Greatest Walk-Ons in Sports History
Clay Matthews was a late bloomer at USC after going to Agoura High School in Agoura Hills, California.What do LeBron James, Alex Rodriguez, Peyton Manning and Sidney Crosby have in common? They all were sports stars before they could vote, and every college in the nation wanted them. Only Manning went to college, but each of them could have had a full-ride scholarship to any school.
Not everyone is in the same boat as those athletes. Some only get a handful of recruiting letters and scholarship offers. Others get no offers at all. To go to college, they are forced to do what most people do and pay their way through school. You may be surprised at some of the all-time great athletes across many different sports who went this route only to end up on the exact same playing field, court or ice as LeBron, A-Rod, Peyton and Crosby.
These athletes walked on to their college teams and made the absolute best of their situations. They proved you don’t need a scholarship to become a star and are the greatest walk-ons of all time.
All stats are through Jan. 6, 2021.
30. Colt Brennan
Colt Brennan played three seasons at the University of Hawaii.Sport: Football
Position: Quarterback
School: University of Colorado, University of Hawaii
Walk-on year: 2003, 2005
Colt Brennan Stats
Colt Brennan threw 131 touchdowns in college.College stats: 14,193 YDS, 131 TD, 42 INT, 167.6 RAT
Pro career: 3 years (2008-10)
Pro stats: DNP
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Colt Brennan
Colt Brennan never played in a regular-season NFL game.Colt Brennan was a walk-on at two different schools with the second being due to his own fault. He walked onto Colorado’s football team as a freshman and redshirted before being kicked off the team due to an offseason arrest.
After spending a year at a juco, he was offered a chance to walk on at Hawaii where he went on to rewrite the NCAA passing record books. He broke the NCAA record for career passing touchdowns, despite playing just three seasons, and finished third in Heisman voting in 2007.
While he was a sixth-round draft pick in the NFL, Brennan never saw the field in a regular-season game. He later had stints with the UFL, CFL and AFL but never participated in a regular-season game so he has no professional football games under his belt.
29. Brandon Burlsworth
Brandon Burlsworth became an All-American at Arkansas.Sport: Football
Position: Offensive lineman
School: University of Arkansas
Walk-on year: 1994-95
Brandon Burlsworth Stats
Brandon Burlsworth was an All-American in 1998.College stats: One-time All-American, two-time All-SEC
Pro career: DNP
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Brandon Burlsworth
Brandon Burlsworth died at the age of 22 in car accident, 11 days after being drafted by the Colts.You can’t have a list of the greatest walk-ons without including the prototypical walk-on. Brandon Burlsworth spent two years as a walk-on at Arkansas where he dropped 40 pounds from his pudgy frame and then added back 40 pounds of muscle to handle being a lineman in the SEC.
He was a three-year starter and impressed enough to become a third-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 1999. However, shortly after being drafted Burlsworth was killed in a car crash and never played in the NFL.
But for his contributions to the college game after starting out as a walk-on, the Burlsworth Trophy was created in his honor in 2010, and it’s given to the most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on.
28. Matt Gilroy
Matt Gilroy was a three-time All-American at Boston University.Sport: Hockey
Position: Defense
School: Boston University
Walk-on year: 2005-07, 2008-09
Matt Gilroy Stats
Matt Gilroy won the Hobey Baker Award in 2009.College stats: 25 G, 67 AST, 92 PTS
Pro career: 5 years (2009-14)
Pro teams: New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers
Pro stats: 142 GP, 7 G, 19 AST, 26 PTS
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Matt Gilroy
Matt Gilroy played five seasons in the NHL.Matt Gilroy is an interesting case because he was a two-time walk-on at one school. He walked onto the BU hockey program where he was without a scholarship for his first two years.
But his impressive play earned him a scholarship as a junior, and he was so good that his coach assumed he would go pro after the season. However, Gilroy wanted to graduate, so he surprisingly came back as a senior, only to find out that his scholarship had gone to another player.
Thus Gilroy, who was named the best player in NCAA hockey as a senior, won the award as a walk-on. He was able to pay back any student loans and debts soon afterward, when he signed a $3.5 million contract just days after winning the award.
