many people that Mohetau decided to move from Texas to Utah, signing with BYU. However, his playing career seemed to vanish as soon as he stepped on campus.

Mohetau decided to join Texas Tech after nearly three years at BYU but didn’t get any playing time. He was left off of the 2007 roster without much fanfare and never made it to the NFL. In fact, he stayed off the grid for the most part and moved back to Texas.

Ed Oliver (Houston)

The Houston Cougars became a Power 5 conference team when they joined the Big 12 in 2023, but in the years leading up to that move, they were a G5 team that was part of Conference USA then the American Athletic Conference. During their AAC days, Houston landed their biggest recruit yet when they signed defensive tackle Ed Oliver.

Oliver was one of the 20 highest-rated prospects in the 2016 class, and he definitely lived up to that billing. Oliver was named an All-American in all three of his NCAA seasons and won the AAC Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017. Oliver wound up becoming a top 10 selection in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.

DeAndre Brown (Southern Miss)

There were three receivers ranked ahead of DeAndre Brown in the class of 2008 and they all ended up being amazing (Julio Jones, A.J. Green, DeVier Pose). DeAndre Brown was the other big five-star receiver coming out of high school that year, and he surprised everyone when he decided to enroll at Southern Miss instead of Auburn, Florida, and LSU.

Brown played for three seasons at Southern Miss, collecting 2,207 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns in 30 games. Wanting to avoid injury, he declared for the 2011 NFL Draft, but was not selected. He spent time on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad but never suited up for an NFL game.

Michael Bush (Louisville)

It doesn’t sound too wild at the moment to think about Louisville grabbing a five-star recruit every now and then. After all, they are in one of the Power 5 conferences (ACC) and have produced some incredible talent including NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. There was a time, though, when Louisville was just a basketball school in Conference USA.

It was at that time when the Cardinals landed one of the highest-rated running backs in high school history, Michael Bush. Louisville didn’t have to go far on the recruiting trail for Bush since he was raised in the city and wanted to stick around for his college years. Bush collected over 2,500 rushing yards at Lousiville and another 3,250 in the NFL.

Travis Hunter (Jackson State)

When former NFL legend Deion Sanders took over the head coaching duties at FCS school Jackson State, there were a lot of highly-recruited high school players who were interested in joining him. The biggest coup that Sanders pulled off at Jackson State (before leaving for Colorado) was landing Travis Hunter, the top-ranked player in his class.

Hunter had been considered a lock to play for Florida State, but changed his mind at the last moment and went to the small HBCU school. Hunter played just one season with Jackson State, though, as he joined Sanders at Colorado. Still, he was able to put up 141 yards of offense with two touchdowns while also recording 15 tackles at Jackson State, and nobody will forget the recruiting trail that Sander’s blazed at Jackson State in 2022.

One of the more common bets that you’ll see in basketball is on the totals. While the point spread can be a bit tricky to navigate for novice bettors, the total points scored line is easier as you don’t have to have too much inside knowledge of each team. Most bettors will also say that it’s more fun to bet the ‘over’ on the total, especially as teams start getting hot and baskets are dropping left and right.

There have been a handful of times in basketball history when the over was hit seemingly by halftime. Whether it was multiple overtimes which inflated the score or just two hot teams, these five games saw the most total points in NBA history. Let’s take a look at those extremely rare occasions and how they happened.

318 Points (Twice)

There have been two games that have hit 318 points total, with the first one not even needing overtime to reach new heights. The Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs met on January 11, 1984, and the two teams combined for 99 points in just one quarter, setting the new NBA record that hasn’t been touched since then. Kiki Vandeweghe led the way for Denver, scoring 50 points, while George Gervin put up 38 in the Spurs’ losing effort with a final score of 163-155.

The second time that two teams combined for 318 points came on December 7, 2006, as the Phoenix Suns defeated the New Jersey Nets 161-157. This game didn’t need just one overtime to reach the total, but two. Steve Nash led all scorers with 42 points while Shawn Marion added another 33 for the victors. As for the Nets, Jason Kidd (38) and Vince Carter (31) also had solid nights.

