Simply put, Bobby Bowden is a legend and will go down as one of the greatest head coaches in college football history. He has the fourth most wins (388) of any college coach, has won 12 ACC Championships and two national titles. He also has the second best all-time record in bowl games at 21-10-1 and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Now that he has decided to retire, we felt it would be appropriate to honor one of college football’s best coaches by compiling a list of the 10 best NFL players that played under Bowden at Florida State. Enjoy.

1. Deion Sanders, CB (Year Drafted: 1989)
Whether you liked his brash attitude or not, nobody can deny how good “Neon Deion” was as a player. He brought true meaning to the phrase “shutdown corner” while instilling excitement and thrill into the pro game. Nobody has ever blanketed one side of the field like Sanders could and perhaps nobody ever will. He was so good that quarterbacks avoided throwing to his side of the field not only in fear of being picked off by Sanders, but also in concern that he would return the gift for six points. And not only was he one of the greatest cover corners to ever don a pair of cleats, but he was also a phenomenal punt returner as well. When his career finally wrapped up, Deion had accumulated 53 interceptions, eight Pro Bowl appearances, two Super Bowl victories, a 1994 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award and was named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team. He was also an incredibly rare two-sport athlete and to this day, young corners still try to emulate the way he played the game. (Uh, outside of his shoddy tackling that is.)

2. Derrick Brooks, LB (1995)
When the Tampa 2 defense was implemented into the NFL by former Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, they must have had Derrick Brooks in mind when they envisioned its success. No linebacker was a better fit for that scheme than Brooks, who went on to appear in 11 Pro Bowls and was named AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2002. He finished with 1,698 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 25 interceptions and also helped the Bucs win a Super Bowl in 2002. Other linebackers may have been more feared, but not many covered a field like Brooks did. He was also a tremendous leader and played on some of the best defenses of the past decade.

3. Walter Jones, OT (1997)
Jones’ career is coming to an end, but he’ll be been known as the rock at the end of the Seahawks’ offensive line for years to come. Throughout his career, he was named to nine Pro Bowls, is a six-time All-NFC player, a four-time first-team All-Pro selection and a bona fide hall of famer. He and former Seattle offensive guard Steve Hutchinson formed one of the best left sides in the NFL and helped pave the way for Shaun Alexander’s great career. When he finally does retire, Jones will be mentioned with Anthony Munoz and Art Shell as one of the best offensive linemen in the history of the league.

4. Warrick Dunn, RB (1997)
When he was growing up, Dunn was always told that he would never make it as a football player because of his small size (5’9”, 190 pounds). But that didn’t stop the former Buc and Falcon from racking up 10,967 yards, a 4.1 YPC average and 49 touchdowns on his way to becoming a three-time Pro Bowl selection. One of the more remarkable things about Dunn was his longevity despite his size limitations. Despite the position he played, he rarely took a big hit and was great at using his pads to absorb contact. He was also one of the greatest NFL humanitarians, helping single mothers every Christmas through his “Home for the Holidays” program. For his gracious work with various charities, he received the 2009 Walter Payton Mann of the Year Award.

5. LeRoy Butler, S (1990)
Brett Favre and Reggie White are two names that pop into your head when reminiscing about the 1995 Packers team, but there’s no doubt that LeRoy Butler was one of the staples of that Super Bowl squad. Not only did Butler help Green Bay win a title that year, but he also was one of the more fundamentally sound safeties during his playing days. In his 12 seasons with the Packers, he recorded 953 tackles, 38 interceptions, 553 return yards, 12 fumble recoveries, three defensive touchdowns and 20.5 sacks. He led or tied for the team lead in interceptions in five different seasons and he was the first defensive back in NFL history to gain entrance into the 20 sack/20 interception club.

6. Peter Boulware, LB (1997)
Ray Lewis’s name is always mentioned first when people talk about the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, but Boulware was a key member of one of the best defenses in NFL history. Throughout his career, Boulware recorded 493 tackles, 70 sacks, 26.5 tackles for loss and 13 forced fumbles. He was a perfect fit as an edge rusher in Baltimore’s defense and went on to appear in four Pro Bowls, was named the 1997 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and was also inducted into the Ravens’ Ring of Honor.