27. Hunter Renfrow
Hunter Renfrow won two national championships at Clemson.Sport: Football
Position: Wide receiver
School: Clemson University
Walk-on year: 2014
Hunter Renfrow Stats
Hunter Renfrow caught 186 passes at Clemson.College stats: 186 REC, 2,133 RYDS, 15 RTD
Pro career: 2 years (2019-present)
NFL teams: Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders
Pro stats: 29 G, 105 REC, 1261 RYDS, 6 RTD
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Hunter Renfrow
Hunter Renfrow was drafted in the fifth round (149th overall) in 2019.As an undersized two-star recruit, Hunter Renfrow received scholarship offers, but only at the FCS level. He dreamed of playing at the highest of levels, so he took his chances and walked on to Clemson’s team where he redshirted as a freshman.
After being exposed to an ACC strength and conditioning program, Renfrow gained 20 pounds of muscle and was awarded a scholarship in his second year. That year, he also caught two touchdowns in the CFP national championship game and then caught the game-winning score a year later in the same game.
In 2018, Renfrow was given the Burlsworth Trophy, which goes to the best college player who began his career as a walk-on, and he was drafted by the Raiders a year later.
26. Seth Lugo
Seth Lugo walked on at Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport, Louisiana.Sport: Baseball
Position: Pitcher
School: Centenary College
Walk-on year: 2009-11
Seth Lugo Stats
Seth Lugo made his major league debut in 2016.College stats: 8-13 (.381 winning percentage), 5.32 ERA, 137 strikeouts
Pro career: 5 years (2016-present)
MLB teams: New York Mets
Pro stats: 167 G, 25-19 (.568 winning percentage), 3.45 ERA, 384 strikeouts
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Seth Lugo
Seth Lugo is nicknamed "Quarterrican."While many people think having a kid specialize in a sport too early leads to injuries, Seth Lugo not specializing may have led to a late start in his baseball career. He played baseball in high school … in addition to football, soccer and track and field.
Because of all of his attention not being devoted to baseball, Lugo didn’t have lots of time for practice and had poor mechanics. He finally realized his peak as a senior, but no one came calling with a scholarship offer.
He walked onto a tiny college in Louisiana and struggled while the team was transitioning to Division III. However, all it took was one good day to get noticed as Lugo excelled when Mets scouts were in attendance during his last year and was taken in the 20th round by the team in the 2011 MLB draft.
25. Jason Dufner
Jason Dufner started playing golf at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.Sport: Golf
School: Auburn University
Walk-on year: 1996-97
Jason Dufner Stats
Jason Dufner turned pro in 2000.College stats: Honorable Mention All-American
Pro career: 20 years (2000-present)
Pro stats: 5 PGA Tour wins
Championships: 1 (2013 PGA Championship)
Bottom Line: Jason Dufner
Jason Dufner won the 2013 PGA Championship, his first major.Jason Dufner went to the same high school as Michael Irvin, the Bosa brothers and Chris Evert. But unlike those athletes, Dufner’s high school career wasn’t enough to earn him a scholarship, at least from a Division I school.
He received offers from Division II schools but wanted to compete against the best, so he showed up to Auburn’s walk-on qualifier and beat the average score of those players already on Auburn’s golf team.
He’s since beaten the score of many PGA pros, and the highlight of his career was winning the 2013 PGA Championship which was his first major championship and came 13 years after his pro debut.
24. Ziggy Ansah
Ziggy Ansah, center, grew up in Ghana playing soccer.Sport: Football
Position: Defensive end
School: Brigham Young University
Walk-on year: 2010-12
Ziggy Ansah Stats
Ziggy Ansah played 31 games at BYU.College stats: 72 TKL, 4.5 SACK, 0 TD
Pro career: 7 years (2013-20)
Pro teams: Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers
Pro stats: 93 G, 236 TKL, 50.5 SACK, 0 INT, 0 TD
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Ziggy Ansah
Ziggy Ansah was a first-round pick (fifth overall) in the 2013 NFL draft.Born in Ghana, Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah came to the United States as a 19-year-old after receiving an academic scholarship from BYU. He then tried out for the basketball team but was cut twice, so he decided to walk onto the track team.
His track coach encouraged him to try out football despite being unfamiliar with the sport and never having played organized football. He made his football debut at 21 years old with BYU and impressed enough to become a first-round pick by the Lions three years later.
