5 NFL players with the most national championships in college football history ft. Jalen Carter

It is a spectacle to see players light up the football field for their colleges and then move up to the NFL and replicate their success at the highest level. It is even greater when a college national champion achieves NFL success.

In the modern college football era, no team has ever won three championships in a row, although many have won two consecutively. Schools such as Yale, Harvard and Michigan had claimed multiple championships before 1920. The year 1920 is important because it was then that the NFL officially began.

In this article, we will look at the players who were dynamic on the field in their collegiate as well as their pro careers.

5 NFL players with the most national championships in college football history

#5 Jalen Carter

A defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles, Jalen Carter is favored to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year. He was a part of the historic Georgia Bulldogs team that won back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.

#4 Lawrence Phillips

Lawrence Philips was a dominant running back for the back-to-back college national champions Nebraska Cornhuskers, in 1994 and 1995. He was perfectly suited for head coach Tom Osbourne’s I-Formation offensive scheme.

Philips was a controversial figure with multiple legal issues and violent behavior problems throughout his college and pro career. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams and had initial success, but soon bounced around to other pro teams, and eventually moved to the Canadian Football League.

However, his behavior remained a concern and despite success in the Canadian circuit, he fell apart in his professional and personal life. Philips' story ended with him committing suicide while he was serving a long sentence in jail for assault.

#3 Ed Winseth

Ed Winseth was an offensive tackle for the Minnesota Gophers between 1934 and 1936 and a College Football Hall of Famer. This was thanks to the Gophers winning the National Championship those three years, in a row.

This version of the championship title was decided by a journalists' poll, but the Gophers did go 23-1 in that span. Winseth was drafted fourth overall by the New York Giants in the 1937 NFL Draft. He would go on to play until 1940 and was an All-NFL Player all three years, also selected to the Pro Bowl in 1939.

#2 CJ Mosley

A player who can say that he has over 1,000 tackles in the NFL and is a two-time college national champion, CJ Mosley is the perfect embodiment of a football player.

Mosley won two championships as a cornerback for the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2011 and 2012. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2014 before arriving at the New York Jets in 2019. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times in his career.

#1 Reggie Bush

One of the most dynamic college and NFL players of all time, Reggie Bush was destined for stardom.

He was a key player for the USC Trojans' National Championships of 2003 (AP Poll) and 2004 (BCS). Bush also won the Heisman in 2005. The NCAA officially rescinded USC's 2004 Championship title, and Bush’s 2005 Heisman.

This does not change the success at the time, however, as well as Bush’s illustrious career in the NFL. Bush was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 2006, and they would go on to win the Superbowl in 2010. He would finish his NFL career with over 5,000 yards rushing and over 3,500 yards receiving.