7. Brad Johnson, QB (1992)
Brad Johnson never had the strongest arm and rarely put up gaudy numbers, but he did orchestrate Jon Gruden’s offense to near perfection in 2002 when he helped guide the Buccaneers to their first ever Super Bowl title. That year, Johnson lead the NFC in passer rating at 92.9 and set new team records for touchdowns with 22, completion percentage at 62.3, consecutive passes without an interception with 187, and also had the lowest interception percentage with 1.3%. For his career, he appeared in two Pro Bowls, compiled 28,627 total passing yards and finished with 164 passing touchdowns.

8. Anquan Boldin, WR (2003)
Many people know Boldin either for his role in the Cardinals’ 2008 Super Bowl team or the receiver opposite Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona’s outstanding receiving corps. But many forget just how good Boldin was in his first year when he won the 2003 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. That year, Boldin had 101 catches and was the only rookie selected to the Pro Bowl. He also set an NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie in his first game (217), holds the NFL record for most receptions in the first 26 games of an NFL career (157), and was the fastest to record 300 career receptions (47 games). As of this writing, Boldin has hauled in 553 receptions for 7,108 yards and 42 touchdowns. The best part is, his career is far from over and whether he stays in Arizona and excels with Fitzgerald on the opposite side, or goes elsewhere to become a No. 1 target, Boldin could put up great numbers before he’s done playing.

9. Laveranues Coles, WR (2000)
His FSU teammate Peter Warrick received more attention because he was a top 5 pick in the 2000 draft, but Coles (a third rounder in ’00) has gone on to have the better career. To date, Coles has racked up 631 catches for 8,095 yards and 44 touchdowns. He never puts up out-of-this-world numbers, but Coles has always been dependable, durable and has never shied away from going over the middle.

10. Ernie Sims, LB (2006)
In his first two years in the league, Sims led the Lions in total tackles and has since been one of the lone bright spots on one of the worst teams this decade. He’s fast, aggressive and one of the few versatile linebackers in the NFL that can play sideline to sideline. As long as he can stay healthy, Sims could one day have a career that resembles Derrick Brooks’.

Worthy of Mention:

Sebastian Janikowski, K (2000)
It’s not our style to list a kicker in any top 10 list, but Janikowski is worth mentioning considering that he’s Oakland’s franchise-leading scorer, holds the longest field goal in Raiders’ history (57 yards) and has the most career points in team history with 865. He’s also a two-time Lou Groza Award winner, has made 77.2 percent of his field goal attempts and is often the only offense the Raiders generate these days.

Honorable Mention: Alex Barron (OT), Lorenzo Booker (RB), Brodrick Bunkley (DT), Zack Crockett (FB), Antonio Cromartie (CB), Darnell Dockett (DT), Chris Hope (S), Dexter Jackson (S), Samari Rolle (CB), Corey Simon (DT), Tra Thomas (OT), Javon Walker (WR), Leon Washington (RB).

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Last month we started looking at last season’s statistics for position players in fantasy football land, and today we’ll look at a position many often overlook. That’s fantasy defenses, which can sometimes put up just enough points to earn your team a victory once in a while. It’s always smart to try and grab one of the top units, although as we’ve seen before, things change, sometimes drastically, from year to year with fantasy D’s. Me? I like to grab my defense before my kicker. This list is based on point totals from one of my leagues, so keep in mind that stats vary from year to year.

1. Baltimore Ravens—The Ravens’ defense is perennially awesome, and we’ll find out for sure how much of that was due to former coordinator Rex Ryan, who is now the head honcho for the Jets. Ryan took plenty of players with him too, like LB Bart Scott and S Jim Leonhard, but the Ravens still have Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs. Reed just keeps getting better every year, and his sick nose for the ball is one reason the Ravens had a league high 26 picks. They will keep scoring low as always, but their 34 sacks last season isn’t much to get excited about. Bottom line: The Ravens won’t be a number one this year, but are still top 10.

