DECORATED BEARS
NFL all-decade selections: The Pac-12 breakdown isn’t what you might expect
The NFL announced its all-decade team for the 2010s earlier this week and a funny thing happened:
Cal led the Pac-12 with four representatives, almost half the conference’s total (nine).
Which got us wondering ...
What’s the school-by-school breakdown for NFL all-decade performers this century?
We looked it up, and another funny thing happened:
Cal still led the conference, with five players over the two decades — more than one-third of the Pac-12’s overall total (13).
At that point, we had to keep going.
So the Hotline’s crack research staff checked the all-decade team for the 1990s and added those players to the tally.
More funny: Cal was still on top, albeit in a tie with USC, with six selections from the three all-decade teams.
We tossed the 1980s onto the pile, and — finally! — order was restored:
The Trojans emerged as the clear leader.
They have, after all, won 12 conference titles over the 40-year span.
What you might not expect is to see Cal, which hasn’t won the conference since 1958, firmly in second place.
Here’s the school-by-school breakdown of NFL all-decade performers in the 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s.
(We limited the timespan to the decades of the Pac-10/12 eras.) USC: nine selections
Cal: six
Oregon: three
Stanford: three
UCLA: three
Arizona: two
ASU: two
OSU: one
Utah: one Washington: one
WSU: one
Colorado: none
Total: 32
The full list of all-decade players is below. But first, insta-reaction:
• Only two players were named to two different all-decade teams.
One is easy: He played safety for USC.
Can you name the other? It’s not John Elway. (Answer below.)
• Jeff Tedford compiled some serious talent in Berkeley, to the point that his recruiting efforts produced more all-decade players (four) than the Pete Carroll era at USC (one).
• We were surprised Washington has generated just one all-decade member, center Olin Kreutz, over the course of 40 years.
Alas, Steve Emtman’s career was undercut by injuries.
• How was defensive lineman Haloti Ngata (Oregon) not an alldecade pick in the 2010s?
• Same for Terrell Suggs (ASU).
• Oregon State punter Johnny Hekker, an all-decade selection for the 2010s (Rams), was never named first- or second-team all-conference.
• Of the 32 all-decade selections produced by the conference, 10 are offensive linemen, nine are defensive backs and one — one! — is a wide receiver: James Lofton.
• Answer: Aside from Ronnie Lott, the only other two-time pick is offensive lineman Gary Zimmerman, who played for Oregon, the Vikings and the Broncos.
NFL all-decade team: 1980s
Arizona State DB Mike Haynes Oregon QB Dan Fouts Oregon OL Gary Zimmerman Stanford WR James Lofton UCLA DB Kenny Easley
USC DB Ronnie Lott
USC DB Joey Browner
USC OL Anthony Munoz Washington State DT Keith Millard
NFL all-decade team: 1990s
Arizona KR Michael Bates Arizona State OL Randall McDaniel
Cal LB Hardy Nickerson Oregon OL Gary Zimmerman Stanford QB John Elway UCLA DB Carnell Lake USC OL Tony Boselli
USC DB Ronnie Lott
USC OL Bruce Matthews USC LB Junior Seau
NFL all-decade team: 2000s
Cal TE Tony Gonzalez UCLA OL Jonathan Ogden USC DB Troy Polamalu Washington OL Olin Kreutz
NFL all-decade team: 2010s
Arizona TE Rob Gronkowski Cal DL Cameron Jordan
Cal RB Marshawn Lynch Cal OL Alex Mack
Cal QB Aaron Rodgers Oregon State P Johnny Hekker Stanford DB Richard Sherman USC OL Tyron Smith Utah DB Eric Weddle