320 Points

The November 2, 1990 game between the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets was perhaps one of the most interesting games in NBA history. Not only was it opening night for the 1990-91 season, but the game set the league record for most points in a game that didn’t go into overtime with 320. Golden State would prevail, defeating the Nuggets 162-158.

The Warriors shot an absurd 57.8 percent from the field, needing only a pair of three-point baskets to hit 162 points. Chris Mullin recorded a team-high 38 points while Tim Hardaway added 32 and Mitch Richmond added 29. Orlando Woolridge (37) and Walter Davis (33) put up fine performances for the Nuggets in the loss.

329 Points

Reaching more than one overtime in the NBA is rarer than you might think, but reaching four overtimes is almost unheard of. When the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks met up on March 1, 2019, at the State Farm Arena in Georgia, they would end up needing all four overtimes to decide a winner, scoring a total of 329 points as the Bulls won 168-161.

Neither team was headed to the playoffs in this late-season matchup, which explains the lack of defense. Zach LaVine put up 47 points for the Bulls while Otto Porter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen each added 31. Trae Young led all scorers in the game with 49 while no other member of the Hawks reached 25 points, surprisingly.

337 Points

On March 6, 1982, a new standard for scoring was set in an NBA game when the San Antonio Spurs defeated the visiting Milwaukee Bucks by a score of 171-166 in triple overtime. Though the record wouldn’t last for a full two years, it was still far and away the highest-scoring game in NBA history at that point.

The two teams were tied 131-131 after regulation, and the highest scorers for the Bucks didn’t actually start the game. Brian Winters put up 42 points from the bench while Junior Bridgeman added another 31. As for the winning team, Mike Mitchell (45) and George Gervin (50) combined for more than half of the Spurs’ total.

370 Points

In one of the most unbeatable records in NBA history, the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets made history on December 13, 1983, when they combined for 370 points in the Pistons’ 186-184 road win. At 33 points more than any other game in league history, nobody has come close in the several decades which have followed.

The game ended after three overtimes, and was already high-scoring in regulation as the Pistons and Nuggets were tied at 145-145. Isaiah Thomas (47), John Long (41), and Kelly Tripucka (35) all had huge games for the Pistons while Kiki Vandeweghe had his second big game on the list with 51 points. Alex English also added another 47 for Denver.

There was a time in college basketball when the best teams in the country would almost always make the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament. However, in the mid-2000s, more upsets started to happen as the talent gap between the top and bottom began to shrink thanks to the best players only sticking around for a year before heading to the NBA.

As a result, there have been some lower seeds to make the Final Four, including a long list of eight seeds that have even reached the championship game. Then there are those who were ranked even lower, stunning the sports world by claiming a Final Four spot as a double-digit seed. Here are those teams that had remarkable runs, but all of which ended just short of a championship.

LSU (1986)

Louisiana State University isn’t some rinky-dink school in the middle of nowhere, but they were ranked like one when they made it into the 1986 NCAA Tournament as an 11 seed. In their first game, LSU pulled off the minor upset over Purdue by defeating the Boilermakers 94-87 in double-overtime. They then pulled off a trio of major upsets, all of which were also incredibly close games.

They defeated third-seeded Memphis in the second round (83-81), second-seeded Georgia Tech in the Sweet 16 (70-64), and top-seeded Kentucky in the Elite 8 (59-57). LSU didn’t fare so well in the Final Four when they met up with western regional-winning Louisville, however. The eventual-champion Cardinals defeated LSU 88-77, then defeated Duke 72-69 to claim their title.

George Mason (2006)

It would be another 20 years before another double-digit seed made it to the Final Four, and it came from the unlikeliest of teams. George Mason was a mid-major, but they didn’t win their conference tournament. Instead, that honor went to UNC Wilmington, but the Patriots were still given a chance by the NCAA Tournament Committee to show what they could do in 2006.