2. Philadelphia Eagles—Sadly, coordinator Jim Johnson passed away this week, though he was on leave from the team anyway. Look for the Eagles to continue Johnson’s schemes however, which means blitz, blitz and more blitz. What that means to you is sack points, and while Brian Dawkins is now in Denver, the secondary is still strong with corners Sheldon Brown and Asante Samuel and safeties Quintin Mikell and Quintin Demps. Bottom line: 48 sacks is a lot, and the Eagles may not match that in ’09, but they aren’t going to suck by any means.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers—You don’t win the Super Bowl without a stout unit, and this won finished second in the league with 51 sacks, led by two awesome linebackers, NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison, and LaMarr Woodley. The Steelers also ranked #1 in points allowed and yard allowed, with 20 picks and three defensive scores. Bottom line: With the front seven intact, this unit may be the top defense taken in many FF drafts.

4. Tennessee Titans—If you live in Nashville like I do, you saw this team play a lot, and let me tell you….their games are pretty boring to watch. Well, unless you like 13-10 scores every week. Punishing DT Albert Haynesworth is now in Washington, but Tony Brown and Kyle Vanden Bosch are no slouches, and CB Cortland Finnegan is a ball hawk like Ed Reed. Bottom line: More boring games for me, more fantasy points for you.

5. Chicago Bears—Their 22 interceptions probably had a lot to do with the Bears finishing as high as they did in 2008, but the Monsters of the Midway with just 28 sacks? To put that in perspective, the Saints also tallied 28 sacks. And besides Brian Urlacher, go ahead try to name five players on this defense. The Bears gave up 350 points in ’08, which is over 100 more than the Titans, Steelers and Ravens. Still, it’s the Bears. Bottom line: You can pick them, but I’m only picking them as a bye week backup.

6. Tampa Bay Bucs—This is not the same unit that ranked in the top 10 in points allowed and yards allowed in 2008, with Jon Gruden gone and Raheem Morris at the helm. Derrick Brooks is gone as are Cato June and Jovan Haye, but the likes of DE Gaines Adams and the ageless CB Ronde Barber remain. How much of Gruden’s mark will be missed? Bottom line: With so much turnover in the front office and on the field, I’m not taking my chances with these guys.

7. Green Bay Packers—Everyone expected big things from the Pack in 2008, but it was their offense, led by QB Aaron Brooks and WR Greg Jennings that were the bright spots on a mediocre team. So now with new D-coordinator Dom Capers and his 3-4 in place, things will look different at Lambeau. Aaron Kampman is now an outside linebacker, and BJ Raji and AJ Hawk are left to clog up the middle. Kampman will likely have more sacks, but how will the 3-4 affect overall fantasy points? Bottom line: I’m going out on a limb—the Pack will be much better defensively, and could be a fantasy sleeper.

8. New York Jets—DT Kris Jenkins is a monster, and Rex Ryan brought along a few toys, like Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard, as we mentioned earlier. Eric Mangini also took some players with him to Cleveland, but the Jets will still keep scores low, rack up sacks, and score on defense (5 defensive TDs in 2008). CB Darrelle Revis had 5 picks and keeps getting better. Bottom line: Proceed with caution, but still a Top 10 D.

9. Indianapolis Colts—Even with Tony Dungy gone and Jim Caldwell running the team, the Colts still give up way too much ground on the ground. Thing is, they are opportunistic, and they have Dwight Freeney attacking the QB and a bunch of under the radar players (like LB Gary Brackett) wreaking havoc (30 forced fumbles and 5 defensive scores in 2008). Bottom line: The Colts’ D will keep them in games, meaning these guys will continue to play hard and put up decent fantasy points.

10. Minnesota Vikings—These guys are damn near as good as the Ravens, led on the line by Jared Allen and DT’s Pat and Kevin Williams (45 team sacks in 2008). 12 picks from this unit is baffling, as is allowing 333 points, but they can be better. Bottom line: The Vikes may not be a true top 10 this season, so I’d take my chances with the revamped Giants or the sack-happy Cowboys before them.

Teams that aren’t on this list you’ll want to draft: New York Giants, San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins.