He is the third-ever Ghanaian-born NFL player and the first to make a Pro Bowl after notching 14.5 sacks in 2015.
23. Daniel Nava
Daniel Nava played at Santa Clara after two seasons of junior college.Sport: Baseball
Position: Outfield, first base
School: College of San Mateo
Walk-on year: 2003-04
Daniel Nava Stats
Daniel Nava made his major league debut in 2010.College stats: Juco All-American
Pro career: 10 years (2010-present)
MLB teams: Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies
Pro stats: .266 BA, 29 HR, 206 RBI
Championships: 1 (2013)
Bottom Line: Daniel Nava
Daniel Nava won a World Series ring with the Red Sox in 2013.Daniel Nava stood at just 5-foot-5 as a high school senior and received no interest from college programs. He tried to walk onto Santa Clara’s baseball team but didn’t make it and settled as being the team’s equipment manager.
He then left school because he could no longer afford tuition before enrolling at the College of San Mateo, a local junior college. It was there where Nava gave another shot at playing baseball and made the team this time and developed into a Juco All-American.
When Santa Clara saw how much he had progressed, they welcomed him back — not as an equipment manager — but as a scholarship player on their baseball team.
22. Shane Bieber
Shane Bieber walked on at UC Santa Barbara.Sport: Baseball
Position: Pitcher
School: UC Santa Barbara
Walk-on year: 2014
Shane Bieber Stats
Shane Bieber won 23 games at UCSB.College stats: 23-12 (.657 winning percentage), 2.73 ERA, 237 K
Pro career: 3 years (2018-present)
MLB teams: Cleveland Indians
Pro stats: 66 G, 34-14 (.708 winning percentage), 3.32 ERA, 499 K
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Shane Bieber
Shane Bieber won the AL Cy Young in 2020.The 6-foot-3 Shane Bieber was rail thin and lacked power while at Laguna Hills High School in Southern California, so he didn’t get many college offers.
But he also possessed great command and was noticed by UC Santa Barbara, which didn’t have any scholarship money remaining. Thus, Bieber became a recruited walk-on and spent his first year with the team adding weight to his frame and power to his pitches.
Bieber earned a scholarship as a sophomore and two years later became a fourth-round draft pick. He made his MLB debut in 2018 and was an All-Star just one year later while also finishing fourth in Cy Young voting. In 2020, he won the Cy Young after going 8-1 with a 1.83 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 12 starts of a shortened season.
21. Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield started his college career at Texas Tech.Sport: Football
Position: Quarterback
School: Texas Tech, University of Oklahoma
Walk-on year: 2013-15
Baker Mayfield Stats
Baker Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy in 2017 at Oklahoma.College stats: 14,607 YDS, 131 TD, 30 INT, 175.4 RAT
Pro career: 3 years (2018-present)
NFL teams: Cleveland Browns
Pro stats: 46 G, 11,115 YDS, 75 TD, 43 INT, 89.1 RAT
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.Coming out of high school and standing just 5-foot-10, Baker Mayfield had only two FBS offers, and neither was from Texas Tech, which is where he started his college career. Due to an injury to the Red Raiders’ starter, Mayfield ended up getting the opening day start as a freshman and became the first walk-on true freshman quarterback to start a season opener at any school.
Even though Mayfield was impressive in five starts for Texas Tech, he wasn’t going to be offered a scholarship as a sophomore, so he transferred to Oklahoma. There, he also began his career as a walk-on, and after sitting out a year due to transfer rules, he matured into the best quarterback in the nation. Mayfield achieved another first by becoming the first walk-on to win the Heisman.
But he wasn’t done with "firsts." Just four months later, Mayfield became the first former walk-on to be drafted first overall when he was selected by the Cleveland Browns.
20. Nick Watney
Nick Watney played his high school golf at Davis Senior High School in Davis, California.Sport: Golf
School: Fresno State University
Walk-on year: 1999-2000
Nick Watney Stats
Nick Watney played college golf under his uncle, Mike Watney, at Fresno State University.College stats: Three-time All-American
Pro career: 17 years (2003-present)
Pro stats: 5 PGA Tour wins
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Nick Watney
Nick Watney turned pro in 2003.Nick Watney grew up in Northern California and likely thought he had a free ride to Fresno State’s golf team since his uncle is the head coach. However, Mike Watney didn’t offer his nephew a scholarship, so Nick had to walk on.