George Mason didn’t disappoint, and they started off by taking down a pair of blue bloods in the first two rounds in the form of Michigan State and North Carolina. After beating upstart Wichita State in the Sweet 16, George Mason pulled off their biggest upset in their tourney run by taking down top seed Connecticut. The run would end in the Final Four, however, as Florida defeated them 73-58, then dispatched UCLA by a nearly identical score in the championship game.

VCU (2011)

Virginia Commonwealth’s story was almost identical to George Mason’s. The team was considered a strong mid-major, but many felt that they should have been left out of the tournament since they didn’t win their conference tournament. VCU was brought in for the new “First Four” which meant they had to play USC to declare who the #11 seed would be in the southwest region.

VCU took down the Trojans to claim the spot then blew out their next two opponents (#6 Georgetown and #3 Purdue). The only real close game that VCU played on their way to the Final Four was against 10th-seeded Florida State, with VCU prevailing 72-71 in overtime. They took down #1 Kansas before losing to eighth-seeded Butler in the Final Four.

Loyola-Chicago (2018)

Nobody will ever forget the story of Sister Jean and the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers of the Missouri Valley Conference. After finishing 28-5 and winning the MVC, Loyola won their first three games in the tournament by a combined four points. The Ramblers took down Miami, Tennessee, and Nevada during that stretch then took on Kansas State in the Elite 8.

Kansas State came in as a nine-seed, so it was going to be a cinderella team in the Final Four, either way. Loyola ran away with the game, defeating the Wildcats 78-62. Many thought they were a team of destiny, but when they reached the Final Four, they ran into a buzzsaw in the form of the Michigan Wolverines. The Ramblers’ season came to an end with a 69-57 loss.

UCLA (2021)

When you think of underdogs, you probably don’t think much about the NCAA team that has more championships than anybody else. However, that was the case in 2021 when the UCLA Bruins were given an at-large bid and entered into the First Four against fellow low-seeded blue blood Michigan State.

UCLA prevailed over the Spartans and went on to upset BYU in the first round. They then got an easy opponent in Abilene Christian when they upset Texas. UCLA showed they weren’t a fluke, though, as they toppled the top two seeds (Alabama and Michigan) to make it into the Final Four. UCLA nearly made the championship game, too, but lost to Gonzaga in overtime.

Oregon Ducks football has a long history, though it wasn’t until the 2000s that it became a national powerhouse. For decades, Oregon was seen as a regional program that toiled around toward the middle of the Pac 10 Conference at best, but with a larger investment into the athletics programs by Phil Knight, the Ducks are now recruiting around the United States.

As a result, there have been some recruits to make their way to Eugene who are considered to be among the best high school football players in history. Let’s take a look at the five best high school football recruits who signed with Oregon, how they did in their Ducks careers, and how their professional careers fared.

Before we start the list, here are some of the names that just missed the cut: Cameron Colvin, De’Anthony Thomas, Josh Conerly, Arik Armstead, and Canton Kaumatule.

5. Noah Sewell

After his older brother Penei attended Oregon and became a first-round NFL Draft selection, it seemed like a no-brainer for Noah Sewell to head to Eugene, as well. Instead of playing tackle like his brother, though, Noah spent his college days at linebacker and was considered the second-best at the position in his class and 13th overall player in the country.

Sewell’s first year was dragged down by the COVID-19 pandemic but he was still able to see significant playing time. In his second season, Sewell played in all 14 games and picked up four sacks, adding another 56 tackles in his third season. Sewell declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, finishing his Ducks career with 218 tackles and 7.5 sacks over 33 games.