In his latest edition of “Monday Morning Quarterback,” Peter King wonders aloud why no team has signed former Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks this offseason. King sought the opinion of former player Warren Sapp, who, as always, was ready and willing to share his thoughts on the subject.

“I’ll tell you the real reason,” his friend Warren Sapp said over the weekend. “Because it’s not the same for the veterans anymore. The NFL doesn’t need us. In this NFL, the old vets don’t factor in. The kids don’t listen to nobody. Nobody! My last year in Oakland, I’d try to talk to some of the kids. Tommy Kelly, Terdell Sands. But they had no interest. I thought the ghosts in that building were so valuable, but none of the young guys cared. Once in a while, one of the old legends would come in the building, or make a trip. Jack Tatum would be around, and I’d say, ‘You know who that dude is? You know how he played?’ And the kids would be like, ‘Nah, I don’t care.’

“The game’s different now. Look at Vince Young. Why wouldn’t he listen to Kerry Collins? I’m sure Vince thinks, ‘Nobody’s been through what I’m going through. Nobody’s been through my kind of pressure.’ Are you kidding me! Kerry Collins, fifth pick in the draft, has all the ups and downs, gets benched, makes those racist comments, has the alcohol problems, moves from team to team, comes back, has success … Vince Young should suck up all the knowledge Kerry Collins has to offer! There’s no better role model for him.”

I have heard that Collins went out of his way last year to try to help Young when the struggling quarterback was having his quasi-breakdown. Young had no interest. Maybe Sapp’s on to something. If he is, it’s a sad commentary on the kids of the NFL. I remember being in Tampa last year to do a story for SI on Brooks playing Adrian Peterson and the Vikings, and I thought at least one of the young linebackers, Barrett Ruud, tried to siphon off Brooks’ knowledge.

“I always wonder during games, ‘How Derrick get there so fast?’ ” Ruud said. “Then I’d watch the tape, and I’d see he started running to the spot before I would have, because he just knew his keys and he knew the tendencies of the offense better than anybody else.” But I also heard that while Ruud was a willing listener, the other young ‘backers weren’t.

In the specific case of Young not wanting Collins’ help last year, that could have been because VY was embarrassed about his situation. I know if I was embarrassed about a personal situation I wouldn’t necessarily be ready to talk about it to everyone — especially if they weren’t a family member or close friend.

But in general, Sapp is probably onto something, although I don’t think this only happens in the NFL. That just comes with the territory of life. Younger people always think that they have all the answers and it usually takes a little adversity to convince them to seek the advice of those who have already been through the ringer a few times.

It would be nice if every rookie sought the advice of veterans and didn’t repeat the mistakes of those before them. But the reality of the situation is that everyone has to live and learn from their own mistakes. Collins probably wouldn’t be the man he is today if he hadn’t gone through what he did a few years ago. Maybe Young will take what happened last year and turn it into a positive going forward.

I will say this though, it would be nice if younger players respected those who came before them a lot more than they do now. Everything is always, “me, me, me” in professional sports and I’m sure younger players could learn a lot from the way legends played before them.

In one sweeping move, new Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik released veterans Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn, Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard and Cato June on Wednesday according to the Tampa Tribune.

Tampa fans will be outraged at seeing the names Brooks, Galloway and Dunn (even though he played in Atlanta four of the past five seasons), but June is the only surprising cut. The rest are cap casualties whose salaries have exceeded their on-field production.

Still, this must be a sobering day for Bucs fans, which no doubt will miss what Brooks, Galloway, Hilliard and Dunn brought to the field every Sunday. All four are consummate professionals who are team-first players and in the case of Brooks, he essentially carried Tampa to a Super Bowl victory in 2002.

With June’s release, it’s clear that new defensive coordinator Jim Bates wants bigger athletes on that side of the ball. June is a sideline-to-sideline player and is solid in coverage. But obviously Bates wants his linebackers to be tough, physical and always thinking run-first. Goodbye Tampa 2, hello more conventional defense.

With the departures of Brooks, Galloway, Hilliard, Dunn, Jon Gruden, Bruce Allen and Monte Kiffin, it’s clearly an end of an era in Tampa.