But he soon earned a scholarship and a place in the Fresno State record books after setting the school's single-season scoring record with a 70.53 average as a junior.
As a pro, Watney has won tournaments on four different Tours, and his best major championship finish was tied for seventh at the 2010 Masters.
19. Jeff Hornacek
Jeff Hornacek walked on at Iowa State after going to high school in Illinois.Sport: Basketball
Position: Point guard, shooting guard
School: Iowa State University
Walk-on year: 1982
Jeff Hornacek Stats
Jeff Hornacek played in 1,077 NBA games.College stats: 10.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.4 APG
Pro career: 14 years (1986-2000)
NBA teams: Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz
Pro stats: 1077 G, 14.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.9 APG
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Jeff Hornacek
Jeff Hornacek, right, was nicknamed "Horny," "Scarecrow" and "The Paperboy."Jeff Hornacek spent his first fall after graduating from Lyons Township High School in La Grange, Illinois, out of school and working in a factory.
In the spring of 1982, Hornacek enrolled at Iowa State without ever visiting the campus. He was a small-town star basketball player in high school but didn’t get any major offers, and his only goal was to play Division I.
Iowa State satisfied that requirement, and Hornacek walked onto the basketball team where he showed that he was one of the best players on the team. He left school as the Big 8’s all-time leader in assists and enjoyed a 14-year NBA career that included an All-Star appearance.
18. Adam Archuleta
Adam Archuleta played linebacker at Arizona State and converted to safety in the NFL.Sport: Football
Position: Linebacker (college), safety (NFL)
School: Arizona State
Walk-on year: 1996
Adam Archuleta Stats
Adam Archuleta played 103 games in the NFL.College stats: Two-time All-Pac-10, Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year
Pro career: 7 years (2001-07)
NFL teams: St. Louis Rams, Washington Football Team, Chicago Bears
Pro stats: 103 G, 530 TKL, 18 SACK, 4 INT, 1 TD
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Adam Archuleta
Adam Archuleta was a hard hitter.Adam Archuleta was a three-year starter at linebacker for Arizona State after walking onto the team in 1996. He got better with each passing year in that starting role — totaling 75 tackles, five sacks and 18 tackles for losses in 1998; 111 tackles, five sacks and 21 tackles for loss in 1999; and 127 tackles, four sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2000.
His play earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors twice, and in 2000 as a senior, he was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and nominated as a Butkus Award finalist.
Archuleta tallied 330 tackles, 14 sacks, six fumble recoveries and five forced fumbles over his four-year career at ASU and was a first-round pick (20th overall) in the 2001 NFL draft.
17. Santana Moss
Santana Moss made his NFL debut in 2001.Sport: Football
Position: Wide receiver
School: University of Miami
Walk-on year: 1997
Santana Moss Stats
Santana Moss had 66 receiving touchdowns in his NFL career.College stats: 143 REC, 2,547 RYDS, 19 RTD
Pro career: 14 years (2001-14)
NFL teams: New York Jets, Washington Football Team
Pro stats: 197 G, 732 REC, 10,283 RYDS, 66 RTD
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Santana Moss
Santana Moss had 732 receptions in his career.It’s hard to believe that a guy who left as Miami’s all-time leader in receiving yards couldn’t get a scholarship, but that was the case for Santana Moss in 1997.
He originally attended Miami on a track scholarship and walked on to the football team, but he was so impressive early on that he landed a football scholarship as well.
Moss didn’t abandon the track and field team, either, and won the Big East Championship in the triple jump as a senior before embarking on a 14-year NFL career.
16. Jordy Nelson
Jordy Nelson scored 20 receiving touchdowns at Kansas State.Sport: Football
Position: Wide receiver
School: Kansas State University
Walk-on year: 2003-04
Jordy Nelson Stats
Jordy Nelson had 613 receptions in his NFL career.College stats: 206 REC, 2,822 RYDS, 20 RTD
Pro career: 11 years (2008-18)
NFL teams: Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders
Pro stats: 151 G, 613 REC, 8,587 RYDS, 72 RTD
Championships: 1 (2010)
Bottom Line: Jordy Nelson
Jordy Nelson won a Super Bowl with the Packers.Jordy Nelson was a phenomenal three-sport athlete at Riley High School in Kansas. He was Player of the Year in football, named All-State in basketball and won a state title in track. But he attended school in a farm town that had a population of fewer than 1,000 people.