4. Jonathan Stewart

When he was coming out of high school in 2005, Jonathan Stewart was considered the top running back in the country and was the 12th overall recruit in the nation. Stewart didn’t have to wait to show off his skills as Oregon used him quite a bit during his freshman year, rushing for 188 yards and six touchdowns. Things only got better for Stewart, and by his third season, he rushed for 1,722 yards and 11 touchdowns, adding another 145 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

Stewart was named an All-American twice during his college days and he won the 2007 Most Valuable Player Award at the Sun Bowl. Stewart then became the 13th overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft and had a long career with the Carolina Panthers (and one year with the New York Giants). As a pro, Stewart finished with 7,335 rushing yards and 51 touchdowns.

3. Haloti Ngata

Every college team in the United States was vying for the services of Haloti Ngata, who was ranked as the top defensive tackle in the nation and the second-best player behind only Vince Young in 2002. Ngata played for four seasons with Oregon, finishing his career with 151 tackles, 10 sacks, and an impressive seven blocked kicks.

The Baltimore Ravens made Ngata the 12th overall selection in the 2006 NFL Draft, and he’d spent much of his career there before playing with the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles. Ngata was a five-time All-Pro and was named to the Ravens Ring of Honor.

2. Justin Flowe

Oregon has seen an increase in skill at the linebacker position in recent years, and that trend continued in 2020 with the signing of Justin Flowe. Flowe was the sixth-highest-rated player in high school football and the top linebacker in the nation. He chose Oregon over the countless other schools that offered him a scholarship, making him the second-best recruit that the Ducks have ever landed.

Flowe didn’t see much playing time in his first two seasons, appearing in just one game each and amassing 15 total tackles. He saw an expanded role in his third year, collecting 35 tackles over 10 games. Injuries didn’t allow Flowe to live up to the hype he had coming out of high school and he would end up transferring to Arizona to continue his football career.

1. Kayvon Thibodeaux

Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was the second-highest-rated recruit in the nation, and surprised some when he chose Oregon over every other school. Many felt he would have an instant impact, and they were right. Thibodeaux had nine sacks in his freshman season, and he’d add another 10 over his final two seasons.

Thibodeaux was an All-American in 2021 and a two-time First-Team All-Pac-12 selection. He entered the 2021 NFL Draft as one of the favorites to be the top pick but was drafted fifth overall by the New York Giants and impressed right away, becoming a member of the All-Rookie Team.

When we think of high school football, there are certain states that come to mind right away. There have even been movies made about the sport, including “Friday Night Lights”, “Remember the Titans”, “Varsity Blues”, and “The Blind Side”. These movies are all based in states where high school football is taken a bit more seriously, and they’re home to the top talent that winds up playing college ball.

Which states have produced the most five-star recruits throughout the history of recruits receiving rankings? Here are the five that dominate the high school landscape, who the top recruits were, and how their football careers ended up.

Alabama

There have been dynasties throughout college football history that have been because of the college’s destination. Notre Dame was once seen as the Catholica Mecca for football players while Miami and USC offered sunshine and fun to be had year-round. Then there are those schools that have been able to build dynasties because they can build a base of top local talent, and Alabama fits in that category.

Alabama has produced more five-star talent than all but four other states, with most of the players committing to Alabama or Auburn. If you take only their high school evaluations into consideration, the top-rated players in Alabama history include Andre Smith, Kerry Murphy, Brodie Croyle, and Julio Jones, all of whom stayed in-state to attend Alabama.

California

You could probably guess that California would be on the list because it has the largest population for any state by far. However, you’d probably think that the Golden State would be a little higher on the list than fourth. So why is it that the state who has 10 million more people than any other does not produce the most football talent?

It’s simple, really, Californians don’t really get into football as much as states in the American southeast. Children are often getting more into baseball, basketball, or soccer, leaving football slightly lagging behind. That doesn’t mean that California doesn’t produce some top talent, though. Some of the best recruits ever from California include Roland Powell, Korey Foreman, Matt Barkley, and Bryce Young.

