How many former Oklahoma Sooners made ESPN's NFL All Quarter-Century Team?
How many former Oklahoma Sooners made ESPN's NFL All Quarter-Century Team?
Picking a 53-man roster of the best NFL players since 2000 is no easy task. But it's exactly what Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder at ESPN set out to do when they selected their NFL All Quarter-Century Team this week. The Oklahoma Sooners had two former stars selected, both on the offensive line.
First up is San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams, who played for Oklahoma from 2006 to 2009. He played in all four seasons, and was a full-time starter for his final two years in Norman.
Williams was a part of OU's 2008 offense that was historically great at that time. Williams and that excellent '08 offensive line helped pave the way for so much of what Kevin Wilson's offense was able to accomplish. After coming back for his senior season in 2009, Williams was rewarded by being named an All-American. He was selected by Washington with the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Williams was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 11 seasons from 2012 to 2023, the most by any offensive tackle since 2000. He was very good in his 20s for Washington before holding out the entire 2019 season over disagreements with the team's medical staff. He is even better in his 30s for San Francisco, leading all tackles in pass block win rate in 2023. - Schatz, ESPN.
Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson also made the team. He was a Sooner from 2009 to 2012 and played on the offensive line for his final two years at Oklahoma, starting for the majority of 2011 and 2012.
Johnson, who also spent time at quarterback, tight end and defensive end, was a natural fit at offensive tackle in Norman after transferring in from Kilgore College. He played on both sides of the line during his last two collegiate seasons, earning third-team All-America honors as a senior. Johnson was drafted fourth overall by Philly in the 2013 NFL Draft and is a two-time Super Bowl champion.
Johnson leads all right tackles in Pro Bowl selections since 2000 with six; no other player who primarily played right tackle in that span has more than four. He has perhaps been at his best over the past couple of seasons. In 2023, he led all tackles in run block win rate and was ninth in pass block win rate. Last season, Johnson was fifth among tackles in both run block win rate and pass block win rate. - Schatz, ESPN.
Though OU has had plenty of NFL superstars over the last 25 years, these two offensive tackles made their mark so definitively on the NFL over the last quarter-century that they were included on the quarter-century team's 53-man roster.
If there was a player that was snubbed, you could argue it was Adrian Peterson. Since 2007 when "All Day" entered the league, he's the only running back to win the NFL MVP award. Every other year, the award has gone to a quarterback. Peterson rushed for 14,918 yards and 120 touchdowns, during his career, three times leading the league in rushing yards.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.
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