Thus, Nelson received no Division I scholarship offers and walked onto nearby Kansas State. After a slow start in college in which he redshirted his first year and then switched from defensive back to receiver his second year, Nelson soon blossomed and became an All-American as a senior.
He then became an All-Pro in the NFL and retired second in Packers history with 69 receiving touchdowns.
15. Eric Karros
Eric Karros was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1992.Sport: Baseball
Position: First base
School: UCLA
Walk-on year: 1985
Eric Karros Stats
Eric Karros hit 284 home runs in his MLB career.College stats: Captain in junior year, sixth-round pick in 1988 MLB draft
Pro career: 14 years (1991-2004)
MLB teams: Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Oakland A's
Pro stats: 1755 G, .268 BA, 284 HR, 1,027 RBI
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Eric Karros
Eric Karros never made an All-Star team.It certainly helps to have connections when you don’t attract any interest as a high school athlete, and Eric Karros’ connection was his father. George Karros knew UCLA head coach Gary Adams and arranged for his son to work out for the Bruins as a walk-on out of Patrick Henry High School in San Diego.
The coach told Eric that most walk-ons are usually cut within the first few weeks of fall camp, but Eric stuck around for three years and became a captain. That led to a 14-year MLB career, 11 of which were with the nearby Dodgers, and that included the 1992 NL Rookie of the Year award.
While he never made an All-Star team, Karros' 284 career home runs are the second-most in MLB history for a player who never appeared in the Midsummer Classic. Tim Salmon is first with 299.
14. Steve Francis
Steve Francis was first-team All-ACC in 1999.Sport: Basketball
Position: Point guard, shooting guard
School: San Jacinto College, Allegany College of Maryland
Walk-on year: 1996-98
Steve Francis Stats
Steve Francis, right, was a three-time All-Star.College stats: 17.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.5 APG
Pro career: 9 years (1999-2008)
NBA teams: Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, New York Knicks
Pro stats: 576 G, 18.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 6.0 APG
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Steve Francis
Steve Francis was nicknamed "Stevie Franchise."Steve Francis had a troubled high school experience in Maryland, and he dealt drugs while his father served time in prison for bank robbery. Francis attended six different high schools, played a total of two basketball games, so colleges didn’t come calling with scholarship offers.
But he was noticed on the AAU circuit, which led to interest from a community college in Houston. Francis, who dropped out of school, obtained his GED before enrolling, and he later transferred to another community college near his home in Maryland. It was at the second school where the University of Maryland took notice and offered him a scholarship.
Playing just five miles from home, Francis became an All-American, then the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft before making three All-Star teams in the NBA.
13. Brett Gardner
Brett Gardner had a huge senior year at the College of Charleston.Sport: Baseball
Position: Outfielder
School: College of Charleston
Walk-on year: 2001
Brett Gardner Stats
Brett Gardner won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009.College stats: .447 BA, 122 H (senior year)
Pro career: 12 years (2008-present)
MLB teams: New York Yankees
Pro stats: 1548 G, .260 BA, 124 HR, 267 SB
Championships: 1 (2009)
Bottom Line: Brett Gardner
Brett Gardner has made over $80 million in salary during his MLB career.Brett Gardner wasn’t a lightly regarded prospect coming out of Holly Hill Academy in South Carolina. He wasn’t a prospect.
He received no Division I offers and only caught the attention of College of Charleston because it was a local school and his dad, who played in the minors, wrote a letter to the school’s recruiting coordinator.
Gardner's blazing speed impressed the coaches, and the rest is history. Nearly 20 years later, Gardner played 13 seasons with the New York Yankees and made over $84 million in salary.
12. Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond was a first-round pick (ninth overall) in the 2012 NBA draft.Sport: Basketball
Position: Center
School: University of Connecticut
Walk-on year: 2011-12
Andre Drummond Stats
Andre Drummond is a highlight machine around the rim.College stats: 10.0 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.7 BPG
Pro career: 9 years (2012-present)
NBA teams: Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers
Pro stats: 606 G, 14.5 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 1.6 BPG
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond has made over $109 million in salary in his NBA career.Andre Drummond’s walk-on status is unique in that he didn’t have a shortage of suitors as the No. 1-ranked prospect in his class. But he originally planned on spending a post-graduate year at a boarding school in Massachusetts, only to change his mind at the last minute.