Georgia

We mentioned how football in the southeast just means a little more, and that’s the case in the state of Georgia. The state has a higher population than you might think, sitting in the eighth place spot in the country. The University of Georgia has always had a good football program, and a lot of that comes from having the in-state talent to keep them going.

Georgia has produced some of the best Bulldogs to ever play, but they’ve also created some nationally-recognized talent along the way. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is from Georgia and made his way to Clemson, Robert Nkemdiche went to Ole Miss, Justin Fields wound up at Ohio State, and Eric Berry attended Tennessee.

Texas

After seeing that California wasn’t in the number one position, you probably thought that Texas would be far and away the top blue chip factory. However, Texas comes in at number two on the list, and it’s not really as close as you think. The state that’s most synonymous with high school football has still produced dozens of five-star recruits, and it includes some players that would go on to become some of the greatest in college football history.

The top two recruits of all-time from Texas are legendary, with running back Adrian Peterson coming in at number two while the top spot goes to quarterback Vince Young. Other top Texas recruits include Myles Garrett (Texas A&M – number one pick in the NFL Draft), Matthew Stafford (Georgie – also a number one pick), and Jeff Okudah (Ohio State).

Florida

The third-largest state in the country by population is the most dominant when it comes to producing five-star recruits. While Florida would already be a top three state at worst for producing talent because of this, they’re boosted up to number one thanks to academies that focus on sports above all else. This attracts five-star talent from other states, especially at the IMG Academy.

Ernie Sims is the highest-rated recruit to ever come from Florida, and he would attend Florida State before heading to the NFL. Other recruits toward the top of the list from the Sunshine State include Vernon Hargreaves III, Laremy Tunsil, Derwin James, and Patrick Peterson, all of whom comfortably made it to the NFL as first-round selections.

Even before a football player hits their final year of college eligibility, many of us football fans and experts try to figure out where that player will be selected in the NFL Draft (when they become available). There are some players who are anointed as first-round talents before even becoming full-time college starters, while others quickly rise from obscurity (a la Joe Burrow) to become a number one overall pick.

Today, we’ll take a look at the players that fall in the former category. The types who were thought to be potential #1 picks at one point had experts believing that they were top-five talents all the way up to draft day. However, these five players slid down the board, with some even dropping out of the first round or the entire draft altogether. 

Randy Moss

Randy Moss had a bit of a checkered past when it came to his college career, as he originally intended on attending the University of Notre Dame but got into a fight where he was initially charged with a felony. With that, he instead went to Florida State to play for Bobby Bowden, but never saw the field as he had violated his work-release program and was placed in jail for two months.

Moss found a home at Marshall University in his home state of Wisconsin and ushered in the era of the Thundering Herd joining the NCAA’s Division I-A. Moss was seen as an absolute freak with a skill level that perhaps made him the best player in the 1998 NFL Draft and experts felt he could be a top-three pick. However, his off-the-field concerns in his college career caused him to slip all the way to the 21st spot, making the Minnesota Vikings very happy.

Aaron Rodgers

Heading into the 2005 NFL Draft, there was a big debate as to who the number one overall pick would be. While some accurately predicted that the San Francisco 49ers would select quarterback Alex Smith from Utah, there were plenty more who thought they would take Aaron Rodgers from Cal. Not only did the 49ers pass on Rodgers, but so did many other teams that day.

Rodgers would indeed end up being the second quarterback taken in the 2005 NFL Draft, but he had to wait until the 24th overall selection to hear his name called. Even then, it was a surprise as Rodgers landed with the Green Bay Packers, who already had Brett Favre on the roster. For Rodgers and Green Bay, though, it all worked out just fine in the long run.

Thurman Thomas

Thurman Thomas was the Most Valuable Player in the NFL in 1991 and a five-time All-Pro. In fact, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame in back-to-back years. That sounds like a resume for a first-round running back, doesn’t it? Well, that wasn’t the case in 1988 as the Oklahoma State product had a knee injury heading into the draft that caused him to slip.

