Kurt Warner & 9 More NFL Amazing Underdog Stories

When it comes to top stars in the NFL, the story is almost always the same. They were the star of their high school team, played well in college, and were drafted highly. While that is generally the stereotype for NFL players, there have also been some incredible underdogs who have broken the mold.

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One of those names is Kurt Warner. The former MVP went from being a grocery bagger to a Super Bowl champion and has already had a film made about him and his journey. Warner's story is incredible, he's far from the first underdog to succeed on the football field.

10 Cairo Santos

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Cairo Santos' story isn't widely known around the league, and that's a shame. The current kicker for the Chicago Bears has had an incredible journey. Being born in Brazil, he was a foreign exchange student who headed to Florida, with the goal of playing soccer. Santos realized that his skills later translated to American football better.

He eventually got a scholarship to play college ball at Tulane but didn't impress too many. Santos went undrafted but was given a shot by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2014. He shockingly beat former Super Bowl champion Ryan Succop in a kicking competition to make the team and has been a top kicker in the league since.

9 Matt Cassel

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Matt Cassel was never a franchise quarterback and isn't that remembered by fans today, but he still had a solid career. That's in spite of the fact that he didn't play at all in college. Despite being a promising prospect at USC, he never got to play, and even changed positions to play receiver and tight end by the end of his college run.

Despite that, the New England Patriots gambled on Cassel and drafted him in the seventh round. Despite the late pick, and not playing in college, he wound up playing 15 seasons in the league and even made the Pro Bowl.

8 Taysom Hill

Taysom Hill is currently the NFL's version of a Swiss-army knife. However, the New Orleans Saints star wasn't ever expected to succeed, let alone in the league. In college, Hill was a standout quarterback at BYU but struggled with injuries. He had three of his years ended due to season-ending injuries.

Due to injury issues and inconsistency, Hill went undrafted. Ultimately he was signed and cut by the Green Bay Packers before landing in New Orleans. Former coach Sean Payton was impressed with his athletic ability, and the rest is history.

7 Cameron Wake

Cameron Wake's football journey was unlike no other. The former Penn State defensive end was solid in college, but not excellent. As a result, he went undrafted and headed to the BC Lions of the CFL after every NFL team passed on him.

He would then spend two seasons absolutely dominating the CFL. After his second season, he was given a shot by the Miami Dolphins, and it paid off. He went on to play 11 seasons in the NFL, making several All-Pro teams along the way.

6 Brandon Jacobs

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Brandon Jacobs' NFL success nobody saw coming. While a decent player in high school, the running back didn't get too many college chances. He then headed to Coffeyville Community College in Kansas.

Jacobs was dominant in community college, and after his sophomore season, headed to Auburn. He was put as the third-stinger and didn't play much, ultimately bolting to Southen Illinois for his senior season. After a good last year in college, Jacobs was drafted by the New York Giants. The gamble paid off, as evidenced by his two rings.

5 Baker Mayfield

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Baker Mayfield's not doing great right now, but his story is still a riveting one. Coming out of high school, he was seen as undersized and didn't get many offers. He headed to Texas Tech as a walk-on and played well, but a beef with Kliff Kingsbury led to him not getting a scholarship, and leaving the university.

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Mayfield shockingly landed in Oklahoma and wound up shocking fans as he became a top quarterback and Heisman winner. Being drafted number one overall for the Cleveland Browns, fans still doubted him, but the quarterback helped end the team's long playoff drought.

4 Priest Holmes

Priest Holmes' unlikely success took the NFL world by storm. The former Texas Longhorn running back was great in college but still went undrafted. He was given a shot by the Baltimore Ravens in 1997, and that's all he needed.

It took a bit, but Holmes soon became one of the greatest running backs in the league. He wound up winning a Super Bowl, as well as making several Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams. Not bad for an undrafted runner.

3 Tom Brady

Tom Brady has been incredible for so long, that it's easy to forget that his success was never guaranteed. Arguably the greatest quarterback to step on the field, he famously wasn't drafted until the sixth round of the 2000 draft.

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Brady seemed relegated to the backup position for life, given Drew Bledsoe's success. However, after the former Pro Bowler suffered an injury in 2001, the second-year quarterback got the starting role. Brady and the Patriots never looked back.

2 Julian Edelman

Man, the New England Patriots really know how to pick them. Julian Edelman was a mediocre quarterback for Kent State in college. However, Bill Belichick saw potential in him, but not as a quarterback.

Instead, the team drafted him in the seventh and final round as a receiver. Edelman then became one of the most unlikely success stories in NFL history, winning multiple Super Bowls and cementing himself as one of the greatest postseason pass-catchers ever.

1 Kurt Warner

While there are many great NFL underdog stories, few can contend with Kurt Warner's journey. Coming out of Northern Iowa, he didn't get a shot (minus a cup of coffee with the Packers) and instead headed to the Arena Football League. He was eventually signed by the Rams in 1998.

The following year, he became the starter after an injury to Trent Green. That was just the shot Warner needed, as he went on to win a Super Bowl, and eventually be inducted into the Hall of Fame.