He committed to UConn, but it was so late in the process that they didn’t have any scholarships remaining. Thus, the best high school player in the country had to take out a loan and pay for tuition himself.
Drummond will likely never need another loan in his life. He’s made almost $110 million in career NBA earnings through his first nine seasons.
11. David Eckstein
David Eckstein played his college ball at the University of Florida.Sport: Baseball
Position: Shortstop, second base
School: University of Florida
Walk-on year: 1994
David Eckstein Stats
David Eckstein was a lifetime .280 hitter in the major leagues.College stats: All-American, two-time All-SEC
Pro career: 10 years (2001-10)
MLB teams: Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres
Pro stats: 1311 G, .280 BA, 35 HR, 123 SB
Championships: 2 (2002, 2006)
Bottom Line: David Eckstein
David Eckstein, right, was a two-time All-Star.David Eckstein was two-time all-state at Seminole High School in Sanford, Florida, but his diminutive size didn’t lend itself to tons of recruiting letters.
As a Florida native, he elected to go to nearby University of Florida in Gainesville without a scholarship. Eckstein played far bigger than his size, became an All-American and also became the first two-time Academic All-American in the Gators' storied history.
He defied the odds again in the pros, highlighted by two World Series championships and the 2006 World Series MVP after hitting .364 in a series win over the Tigers.
10. John Starks
John Starks, center, was undrafted out of Oklahoma State.Sport: Basketball
Position: Shooting guard
School: Rogers State College, Northern Oklahoma College, Oklahoma Junior College
Walk-on year: 1984-87
John Starks Stats
John Starks became a fan favorite in New York.College stats: 15.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 4.6 APG
Pro career: 14 years (1988-2002)
NBA teams: Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz
Pro stats: 866 G, 12.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.6 APG
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: John Starks
John Starks scored 10,829 points in his NBA career.Before he became a Knicks fan favorite, John Starks was a nomad in college who attended three different schools before getting a scholarship from Oklahoma State University.
One of those schools was Rogers State, where Starks was part of the school’s taxi squad. That meant he was a fill-in player and would only suit up for injured or suspended players. But if everyone was active, Starks wouldn’t dress and would watch the game from the stands like everyone else.
Fast-forward three schools later, and Starks impressed in his one year at Oklahoma State. But that wasn’t enough to get him drafted, which is just like not being offered a scholarship all over again. However, Starks stayed on the grind and won over NBA teams, and he had a 13-year career with an All-Star appearance.
9. Antonio Brown
Antonio Brown was a sixth-round pick (195th overall) in the 2010 NFL draft.Sport: Football
Football: Wide receiver
School: Central Michigan University
Walk-on year: 2007
Antonio Brown Stats
Antonio Brown was a sixth-round pick in 2010.College stats: 305 REC, 3,199 RYDS, 22 RTD
Pro career: 10 years (2010-present)
NFL teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pro stats: 139 G, 886 REC, 11,746 RYDS, 79 RTD
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Antonio Brown
Antonio Brown played one game with the New England Patriots.Antonio Brown was rejected from Florida State, his first school of choice, due to academic concerns. Other schools also denied him admission, so Brown had a post-graduate year at North Carolina Tech Prep before remembering the name of the coach who once recruited him in high school. That coach, Butch Jones, was the head coach of Central Michigan.
Brown reached out to CMU, which let him enroll as a walk-on. Even though he was a dual-threat quarterback in high school, Brown adjusted quickly to playing receiver in college and earned a scholarship after a few weeks of practice. On a CMU team that also had J.J. Watt, Brown was the team’s best player, and he was named MAC Freshman of the Year.
The Steelers drafted him in the sixth round (195th overall) of the 2010 NFL draft, and he became one of the best wide receivers in the game. Then, attitude and off-the-field issues pushed him out of Pittsburgh, and he's still looking to regain the form that made him seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro.