Experts felt that despite the injury, Thomas would end up being a star, and they were proven right. The Bills used their second-round selection (40th) overall to take Thomas, and he would go on to put up over 12,000 career rushing yards and 88 touchdowns total, helping the Bills win four AFC titles.

Brady Quinn

Notre Dame has produced a lot of NFL talent over the years, but not so much at the quarterback position. Experts felt that things would finally change for the Irish when Brady Quinn became eligible for the 2007 NFL Draft after throwing for 11,762 yards and 95 touchdowns in college. Many felt that he would be the first overall pick, and no later than the top five.

NFL scouts didn’t see the same thing that many television analysts did. Quinn waited until the 22nd overall selection to hear his name called by the Cleveland Browns, but he would end up having a lackluster NFL career. He retired in 2014 and went into broadcasting where he’s found much more success.

Vontaze Burfict

Vontaze Burfict had a lengthy NFL career as a linebacker for the Bengals before ending with the Raiders in 2019. The former All-Pro was the top-rated linebacker coming out of high school and originally committed to USC before he became ineligible.

Burfict had a laundry list of issues attached to his name despite his undeniable talent and went undrafted after spending his college career at Arizona State. The Bengals would pick him up following the 2012 NFL Draft, which draft experts felt was the ultimate get, as they had him listed as the most talented linebacker in the class.

When a new kit is introduced in the English Premier League, it has to look good so that more fans will want to buy the tops to match their favorite players. Even the most hardcore fans of teams around the league could end up not buying a kit just because it doesn’t look good, though. Thankfully, most of the English Premier League kits have been great designs by athletic apparel companies with some really standing out.

Which EPL kits are among the best, though? Out of the many that have been created by the likes of Nike, Adidas, Puma, and more, these five stand out as the best. There’s a nice blend of old and new on the list, too, showing off each era of the EPL.

Manchester City 1992-93

For the 1992-93 English Premier League season, Man City went with a light blue uniform that had a unique pattern that has aged very well. The Brother advertisement on the front of the jersey didn’t look out of touch compared to some of the kit advertisements we see today, and it all blended together well. In fact, Man City fans still purchase these kits to wear to matches since it’s a timeless look.

While times in the future would be great for Manchester City, they were only mediocre during the early 1990s. Man City finished the EPL season with 57 points, good enough for ninth in the standings. The club reached the sixth round of the FA Cup that season, as well, and the season ended on a cold streak. However, they looked good doing it.

Manchester United 1995-96

On the front of the Man U jerseys was the word “Sharp” for the company that was advertising on the kits, but it could also be used to describe the look that the Red Devils were rocking. While the alternate kits at the time were lacking in good design, the home reds were amazing to look at. Throwback kits from this year now sell online for more than $120 because of their popularity.

Part of what made the kits so memorable is the success that Manchester United had when wearing them in 1995-96. The club won the Premier League with 82 points, finishing four points ahead of Newcastle United. They also won the FA Cup under manager Alex Ferguson.

Chelsea 2012-13

Chelsea has had a great history with their kits, and it was hard to pick just one from the club’s collection. The best one, though, has to be their home kits from the 2012-13 season when they adorned the familiar jerseys with gold trim instead of white. The familiar Samsung logo was on the front, as well as the Adidas logo and club crest, but there was something about seeing it all in gold that stood out.

When wearing these kits, Chelsea was able to make it to the Champions League group stage thanks to their third-place finish in the EPL. They wrapped up with 75 points, just three points out of second place. Chelsea reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and won the UEFA Europa League.

West Ham 2021-22

West Ham might not have the most storied EPL history, but they’ve had some great kits throughout the years. Instead of simply picking either home or away for West Ham’s get-up in 2021-22, it’s easier to just say that both belong on the list. The home kits show that unique blend of dark red with light blue while the road kits show the white and light blue stripes with the red trim. Either way, it’s a win.

