Coastal Carolina Chanticleers' highest NFL draft picks since 1970

While most colleges and universities field a football team as part of its general athletics program, there are some for which football is more than merely a sport—it's akin almost to a religion. Devotion to the team and its colors is as important to that school's culture as a religious icon is to a believer. These programs actively scout and recruit notable high school players, and are in turn rigorously applied to by matriculating seniors eager to make a name for themselves at the collegiate level.

Among the most notable college football empires are Notre Dame, the universities of Alabama, Michigan, Texas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, Penn State, Ohio State—the list goes on and on.

But for every touchstone football school, there is an outlier that has produced some of the most successful and cherished players in the game. Think Jackson State, which gave us "Sweetness" himself, Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton. Or Mississippi Valley State, which yielded 3-time Super Bowl champion and #1 Player in NFL History, as voted by the NFL Network, '49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice.

Each year, the college draft serves as a source of renewal to professional football and a testament to the quality of college programs nationwide. With the 2022 NFL draft set to take place April 28-30 in Las Vegas, Stacker compiled a list of the highest NFL draft picks from the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers using data from Pro Football Reference. Ties were broken by the most recent year drafted.

#7. Tyler Thigpen (QB)
- Draft pick: Round 7, #217 overall in 2007
- Drafted by: Minnesota Vikings
- Years as a starter in NFL: 1 (0 Pro Bowls)

#6. De'Angelo Henderson (RB)
- Draft pick: Round 6, #203 overall in 2017
- Drafted by: Denver Broncos
- Years as a starter in NFL: 0

#5. Tarron Jackson (DE)
- Draft pick: Round 6, #191 overall in 2021
- Drafted by: Philadelphia Eagles
- Years as a starter in NFL: 0

#4. Matt Hazel (WR)
- Draft pick: Round 6, #190 overall in 2014
- Drafted by: Miami Dolphins
- Years as a starter in NFL: 0

#3. Josh Norman (DB)
- Draft pick: Round 5, #143 overall in 2012
- Drafted by: Carolina Panthers
- Years as a starter in NFL: 8 (1 Pro Bowls)

#2. Lorenzo Taliaferro (RB)
- Draft pick: Round 4, #138 overall in 2014
- Drafted by: Baltimore Ravens
- Years as a starter in NFL: 0

#1. Jerome Simpson (WR)
- Draft pick: Round 2, #46 overall in 2008
- Drafted by: Cincinnati Bengals
- Years as a starter in NFL: 3 (0 Pro Bowls)