The University of South Florida football program is highlighting Jason Pierre-Paul and Marquez Valdes-Scantling as the former Bulls who achieved the greatest team and individual success in the National Football League.
The feature is part of a 12-part series commemorating South Florida’s 30th football season. The series covers milestones, biggest games, top performers and notable personalities from the program’s first three decades, with installments scheduled for each Sunday before a South Florida game week.
Jason Pierre-Paul built a standout NFL career
Jason Pierre-Paul played one season for South Florida football in 2009 before entering the NFL draft. The New York Giants selected the defensive end with the 15th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, and he went on to earn three Pro Bowl selections and two Super Bowl rings.
Pierre-Paul has 94.5 sacks in 15 NFL seasons with the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins. His 2011 season included 16.5 sacks and 86 tackles, and the Giants selected him as the 61st Greatest Giant of All-Time during the franchise’s 100th anniversary celebration in 2024.
He was named among the NFL’s Top 100 Players in four different seasons. Pierre-Paul played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025 and had not formally retired at the time of the feature’s publication.
Pierre-Paul arrived at South Florida after playing at the College of the Canyons in California and Fort Scott Community College in Kansas. His athleticism, size and work ethic immediately impressed former South Florida linebacker Sam Barrington and former South Florida assistant coach Kevin Patrick, who recruited him.
“The first time I saw him, our strength coach had him running across the field and he was running like a defensive back, like he wasn’t even tired,” Barrington said. “When I saw his talent, size and work ethic, I got really, really excited he was on my team. His talent kind of overshadowed everything.”
Patrick said Pierre-Paul’s size also stood out. “When you see a young man like that standing in the hallway, how big he actually is (6-foot-5, 270 pounds), how long he is, it takes your breath away. I saw it quick and knew he would be absolutely great for us at USF,” Patrick said.
Pierre-Paul also became known for performing 13 consecutive backflips before South Florida’s appearance at the 2009 International Bowl. The feat followed a challenge from South Florida linebacker Kion Wilson and drew the reaction, “Jaw-dropping stuff,” from Patrick.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling left a South Florida mark
Marquez Valdes-Scantling played for South Florida during the 2016 and 2017 seasons after beginning his college career at NC State. The St. Petersburg Lakewood High School graduate played on South Florida teams that went 21-4 during those two seasons.
Valdes-Scantling set a South Florida single-season program record with 879 receiving yards, a mark that was broken in 2023. He remains tied for the longest reception in South Florida history at 95 yards, had three 100-yard receiving games and holds the program record for career receiving yards average at 17.3.
The Green Bay Packers selected Valdes-Scantling in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He entered his ninth NFL season with the Dallas Cowboys, his seventh team, with 219 career receptions for 3,686 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Valdes-Scantling led the NFL with a 20.9-yard receiving average in 2020 and has two Super Bowl rings. He said he was “very fortunate to have been a lot of places and done a lot of things,” but that South Florida would always have a special place in his heart because he “put my blood, sweat and tears out there on the USF practice field.”
“USF will always be home for me,” Valdes-Scantling said.
His mother, Tahisia, said she was happy when Valdes-Scantling went to South Florida. “I think it was the best thing that could have happened for him because that’s where he picked up his fire. He went out there and lit it up. And that’s what got him into the National Football League,” she said.
Other South Florida players with professional careers
The anniversary feature also listed 30 other South Florida players who appeared in a regular-season game and went on to professional football careers.
- Nate Allen, defensive back, 2006-09: Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010 and played 100 games in eight seasons with the Eagles, Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins.
- Sam Barrington, linebacker, 2009-12: Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2013 and played 24 games in four seasons with the Packers and Kansas City Chiefs.
- Ryan Benjamin, long snapper, 1997-00: Signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent in 2001 and played in 27 games with the Buccaneers and Chicago Bears.
- B.J. Daniels, quarterback, 2009-12: Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2013 and played in eight games over two seasons as a quarterback, wide receiver and punt returner for the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans.
- Bill Gramatica, placekicker, 1998-00: Drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2001 and played in 34 games with the Cardinals and Miami Dolphins.
- S.J. Green, wide receiver, 2003-05: Played in the Canadian Football League for the Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2024.
- Andre Hall, running back, 2004-05: Signed with the Denver Broncos in 2006 and played 18 games over two seasons.
- Bruce Hector, defensive lineman, 2014-17: Signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018 and played in eight games as a rookie.
- Anthony Henry, defensive back, 1997-00: Drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2001 and played 132 games in nine seasons with the Browns and Dallas Cowboys.
- Mike Jenkins, defensive back, 2004-07: Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2008 and played 101 games in eight seasons with the Cowboys, Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- Donovan Jennings, offensive tackle, 2018-21: Signed with the Green Bay Packers in 2024 and played two games in two seasons.
- D’Ernest Johnson, running back, 2014-17: Signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2019 and played 103 games in seven seasons with the Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots.
- Kenyatta Jones, offensive tackle, 1997-00: Drafted by the New England Patriots in 2001 and played 21 games in four seasons with the Patriots and Washington Redskins.
- Eric Lee, defensive lineman, 2012-15: Signed with the Houston Texans in 2016 and played 15 games in two seasons with the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions.
- Mike Love, defensive lineman, 2014-17: Signed with the Buffalo Bills in 2018 and played five games over three seasons.
- Aaron Lynch, defensive end, 2013: Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2014 and played 81 games in seven seasons with the 49ers, Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars.
- Marlon Mack, running back, 2014-16: Drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 2017 and played 55 games in six seasons with the Colts, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos.
- Terrell McClain, defensive lineman, 2007-10: Drafted by the New England Patriots in 2011 and played 92 games in nine seasons with eight teams.
- Carlton Mitchell, wide receiver, 2007-09: Drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2010 and played 16 games in two seasons.
- Kawika Mitchell, linebacker, 1999-02: Drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2003 and played 97 games in eight seasons with the Chiefs, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints.
- Jerome Murphy, defensive back, 2006-09: Drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 2010 and played 33 games in three seasons with the Rams, New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins.
- Stephen Nicholas, linebacker, 2003-06: Drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2007 and played 101 games in seven seasons with Atlanta.
- Shurron Pierson, defensive end, 2001-02: Drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 2003 and played 12 games in two seasons with the Raiders and Chicago Bears.
- Mistral Raymond, defensive back, 2009-10: Drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2011 and played 32 games in three seasons.
- J.R. Reed, defensive back, 2000-03: Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004 and played 40 games in four seasons with the Eagles and St. Louis Rams.
- Austin Reiter, center, 2011-14: Drafted by the Washington Redskins in 2014 and played 65 games in six seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins.
- George Selvie, defensive end, 2006-09: Drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 2010 and played 80 games in six seasons with the Rams, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.
- Deadrin Senat, defensive tackle, 2014-17: Drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2018 and played 37 games in five seasons with the Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- Kayvon Webster, defensive back, 2009-12: Drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2013 and played 69 games in seven seasons.
- Mitchell Wilcox, tight end, 2016-19: Signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020 and played 50 games in four seasons with the Bengals and New England Patriots.
- Darrell Williams, offensive lineman, 2011-14: Signed with the St. Louis Rams in 2015 and played 21 games in two seasons.
- Jacquian Williams, linebacker, 2009-10: Drafted by the New York Giants in 2011 and played 51 games in four seasons.
Source: Original report