The season ended up being a solid one for West Ham as they finished seventh in the EPL and qualified for the Europa Conference League playoff round. In the Europa League, West Ham reached the semi-finals in one of the club’s better campaigns.

Newcastle United 1996-97

There are some sponsorships that are so good that fans don’t even consider them to be “selling out.” One of those occasions came during the 1990s when Newcastle Brown Ale was the primary sponsor of Newcastle United. The logo was on the Newcastle United uniforms throughout this time, with the top kit coming in the 1996-97 season. The star logo was a perfect fit for the blue uniform in the best case of a corporate logo blending it with athletics.

The uniforms were on full display as Newcastle United had one of their best seasons. With 68 points, the club finished second behind Manchester United in the English Premier League table and advanced to the Champions League second qualifying round. They also reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup.

Naturally, the first round of the NFL Draft is when the highest amount of people are going to be watching because you have the casual fans who want to see where the biggest names will end up going. There are still plenty of people who make sure they watch the second round of the draft, though, as there are still plenty of big-time college players who get drafted a little later than some may have thought.

A lot of these second-round players end up being instant contributors to their new professional teams, with many of them ending up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s hard to narrow it down to just a few players, but here are our picks for the five best second-round picks in NFL Draft history. Before we start the list, some honorable mentions include Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Howie Long, LeSean McCoy, DaVante Adams, and Larry Allen.

Michael Strahan

While he might be known these days more for his media career thanks to hosting game shows and talk shows, Michael Strahan was once among the greatest defensive players in the NFL. Strahan was a relative unknown coming out of college since he attended the small school Texas Southern. In 1993, the second round was filled with picks from much larger schools like Miami, Notre Dame, and Michigan.

Strahan ended up being the 40th overall selection, with the New York Giants taking him after forfeiting their first-round pick. Strahan became a six-time All-Pro with the Giants and was the 2001 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He became a Hall of Famer in 2014 and is tied for the single-season sack record with 22.5.

Mike Singletary

The Chicago Bears were building a defensive powerhouse during the early 1980s that would help form the Monsters of the Midway. To do that, they needed help at linebacker. In the 1981 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected offensive tackle Keith Van Horne in the first round, and he ended up being an underwhelming selection.

Right after wide receiver (and now commentator) Cris Collinsworth was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals, the Bears picked up linebacker Mike Singletary from Baylor. Singletary wound up being one of the franchise’s best linebackers, which is saying something when Brian Urlacher and Dick Butkus are in the fray. Singletary was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and eight-time All-Pro in his 12 NFL seasons (all with Chicago).

Brett Favre

Surprisingly, not many teams were clamoring for Brett Favre when he was coming out of Southern Miss back in 1991. Atlanta Falcons coach Jerry Glanville was adamant that the team shouldn’t draft him, and they had already used first-round selections on cornerback Bruce Pickens and wide receiver Mike Pritchard. The team’s best pick, though, was their second-round (33rd overall) selection of Favre.

Favre would play for just one season as a backup in Atlanta, but that was enough for the Green Bay Packers to take notice and trade a first-round selection for Favre. Green Bay had wanted him initially, but the Falcons were one spot ahead of them. It ended up working out just fine for the Packers as they received a Hall of Famer and three-time MVP.

Rob Gronkowski

It’s wild to think that Rob Gronkowski wasn’t even the first tight end taken in the 2010 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to Jermaine Gresham, the only tight end taken in the first round that year. It wasn’t until the 42nd overall spot that Gronk heard his name called, and the draft spot changed hands several times.

The Raiders initially held the pick and sent it to Tampa Bay, which then ended up with Chicago before Bill Belichick acquired it to select Gronkowski. Gronk, when healthy, was the best tight end in NFL history. He was a four-time All-Pro and even led the league in touchdowns during his second season en route to four Super Bowl titles.

