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North Dakota State Football Players in the NFL

By Scott Rogust

Carson Wentz is the best-known active NFL player who attended North Dakota State University.
Carson Wentz is the best-known active NFL player who attended North Dakota State University. / Will Newton/Getty Images

When you think about NFL players, you picture the bulk of them coming from juggernaut programs like Ohio State, Alabama, and LSU.

However, some of the smaller collegiate football programs out there have proven an ability to get more than just a handful of their alums into the league. That holds true for the unsung North Dakota State Bison, who boast five football players in the NFL despite playing NCAA Division I's second-tier FCS.

5. Ravens LB Chris Board

Chris Board, linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens
Chris Board, linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens / Mark Brown/Getty Images

Chris Board was part of the glory days of the Bison football program. In his four years at NDSU, Board was a member of the 2014, 2015, and 2017 FCS National Championship teams, recording 124 tackles, five tackles for loss, and five passes defensed. Board was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2018, and still remains a member of the Ravens team. In one-plus seasons in Baltimore, Board has posted 16 tackles in 29 games.

4. Colts OL Joe Haeg

Joe Haeg, Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle.
Joe Haeg, Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle. / Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images

Joe Haeg spent five seasons with the Bisons, and in that span, he won the FCS National Championship every single year. Following his senior season, Haeg declared for the 2016 NFL Draft, where he was selected in the fifth round by the Indianapolis Colts. In his nearly four seasons in Indy, Haeg started 35 games with a total of 53 played.

3. Chargers QB Easton Stick

Easton Stick, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback.
Easton Stick, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback. / Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images

Easton Stick had the unenviable task of following in the footsteps left by Carson Wentz at NDSU, but he truly held his own, going on to become the winningest quarterback in FCS history with a 49-3 overall record. In his four seasons, Stick accumulated 8,693 yards, 88 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions, all on a 61% completion rate. As a result of his success with the Bison, the Los Angeles Chargers took a chance on him by selecting him in the fifth round of this year's NFL Draft. Stick is currently the third-string signal caller behind Philip Rivers and Tyrod Taylor.

2. Packers OL Billy Turner

Billy Turner, Green Bay Packers offensive guard.
Billy Turner, Green Bay Packers offensive guard. / Al Bello/Getty Images

Before Carson Wentz was the top collegiate prospect out of NDSU, there was Billy Turner. Winning three FCS titles and being named to the FCS All-American team in 2012 and 2013. Turner was viewed as the nation's top small-school NFL prospect in 2014, and was drafted in the third round by the Miami Dolphins that year. After two-plus seasons in Miami, Turner spent time with the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos. Turner joined the Green Bay Packers this season, and has started in all 14 games to date.

1. Eagles QB Carson Wentz

Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback.
Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback. / Patrick Smith/Getty Images

And of course, there's Carson Wentz, the cream of the crop amiong NDSU football alumni. Despite an injury-shortened season in 2015, Wentz emerged as a top quarterback prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Philadelphia Eagles jumped at the opportunity to select him by trading a bevy of picks to the Cleveland Browns, and Wentz later played a role in the team winning its first-ever Super Bowl, although he missed the playoff run due to a knee injury. Wentz is Philly's franchise quarterback for the foreseeable future, as he signed a four-year mega-contract prior to the start of the current season.