8. J.J. Watt
J.J. Watt was a first-team All-American in 2010 at Wisconsin.Sport: Football
Position: Defensive end
School: Wisconsin
Walk-on year: 2008
J.J. Watt Stats
J.J. Watt is a three-time NFL defensive player of the year.College stats: 106 TKL, 11.5 SACK, 1 INT, 0 TD
Pro career: 10 years (2011-present)
NFL teams: Houston Texans
Pro stats: 128 G, 531 TKL, 101.0 SACK, 2 INT, 3 TD
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: J.J. Watt
J.J. Watt is one of the strongest players in the NFL.From 2012 to 2015 J.J. Watt was the best player in the NFL. But just a few years before that, he had to walk on to Wisconsin’s football team.
Watt was only a two-star prospect coming out of Pewaukee High School in Wisconsin and landed at Central Michigan on a scholarship. However, Watt, who played tight end at CMU, was asked to move to offensive tackle, and he said ,"Thanks, but no thanks." He gave up his scholarship to walk on at Wisconsin.
There, he was converted to the line, but the defensive line, and the rest is history. Now, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year has a bust waiting for him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
7. Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard walked on to the Missouri State team.Sport: Baseball
Position: First base
School: Missouri State University
Walk-on year: 1999
Ryan Howard Stats
Ryan Howard hit 382 home runs in his career.College stats: .335 BA, 50 HR, 183 RBI
Pro career: 13 years (2004-16)
MLB teams: Philadelphia Phillies
Pro stats: 1572 G, .258 BA, 382 HR, 1,194 RBI
Championships: 1 (2008)
Bottom Line: Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard was nicknamed "The Big Piece."Ryan Howard did not get any interest from major college baseball programs out of Lafayette High School in Wildwood, Missouri, so he went to Missouri State, where the coach told him there were no more scholarships available. Howard took that as a challenge and walked onto the team before becoming the MVC Freshman of the Year and earning a scholarship as a sophomore.
In 2001, the Phillies took Howard in the fifth round of the MLB draft. But just as he was a late bloomer in high school, Howard also was a late bloomer in the pros. It took five years before he became a regular in the majors.
However, his full-season debut was a memorable one. In 2006, Howard smacked a Phillies franchise record of 58 home runs en route to winning the AL MVP. He went on to finish his career with 382 home runs.
6. Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace was a beast on the boards.Sport: Basketball
Position: Center, power forward
School: Cuyahoga Community College
Walk-on year: 1992-94
Ben Wallace Stats
Ben Wallace had 10,482 rebounds in his NBA career.College stats: 13.4 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 3.6 BPG
Pro career: 16 years (1996-2012)
NBA teams: Washington Bullets/Wizards, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers
Pro stats: 1088 G, 5.7 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.0 BPG
Championships: 1 (2004)
Bottom Line: Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace earned over $87 million in career salary after being undrafted.It’s very rare for someone in SEC country to turn down a football scholarship, but that’s what Ben Wallace did in high school. He had offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State and more to put the pads on, but he elected to go to Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio to fulfill his hoop dream.
It turned out to be the right decision. After a couple of years there, Wallace went to Virginia Union following a recommendation from Virginia Union alum Charles Oakley, and that got Wallace on the NBA’s radar.
Wallace was a rough and rugged player like Oakley and became the backbone of the 2004 Pistons championship-winning squad. Wallace's four Defensive Player of the Year awards also are tied for the most in NBA history.
5. Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski was a fourth-round NFL draft pick in 2006.Sport: Football
Position: Kicker
School: University of Memphis
Walk-on year: 2002
Stephen Gostkowski Stats
Stephen Gostkowski won three Super Bowls with the Patriots.College stats: 159 XPM, 70 FGM, 76.1 FG%
Pro career: 14 years (2006-present)
NFL teams: New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans
Pro stats: 219 G, 699 XPM, 392 FGM, 86.3 FG%
Championships: 3 (2014, 2016, 2018)
Bottom Line: Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski joined the Titans in 2020 after playing 14 seasons with the Patriots.Kickers are important to the college game, but most big-time programs don’t use one of their scholarships on special teams players. They prefer to hoard four or five players at the position, let the cream of the crop emerge and then offer that player a scholarship in later years.
That is what happened with Stephen Gostkowkski, who actually got a baseball scholarship to Memphis and then walked onto the football team. He earned a full scholarship and also got a jump start on his pro career by kicking off a one-inch tee in college rather than the two-inch tees that the NCAA allows.
