The Dolphins selected Griese out of Purdue with the fourth overall pick (one pick after the 49ers selected Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier) and he became the leader of the Dolphins offense. Griese led the Dolphins to three consecutive Super Bowl appearances, including a relief appearance of Earl Morrall to cap Miami's perfect season in 1972. Griese and the Dolphins were even better in 1973, as they won a second consecutive Super Bowl. Griese was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

The Broncos drafted Little out of Syracuse, which had a solid pedigree of strong running backs with Jim Brown and Ernie Davis (in fact, Little wore No. 44 as well) and he quickly became known as "the Franchise" for the Broncos. Little retired from the Broncos in 1975 as the seventh-leading rusher in pro football history with 6,323 yards rushing and 54 touchdowns. Little was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

Page came to Minnesota after he won a national championship with Notre Dame in 1966. But in his NFL career, the championship remained elusive as the Vikings won four NFC championships, but were turned away in the Super Bowl each time. Page played in 238 consecutive games and was the NFL MVP in 1971. Page became well known after his playing days when he became an Associate Justice with the Minnesota Supreme Court. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.

Upshaw -- who hailed from Texas A&M-Kingsville -- was the first player who played guard exclusively to be selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Upshaw started as a rookie and went on to play in 10 AFL/AFC championship games, three Super Bowls and seven Pro Bowls. He was an all-league selection seven times, and he was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

Barney was a second-round selection out of Jackson State, but he made an immediate impact during his rookie season when he was the NFL's co-leader with 10 interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. He would score 11 touchdowns during his career, including punt and kick returns. He also served as the team's emergency punter. Barney was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

Lainer -- drafted out of Morgan State -- was one of the first standout African American's to play middle linebacker, making him not only a true pioneer but also the key of one the NFL's top defensive teams. His best performance arguably came during the Chiefs' upset win over the Vikings in Super Bowl IV. He was All-Pro, All-AFL or All-AFC every year from 1968 through 1975, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

Wright was another late-round gem plucked by the Cowboys. Wright didn't play high school football, but went to Fort Valley State to play basketball. The Cowboys drafted him as a tight end, but moved him to tackle where he would earn first- or second-team All-NFL honors six consecutive years (1971-76), along with six consecutive Pro Bowl nominations. As a member of the Cowboys, he played in six NFL championship games, including five Super Bowls. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

Houston was drafted by the Oilers out of Prairie View A&M and was selected to five consecutive AFL All-Star Games/Pro Bowls from 1968 to 1972. But he was traded to Washington for five players in 1973, and went on to play in seven more Pro Bowls. Houston was widely regarded as the premiere free safety in his era, and intercepted 49 passes for 898 yards and nine touchdowns during his career. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.