Over 140 NFL players have once called Hattiesburg home
Every football player dreams about making that game-winning catch on Sundays, or winning a Super Bowl. Playing in the National Football League (NFL) is the ultimate dream for sports fans in the US.
Southern Miss has helped players achieve this lifelong dream for nearly a century. In 1942, Joe Stringfellow was the first Golden Eagle to make the NFL, getting drafted by the Detroit Lions.
83 years later, over 140 NFL players have once called Hattiesburg home. Swayze Bozeman and Natrone Brooks are the latest Golden Eagles to make plays on Sunday.
With so many Southern Miss Football alumni putting together NFL careers, let’s take a look at the five that have made the biggest impact.
Brett Favre (1991-2010)
It would be hard to imagine starting this without any other player. One of the best NFL quarterbacks of all-time, Brett Favre, played 20 seasons in the NFL and made 321 consecutive starts.
Favre graduated from Southern Miss in 1991 with a degree in education. During his four seasons in Hattiesburg, Favre threw for just under 7,700 yards, and 52 touchdowns.
The Atlanta Falcons selected Favre in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft. It took 11 weeks for Favre to see the field but his first pass was one to forget– an interception.
He was traded to the Green Bay Packers the following year, where he spent the majority of his legendary career. Favre won a Super Bowl and become the first player to win the AP MVP award three years in a row. He threw for 30+ touchdowns six times and a career-high 4,413 yards in 1995. Additionally, Favre started every game from 1993 to the end of his tenure in 2007.
Favre ended his career playing for two different teams in three seasons. The 2008 season saw him play with the New York Jets, where he threw over 20 interceptions for the sixth time in his career. The final two seasons were spent with the Minnesota Vikings, where Favre threw for 6,711 yards and 44 touchdowns in 29 games.
Patrick Surtain (1998-2008)
Patrick Surtain was a four-year letterman in Hattiesburg from 1994-1997. The defensive back had a massive junior season at Southern Miss, as he picked off six passes and had 84 tackles. He would then get Third-Team All-American his senior season.
Surtain got selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He went on to play every game his rookie season in Miami, securing his first interception in Week 2.
He spent the following six seasons in Miami, where he was named First-Team All-Pro in 2002 and 2003. Surtain was also named to the Pro Bowl three times.
The Kansas City Chiefs got Surtain’s service for his final four seasons. While in Kansas City, Surtain grabbed eight interceptions and forced three fumbles.
While his season wasn’t as long as Favre’s, Surtain carved out a great career at the professional level. He finished his career with 547 total tackles and 37 interceptions.
Surtain currently is a defensive backs coach for Florida State. His son, Patrick Surtain II, currently plays for the Denver Broncos and is widely considered as a top cornerback in the NFL.
Ray Guy (1973-1986)
Ray Guy was a kicker and punter while attending Southern Miss from 1970-1972. Guy kicked a 61-yard field goal at Southern Miss, which was an NCAA record at the time.
Special teams wasn’t the only group that he played with in college, as Guy also played safety. He set the single-season interception record as a senior with eight. He was also a member of the baseball team, where he was a pitcher.
The Oakland Raiders became the first team to draft a punter in the NFL, selecting Guy with the 23rd pick of the 1973 NFL Draft.
Guy spent his entire career with the Raiders, who played in both Oakland and Los Angeles in his time there. In his 14 seasons, Guy racked up a plethora of accolades. He was a three-time Super Bowl champion, a six-time First-Team All-Pro selection, and a seven-time Pro Bowler. Guy was also named on the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time teams.
He became the first punter named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014. Guy was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Hanford Dixon (1981-1989)
Defensive back Hanford Dixon was selected in the first round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, after spending his college career in Hattiesburg.
Dixon played nine seasons in Cleveland, which would be his entire professional career. He was named First-Team All-Pro twice and was a three-time Pro Bowl selection.
There are no stats for his rookie season, but in his following eight seasons Dixon recorded 26 total interceptions, two sacks, and two forced fumbles. Dixon only came off of the bench three times in his career.
He was inducted into the M-Club Alumni Association Sports Hall of Fame at Southern Miss in 1988.
Jamie Collins (2013-2022)
Linebacker Jamie Collins was in Hattiesburg from 2009-2012. In his time at Southern Miss, Collins recorded 314 tackles and 21 sacks. He was also First-Team All-CUSA in 2012.
Collins was selected in the second round in the 2013 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. In New England, Collins won the Super Bowl in 2014. In 2015, he led the NFL in forced fumbles, and was Second-Team All-Pro.
In 2016, Collins was traded to the Cleveland Browns where he played for the rest of that season, and two more years. Collins played a total of 30 games for the Browns, recording seven sacks.
He returned to New England in 2019. Collins started 15 games that season, grabbing three interceptions and 81 total tackles. He also won his second Super Bowl.
The linebacker played for the Detroit Lions for the next season and a half, before returning to New England for his third stint. Collins’ NFL career ended after the 2022 season.
Collins finished his career with 708 total tackles, 12 interceptions, and 26.5 sacks.
Southern Miss’ impact on the NFL stretches from legends to recent Super Bowl champions like Jamie Collins. With players like Nick Mullens, Swayze Bozeman, and Natrone Brooks in the NFL today, Southern Miss’ NFL pipeline shows no signs of stopping.
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