He did that to show NFL scouts his kicking potential at the next level.
4. Clay Matthews III
Clay Matthews, top, was a three-time Pac-10 champion at USC.Sport: Football
Position: Linebacker
School: University of Southern California
Walk-on year: 2004-05
Clay Matthews III Stats
Clay Matthews had 91.5 career sacks in the NFL.College stats: 97 TKL, 5.5 SACK, 0 INT, 0 TD
Pro career: 11 years (2009-19)
NFL teams: Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams
Pro stats: 156 G, 519 TKL, 91.5 SACK, 6 INT, 3 TD
Championships: 1 (2010)
Bottom Line: Clay Matthews III
Clay Matthews won a Super Bowl with the Packers in 2010.A late bloomer, Clay Matthews couldn’t even start on defense at Agoura High School even though his dad was the defensive coordinator. He began to develop physically as a senior but had no FBS offers, so he walked on to USC, where his dad Clay II and uncle Bruce also went.
There, Matthews went from scout team to special teams to a reserve before finally becoming a starter in his fifth year at the school. Being a late bloomer in both high school and college didn’t hurt him in the long run as he was a first-round NFL draft pick just as his dad and uncle were.
Matthews left the Packers as their all-time leader in sacks and then played one season with his hometown Rams before being cut. He still is open to playing again in the NFL.
3. Aeneas Williams
Aeneas Williams went to Fortier High School in New Orleans.Sport: Football
Position: Safety
School: Southern University
Walk-on year: 1988
Aeneas Williams Stats
Aeneas Williams was an eight-time Pro Bowler.College stats: Two-time All-SWAC, 11 INT
Pro career: 14 years (1991-2004)
NFL teams: Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams
Pro stats: 211 G, 793 TKL, 3.0 SACK, 55 INT, 13 TD
Championships: 0
Bottom Line: Aeneas Williams
Aeneas Williams scored nine touchdowns off interceptions in his career.Williams didn’t begin playing football in college until his junior year in which he walked onto Southern’s team. He didn’t have a specific position and played cornerback, safety and linebacker. He settled in at corner and one year later tied the Division I-AA record for interceptions. That led to him being a third-round draft pick and he established himself as one of the league’s best defensive players during the 1990s. When Williams retired in 2004, he ranked third in NFL history with 13 non-offensive touchdowns and that’s one of the many reasons why he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
2. Ozzie Smith
Ozzie Smith was a 15-time All-Star in the major leagues.Sport: Baseball
Position: Shortstop
School: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Walk-on year: 1974
Ozzie Smith Stats
Ozzie Smith played 2,573 games in the majors.College stats: All-American, 110 SB
Pro career: 19 years (1978-96)
MLB teams: San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals
Pro stats: 2573 G, .262 BA, 28 HR, 580 SB
Championships: 1 (1982)
Bottom Line: Ozzie Smith
Ozzie Smith won a World Series with the Cardinals in 1982.Ozzie Smith was a high school teammate of future Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, whose immense talent was recognizable right away and was taken in the third round of the MLB draft out of Locke High School in Los Angeles.
Smith’s talent wasn’t as apparent, and the only college scholarship he got was a partial academic one. He walked onto Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's team, and a broken leg to the team’s starting shortstop gave Smith his first real opportunity.
Smith never gave the job back and developed into one of the greatest defensive players in MLB history.
1. Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen grew up in Hamburg, Arkansas.Sport: Basketball
Position: Small forward
School: Central Arkansas
Walk-on year: 1983-87
Scottie Pippen Stats
Scottie Pippen had no scholarship offers out of high school.College stats: 17.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.7 APG
Pro career: 17 years (1987-2004)
NBA teams: Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers
Pro stats: 1178 G, 16.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.2 APG
Championships: 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
Bottom Line: Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.Even Hall of Famers can start out as walk-ons. That was the case for six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen. He was just 6-foot-1 in high school and wasn’t offered any scholarships, so he walked onto Central Arkansas, which is an NAIA school.
A late growth spurt enabled Pippen to grow seven inches in college, and he became a two-time NAIA All-American before being the No. 5 draft pick in the NBA. Because he was undersized most of his life, Pippen had point guard skills, and he didn’t lose those when he grew to 6-foot-8.
When he retired in 2004, Pippen ranked first all-time in assists by a non-guard.