When Fort Valley State and Albany State take the field at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 7, fans will be watching more than a rivalry game. They'll be watching two programs that have sent players all the way to the NFL, including one of the greatest offensive linemen the game has ever seen.

The Fountain City Classic has brought the Wildcats and the Golden Rams to Columbus for 36 years. Here are some of the players whose road to pro football ran through these two schools.

Rayfield Wright, Fort Valley State: from Griffin to Canton

No name looms larger in Fort Valley State history than Rayfield Wright. The Griffin, Georgia, native played both basketball and football for the Wildcats before the Dallas Cowboys picked him in the seventh round of the 1967 NFL Draft.

Dallas first tried him at tight end and defensive end before moving him to offensive tackle, where he became a star. Known as "Big Cat," Wright anchored the Cowboys' line for 13 seasons, was named to six Pro Bowls and won two Super Bowls, VI and XII.

In 2006, Wright was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, putting a Fort Valley State Wildcat among the greatest players in NFL history.

Greg Lloyd, Fort Valley State: the heart of the Steelers' defense

If Wright was the gentle giant, Greg Lloyd was the enforcer. The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted the Fort Valley State linebacker in the sixth round in 1987, and he became one of the most feared defenders of the 1990s.

Lloyd made five straight Pro Bowls and helped lead Pittsburgh's famed "Blitzburgh" defense to Super Bowl XXX. Steelers fans still remember him as the emotional leader of some of the franchise's toughest teams.

Tyrone Poole, Fort Valley State: a first-round pick and two rings

Cornerback Tyrone Poole proved a small-college player could go high in the draft. The Carolina Panthers selected him in the first round in 1995, making him the 22nd overall pick in the expansion team's first-ever draft.

Poole went on to play more than a decade in the NFL and earned two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots.

Why it matters

For small HBCU programs, every player who reaches the NFL is proof that talent doesn't need a big-name school to get noticed. Scouts still come to games like the Fountain City Classic, and today's Wildcats and Golden Rams know the players who came before them.

So when the teams kick off at 2 p.m. on Nov. 7, look closely. The next Rayfield Wright, Greg Lloyd or Tyrone Poole could be on the field.

If you go

• What: 36th Fountain City Classic, Fort Valley State vs. Albany State
• When: Saturday, Nov. 7. Gates open at noon; kickoff at 2 p.m.
• Where: A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium, Columbus
• Tickets: $20 standard and $12 for youth (5–16) and college students with ID in advance; $25 and $15 on game day at the Columbus Civic Center box office. The stadium has a clear bag policy.
• More information: fountaincityclassic.com