The wait is almost over. On Thursday, the Green Bay Packers take to the field and the 2017 campaign begins in earnest. Here’s one last chance to kick back before we get serious: some Packers’ trivia relating (mostly) to the colleges of the team’s 90-person roster.
Degree of difficulty: high.
It’s also a good introduction to several of the undrafted players who are currently on the roster.
- Name at least two of the three colleges tied as having been attended by the most Packers.
- What college did Curly Lambeau use to copy the colors of the first Packers’ uniforms?
- Are there any current players from an Ivy League college, and if so, who?
- Several current players attended a school with South or Southern in its name – name at least three of the five.
- Along with a former Packers’ quarterback, he helped lead his team to an SEC conference title and a national championship, and was named the defensive MVP in that final game.
- This All-Pro defensive player entered his college as a walk-on freshman.
- Name at least four of the six states where these guys went to college: Joe Callahan/Wesley; Jahri Evans/Bloomsburg; Cody Heiman/Washburn; Aaron Taylor/Ball State; Derek Hart/James Madison; and Michael Clark/Marshall.
- Name at least five of the eight current players who attended a college with ”Cal” in its full name (don’t forget the Mustangs).
- Name at least two of the six current players who went to a college with North, East, West, or Central in its name.
- He was the nation’s top-ranked junior college tight end at Pierce College, before finishing his career with the Bobcats.
- The Packers lost Alabama’s Eddie Lacy, but we still have three alumni from colleges in Alabama – name at least two.
- Eight college stadiums can seat over 100,000 people. Name one, two, or all three current players who played their home games in one of the nation’s three biggest stadiums (hint: all three are in the same conference).
- After leaving school early for the NFL draft, he returned to his alma mater in the spring of 2016 to receive his diploma, and topped that off this spring by getting married.
- Name at least three of six players who went to college in Utah.
- Though not on the current roster, name at least two of the three most recent Wisconsin Badgers players to be on a Packers’ regular season roster.
- Name at least three of the five current players who honed their skills (at least in part) at one of these lesser-known football venues: Blinn (Texas) Junior College, Butte (California) Community College, Fort Scott (Kansas) Community College, Iowa Western Community College, and Mesa (Arizona) Community College.
- While still a junior, this turnover specialist for the Aggies established a school record for career interception return yardage, and he also led the WAC in both passes defended and interceptions.
- This player, another Aggie, left college as a junior when he was projected to be a first-or second-round draft choice – he was chosen in the second round. He also lettered in basketball.
- Name the current player who went to a historically black college.
- A toughie: name at least three of seven players who graduated from a non-State school.
- Playing in the Big Sky conference, he comes from a football family. Two of his brothers also previously played football at his college, and an uncle has been with four separate NFL teams.
- Name at least three players who played at one of these state colleges: Fresno State, Grand Valley State, Saginaw Valley State, Valdosta State, and Youngstown State.
- He began his college sports career as a walk-on defensive back. After being red-shirted, he spent four more years with the Wildcats, eventually earning consensus All-American honors as a senior. (trick question)
- Name one or both players who played for an independent college, i.e., one not a member of any conference.
- Name at least five current Packers who played in the Mid-American Conference (hint: none are from Akron, Ohio University, Northern Illinois, or the three Michigan schools).
- Name two of the three players who went to “Miami.”
Suggestion: Give it a try from memory. Then go back and, using the roster list including college names, try to finish it off.
Answers
- Stanford (Ty Montgomery, Kyle Murphy and Blake Martinez), Cal (Aaron and Richard Rodgers and Trevor Davis), and Utah State (Kyler Fackrell, Marwin Evans, and Devante Mays).
- Notre Dame’s dark blue and gold.
- Jacob Flores/Dartmouth
- Kofi Amichia/South Florida; Montay Crockett/Georgia Southern; Clay Matthews/USC; Raysean Pringle/Southern Utah; Joe Thomas/South Carolina State.
- Ricky Jean Francois and LSU, led by QB Matt Flynn, won the 2007 season FBS championship.
- Clay Matthews, at USC
- Delaware, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Indiana, Virginia, and West Virginia, respectively.
- USC – Clay Matthews and Nick Perry; California – Aaron Rodgers, Richard Rodgers, and Trevor Davis; UCLA – Kenny Clark and Brett Hundley; CalPoly (Mustangs) – Josh Letuligasenoa
- Justin McCray/Central Florida, Josh Jones/North Carolina State; Dean Lowry, Northwestern; Don Barclay and Adam Pankey/West Virginia; Josh Hawkins/East Carolina.
- Beau Sandland, who graduated from Montana State in 2016.
- Ha Ha Clinton-Dix/Alabama, and Jermaine Whitehead and Montravius Adams/Auburn.
- Jake Ryan and Joe Kerridge played in Michigan Stadium, which seats 107,601; OSU’s Corey Linsley played in Ohio Stadium, which seats 104,944. Penn State’s Beaver Stadium is No. 2.
- Randall Cobb, took part in the Kentucky commencement ceremony in 2016, and now has a degree in community leadership and development.
- Kyler Fackrell, Marwin Evans, and Devante Mays/Utah State, Jamaal Williams and Taysom Hill, BYU; Raysean Pringle/Southern Utah.
- Jared Abbrederis (2016), Scott Tolzien (2015), and Mark Tauscher (2010) – check me on this one.
- Devante Mays, Aaron Rodgers, LaDarius Gunter, Geronimo Allison, and Damarious Randall, respectively.
- New Mexico State’s Davon House.
- Martellus Bennett, at Texas A&M.
- William Stanback/Virginia Union.
- Jamaal Williams and Taysom Hill, BYU; Patrick Lucas/Duke; Dean Lowry, Northwestern, William Stanback/Virginia Union; Joe Callahan/Wesley; Geoff Gray/University of Manitoba (a province).
- Josh Letuligasenoa. Brothers Lefi and Noah preceded him, and uncle Alameda Ta’amu has been trying to get past practice squad duty and onto an NFL roster since 2012.
- Davante Adams and Aaron Peck (Fresno), David Talley (Grand Valley), Jeff Janis (Saginaw Valley), Donatello Brown (Valdosta), and David Rivers (Youngstown).
- Jordy Nelson, Kansas State.
- Jamaal Williams and Taysom Hill, BYU. Other independents are down to Army, Notre Dame, and Massachusetts.
- Aaron Taylor (Ball State), Izaah Lunsford (Bowling Green), Jacob Schum (Buffalo), Quinten Rollins (Miami of Ohio), and Jayrone Elliott (Toledo).
- LaDarius Gunter and Justin Vogel (Florida) and Quinten Rollins (Ohio).