By: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)
Have you ever wondered who the best player to wear every jersey number in the CFSL is? This series aims to answer that question. The 40s have an interesting mix of offense and defense, with players coming from all over the field to make this list.
While many great players were considered, it had to be narrowed down to one player per number. Here are the best players to ever wear these numbers.
#49 – Ferrell Norman, HB
Norman did spend one season with Oklahoma State at the end of his career, but he is best remembered as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide. He made his way to Tuscaloosa in Season 7 and immediately had a big impact. He rushed for 589 yards and nine touchdowns as a freshman. Norman followed that up with rushing for 7.3 yards per carry as a sophomore. Norman also helped Oklahoma State win a conference title in their first season in the league.
#48 – Aldous Sampson, HB
The Kent State Golden Flashes landed a Flash of their own in Season 16 when Aldous Sampson stepped on campus. The talented back played three seasons for Kent State, accounting for 2,248 total yards and 17 total touchdowns. Sampson holds every major career rushing record at Kent State. He would leave to play for Washington as a senior, but he will always be remembered as one of the best players in Kent State history.
#47 – JW Eibeck, OLB
The Illinois legend was one of the best players to ever suit up for the Illini. Eibeck holds the school career records in tackles and tackles for loss and had the third most sacks in school history. In Season 16 he totaled 101 tackles and 28 TFLs, which helped him get the All-American nod that season. When someone mentions Illinois football in the CFSL, Eibeck is the first name that comes to mind and he is the best #47 we have ever seen.
#46 – Bob Smith, HB
You wouldn’t expect to find many players on this list who only played a single season in the league. However, that is exactly what you will find here. Smith joined Iowa in Season 2, played one season, and left. However, he was amazing in that one season. He rushed for 1,954 yards, which is a single-season CFSL record that still stands today. Smith also had 22 rushing touchdowns, which is the fifth-best single-season in CFSL history. He won an All-American for his efforts, but it leaves you wondering what could have been if he had stayed.
#45 – Colt Youngblood, HB
The best running back that LSU has ever had is Colt Youngblood. He holds the school career records in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, broken tackles, and 20-yard rushing plays. The Season 8 All-American averaged 5.5 yards per carry over his entire career. He also added 1,356 yards and five touchdowns through the air. the LSU legend is the best #45 of all time.
#44 – Maverick Rivers, MLB
For those who were around from Season 15 to Season 18, Maverick Rivers is a name you know well. He was one of the best linebackers of his era. The two-time All-American spent his first two seasons at Florida State before moving to Kent State to finish his career. He totaled 380 tackles, 59 TFLs, and nine forced fumbles in his stellar career. And now, he is the best to ever wear his number.
#43 – Talal Elagha, SS
Talal Elagha was a key piece of the best teams in Oregon’s history. The outstanding safety played his entire career with the Ducks. This includes Season 11 in which Elagha put up 56 tackles, 11 TFLs, two sacks, and four interceptions in a shortened season. This was enough to earn an All-American Award. It also happened to be the Season that the Ducks won the National Championship. Elagha is still Oregon’s all-time interceptions leader and the best player to ever wear #43.
#42 – Fozzy Brown, WR
Florida legend Fozzy Brown spent his entire career with the Gators. He ended his career with the most receiving yards in school history, a record he still holds. His 37 career touchdowns are the second most by a wideout in school history. He ended his career with back-to-back 1,000+ yard and 10+ touchdown seasons. He earned an All-American in both of those seasons.
#41 – Alex Bernard, CB
The Mountaineer secondary had an absolute weapon in Alex Bernard from Season 16 to Season 19. Bernard has the second most career interceptions (10) and pass breakups (31) in school history. He is also second in the school’s single-season school records for both stats. Those who played against Bernard can tell you how hard it was to gameplan for this playmaking corner.
#40 – Rocky Dale, MLB
The CFSL’s all-time leading tackler is hard to leave off any list that involves great players. The three-time All-American is the only player to ever reach 500 career tackles. He holds Notre Dame’s career records for both tackles and TFLs. He also helped the Irish win back-to-back National Championships in Seasons 12 and 13. Dale is one of the best players in league history, so it is no surprise that he is the best to ever wear #40.
If you missed any of the previous articles in this series, don’t worry. You can find them here: 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s.
