When Albany State takes the field against Fort Valley State at the 36th Fountain City Classic on Saturday, Nov. 7, the Golden Rams will carry a proud pro football tradition with them. Albany State has sent 15 players into the NFL through the draft since 1968, and others have made it as undrafted free agents. Some won Super Bowls, one is starring in the NFL right now, and two came home to coach the next generation of Golden Rams.

Here are some of the players whose road to the NFL ran through Albany State.

Grover Stewart: from Camilla to the Colts' defensive line

Albany State's biggest NFL star today grew up just down the road. Grover Stewart, a Camilla native who played at Mitchell County High School, starred at Albany State from 2013 to 2016 before the Indianapolis Colts picked him in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Stewart has spent his entire career anchoring the middle of the Colts' defensive line, making more than 400 career tackles. Indianapolis has rewarded him twice with contract extensions: a three-year, $30.75 million deal in 2020 and a three-year, $39 million deal in 2024.

In 2021, he was named the Black College Football Pro Player of the Year, an award honoring the best NFL player from an HBCU.

Kenneth Gant: "The Shark" and two Super Bowl rings

Few Golden Rams made a bigger splash than Kenneth Gant. A Bartow, Florida, native, Gant was a four-year starter at cornerback for Albany State after being moved over from offense, piling up 14 interceptions in college.

The Dallas Cowboys drafted him in the ninth round in 1990, and he became a fan favorite on the Cowboys' early-1990s dynasty. During the 1992 season, Gant earned the nickname "The Shark" for his celebration: strutting with one hand held over his head like a shark's fin.

Gant won two Super Bowls with Dallas, XXVII and XXVIII, both over the Buffalo Bills, before finishing his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After football, he became the founder and pastor of Faith Works Ministries International in Dallas.

Dan Land: from undrafted to a decade in the NFL, then back home

Dan Land, a Donalsonville native, proved you don't have to be drafted to make it. After starring at Albany State, he went undrafted in 1987 and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then built a long career with the Raiders in Los Angeles and Oakland from 1989 to 1997.

Land later came home to Albany State to coach. He served as an assistant from 2002 to 2014, then led the program as head coach in 2015 and 2016.

Mike White: Bengals draft pick turned championship coach

Defensive tackle Mike White played for Albany State in the late 1970s and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He played for the Bengals and the Seattle Seahawks.

White's biggest impact came later, on the sideline. As Albany State's head coach from 2000 to 2014, he built one of the strongest programs in HBCU football, and his 2010 team was named a Black College National Champion. He was named SIAC Coach of the Year six times during his coaching career.

More Golden Rams in the pros

Albany State's NFL draft history stretches back to 1968, when the Dallas Cowboys picked defensive tackle Frank Brown. Other Golden Rams drafted over the years include:

• Keyon Nash, defensive back, Oakland Raiders (2002)
• Jeff Hunter, defensive end, Phoenix Cardinals (1989)
• George Thompson, wide receiver, Dallas Cowboys (1982)
• Curtis Bunche, defensive end, Philadelphia Eagles (1979)

Why it matters

From a Super Bowl-winning cornerback to a Colts starter today, Albany State's pros prove that HBCU talent belongs on football's biggest stage. Some of the program's greatest NFL players also came home to coach, passing the tradition on to the young men who will play in Columbus this November.

When the Golden Rams kick off at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium, look closely. The next Grover Stewart could be on the field.

Read about Fort Valley State's NFL legends, including Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright, in our companion story, "From the Classic to the NFL: The Pro Football Legacy of Fort Valley State and Albany State."

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