The All-Time Mid-American Conference NFL Team
Four Pro Football Hall of Famers head up the MAC squad
Ben Roethlisberger photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
The television networks may ignore the Mid-American Conference in the football season, favoring broadcasts of Big Ten, ACC, SEC and Big 12 games. But NFL teams would be wise not to ignore the MAC in the draft season.
The MAC is populated with teams primarily from Michigan and Ohio. Although they don’t get the attention and publicity of Power 5 schools Michigan and Ohio State, the MAC schools have forged a rich NFL identity for themselves.
The MAC has produced Hall of Famers Antonio Gates, Jack Lambert, Randy Moss and Jason Taylor. It has produced a Super Bowl MVP (Julian Edelman), two NFL Defensive Players of the Year (James Harrison and Khalil Mack) and an all-decade performer (Josh Cribbs). The MAC also produced players who were selected with the first (Eric Fisher), fifth (Khalil Mack), 11th (Ben Roethlisberger), 21st (Moss, L.J. Shelton) and 28th (Joe Staley) overall picks of the first round.
Roethlisberger quarterbacked the Pittsburgh Steelers to two NFL championships. Gates caught more touchdown passes than any tight end in NFL history, Antonio Brown led the league in receiving twice and Kareem Hunt led the league in rushing. Linebackers Lambert and Mack went to nine Pro Bowls apiece and Maxx Crosby has gone to the last four Pro Bowls with the Las Vegas Raiders. Even three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt started his college career in the MAC (Central Michigan).
The conference has a history of producing durable offensive linemen. The MAC has sent blockers to the NFL who became members of the 100-start club: Staley (181), Doug Smith (160), Andy McCollum (159), Ryan Diem (150), Fisher (128), Shelton (127), Jonathan Goodwin (122), Doug Free (114), T.J. Lang (113), John Wade (110) and Brandon Brooks (108).
In compiling an all-decade team, the only MAC school not represented was Ohio, but the Bobcats had candidates at guard (Goodwin), safety (Mike Mitchell) and punter (Dave Zastudil).
Here is the all-time Mid-American Conference NFL team:
QB—Ben Roethlisberger (Miami-O), 6 Pro Bowls, 2 SB rings
HB—Michael Turner (Northern Illinois), 2 Pro Bowls, 7,338 rushing yards, 66 TDs
FB—Don Nottingham (Kent State), 7 years, 34 rushing touchdowns
WR—Randy Moss (Marshall), 6 Pro Bowls, Hall of Fame
WR—Antonio Brown (Central Michigan), 7 Pro Bowls, 2x NFL receiving champ
TE—Antonio Gates (Kent State), 8 Pro Bowls, Hall of Fame
T—Eric Fisher (Central Michigan), 2 Pro Bowls, 9 years, 128 starts
T—Joe Staley (Central Michigan), 4 Pro Bowls, 13 years, 181 starts
G—T.J. Lang (Eastern Michigan), 2 Pro Bowls, 10 years, 113 starts
G—Brandon Brooks (Miami-O), 3 Pro Bowls, 9 years, 108 starts
C—Doug Smith (Bowling Green), 6 Pro Bowls, 14 years, 160 starts
DE—Jason Taylor (Akron), 6 Pro Bowls, Hall of Fame
*-DE—Maxx Crosby (Eastern Michigan), 4 Pro Bowls, 6 years, 59 ½ sacks
DT—Dave Puriefory (Eastern Michigan), 12 years, 102 starts, 61 sacks
DT—Bob Rowe (Western Michigan), 9 years, 54 ½ sacks
OLB—James Harrison (Kent State), 6 Pro Bowls, 15 years, 81 ½ sacks
*-OLB—Khalil Mack (Buffalo), 9 Pro Bowls, 11 years, 107 ½ sacks
MLB—Jack Lambert (Kent State), 9 Pro Bowls, Hall of Fame
CB—Terry Schmidt (Ball State), 11 years, 94 starts, 26 interceptions
CB—Curtis Johnson (Toledo), 9 years, 113 starts, 22 interceptions
S—Blaine Bishop (Ball State), 4 Pro Bowls, 10 years, 120 starts, 5 interceptions
S—Ernie Kellerman (Miami-O), Pro Bowl, 9 years, 76 starts, 19 interceptions
K—Shaun Suisham (Bowling Green), 10 years, 907 points, 124 FGs
P—Brad Maynard (Ball State), 15 years, 1,339 punts (5th all-time)
KR—Josh Cribbs (Kent State), 3 Pro Bowls, 2000s NFL all-decade team
ST—Chase Blackburn (Akron), 10 years, NYG ST captain
LS—Mike Bartrum (Marshall), Pro Bowl, 13 years, 171 games
*-Still active
