(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The NFL Draft kicks off in full force on Thursday. With teams set to make selections that will alter the future of their franchises, there will be some Colorado high school products coming into play (more on that Thursday).
CHSAANow.com will be tracking the Colorado products that are selected this weekend, but ahead of that here are the 10 highest drafted Colorado high school football players of all-time.
Gary Glick
Year: 1956
Round: 1
Pick: 1
High school: LaPorte
College: Colorado State
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
A defensive back and halfback, Glick was the first overall selection in the 1956 draft. He played in the NFL from 1956-63 (taking a year off in 1962) and worked primarily as a kicker. In his career he went 26-for-29 on extra points and 9-for-25 on field goals.
Tony Boselli
Year: 1995
Round: 1
Pick: 2
High school: Fairview
College: USC
Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Fairview alum wasn’t just the second overall pick in the NFL Draft, he was the first draft pick in Jacksonville Jaguars franchise history. Boselli played in 91 games (starting in all but one) and ended his career as a five-time Pro Bowler.
Byron “Whizzer” White
Year: 1938
Round: 1
Pick: 4
High school: Wellington
College: Colorado
Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
White had a standout career at Colorado and finished as the runner-up for the 1937 Heisman Trophy. He was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates early in the first round and played in the NFL for three years before diving into a legal career that included a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Terry Miller
Year: 1978
Round: 1
Pick: 5
High school: Mitchell
College: Oklahoma State
Team: Buffalo Bills
The Marauder standout helped the Mitchell football program rise to dominance in the late 1970’s. After playing at Oklahoma State, the Buffalo Bills took Miller with the fifth pick in the 1978 draft. He ran for over 1,000 yards and scored seven touchdowns as a rookie.
Steve Zabel
Year: 1996
Round: 1
Pick: 6
High school: Thornton
College: Oklahoma
Team: Philadelphia Eagles
After a three-year career at Oklahoma as a tight-end/wide receiver, Zabel was drafted by the Eagles where he spent the majority of his NFL career as a linebacker. He hauled six interceptions and recovered 13 fumbles through the course of his professional career.
Christian McCaffrey
Year: 2017
Round: 1
Pick: 8
High school: Valor Christian
College: Stanford
Team: Carolina Panthers
The Valor Christian running back was a big part of the Eagles championship run from 2010-13. He was a standout back that earned a scholarship to Stanford where he was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2015. In his first three 3 years in the NFL he has become a Pro Bowl running back for the Panthers.
Bobby Anderson
Year: 1970
Round: 1
Pick: 11
High school: Boulder
College: Colorado
Team: Denver Broncos
Anderson was every bit the hometown kid. He stayed in his native town of Boulder to play at CU and got drafted by the Denver Broncos in 1970. He played in Denver for four years and rushed for 1,280 yards and nine touchdowns.
Alex Molden
Year: 1996
Round: 1
Pick: 11
High school: Sierra
College: Oregon
Team: New Orleans Saints
The Sierra standout played eight seasons in the NFL where he totaled 12 career interceptions. He played four years at Oregon and had 11 career interceptions for the Ducks. His NFL career included stints with New Orleans, the San Diego Chargers and the Detroit Lions.
Nate Solder
Year: 2011
Round: 1
Pick: 17
High school: Buena Vista
College: Colorado
Team: New England Patriots
Solder was doing something right if he was chosen to protect Tom Brady’s blindside. Originally recruited to Colorado as a tight end, Solder evolved into one of the best offensive linemen in the game. He is the current starting left tackle for the New York Giants.
Luther Elliss
Year: 1995
Round: 1
Pick: 20
High school: Mancos
College: Utah
Team: Detroit Lions
From the southwest corner of the state came a hard-hitting defensive lineman that the Detroit Lions couldn’t pass on in 1995. Elliss enjoyed a 10-year career in the NFL where he amassed 331 total tackles including 29 sacks.