Drew Brees

Many felt that Drew Brees had the arm to be a great NFL quarterback but not the size. That’s why he had to wait until the first pick of the second round in 2001 to be selected by the San Diego Chargers in a loaded draft. Brees spent five seasons in San Diego before hitting free agency and became a legend with the New Orleans Saints.

Brees brought the franchise its first Super Bowl while setting season and career records left and right. With more than a dozen Pro Bowls, five All-Pro selections, and two Offensive Player of the Year honors, Brees was the best second-round pick in NFL history.

Designing a kit for the biggest football teams in the world can be a challenge for athletic apparel companies, and you have to make sure that you get it just right since the kit is going to be worn for an entire season. Unfortunately, there are times when companies like Nike, Adidas, and more, simply miss the mark. There are five instances in English Premier League history in which these teams really missed, creating the worst kits the EPL has seen.

One thing that you’ll notice about the list right away is that every single one of these uniforms is from the 1990s. Needless to say, those who were around during the decade had an interesting taste in fashion. We’ll also be the first to admit that it hasn’t aged well, which is why so many of the “fashion fails” that you see these days came from the 1990s.

Middlesbrough 1996-97

The background on the home kits for Middlesbrough was already kind of weird with the strange background that clashed with the Cellnet advertisement on the front. Things got even harder to look at for the road kits as they were white with one of the strangest mismatched patterns we’ve ever seen. The blue pattern made us all squint, it was off-centered, and for some reason extended onto the sleeve.

Middlesbrough had a rough go at it in the 1996-97 season, finishing with just 39 points on 10 wins and 16 draws. The club was relegated from the English Premier League as only Nottingham Forest (more on them later) had fewer points.

Manchester United 1995-96

The road and home kits were just fine for Man U in the 1995-96 season, and the home kits were even considered some of the best in English Premier League history. As for their alternate kit, though, people were not fans. The tops were a faded-out grey with a stripe across the middle that had an advertisement for Sharp Viewcam. It was too busy, and the large numbers and names on the back with thick borders just made things worse.

Even on the rare occasions in which they were wearing the grey kits, it didn’t negatively affect Manchester United’s performance throughout the season. They would win up winning the English Premier League with ease, finishing with 84 total points. That was 10 more than any other team, qualifying Man U for the Champions League.

Coventry City 1992-93

Some kits are bad because they’re boring and don’t have much going on, and then there are those that are bad because there’s simply too much happening. The 1992-93 kits worn by Coventry City fall in the latter category for both the blue and red versions. The patterns didn’t really have any history behind their use and were an eyesore for anyone watching, especially on early 1990s televisions.

The kits were almost as ugly as Coventry City’s performance in the 1992-93 season. Only two teams scored fewer points than Coventry City that season as they put up just 38 points. Luckily for them, two other teams finished with 38 while Coventry had the best goal differential out of the three clubs, keeping them from relegation.

Norwich City 1993-94

In another case of kits that were way too busy and drew attention in a bad way, the Norwich City kits from the 1993-94 season were green and yellow, but not in a good way. The pattern looked like it was a botched attempt at tye-dye, and it clashed with the solid-colored collar. The advertising patch that was dead-center was also an eyesore, with the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society logo not fitting in at all.

There was some good news for Norwich City, though. They were one of the highest-scoring teams in the EPL during the 1993-94 season and easily avoided relegation. The finished with 53 points, which was good enough for 12th overall in the standings.

Nottingham Forest 1996-97

Nottingham Forest had some solid kits when they wore red during the 1996-97 season, but it was a much different case when they wore yellow. With lettering that started at the shoulders and literally dripped down unevenly, it looked like someone made a printing mistake when making these uniforms. Without those, the yellow kits with the red lettering would’ve actually been great.

It was bad enough that Nottingham Forest had to wear the uniforms, and it was made worse by the fact that they finished dead last in the English Premier League. Nottingham Forest finished with just 34 points (five behind 19th-place Middlesbrough) and were relegated to the Football League First Division. They would end up winning the division the following year but then again finished last in the EPL in 1998-99.