Five of the top performing players in didn't even merit a draft pick when their college careers came to an end. Through some very different paths, however, they all arrived and thrived on football's biggest Warren Spahn Jersey stage during the ' over the on Sunday. A look at each player's story from the college ranks to the :, DB, impact: on the New England goal line in the final minute not only vaulted the and quarterback into , but from the 1-yard line for the game-winning score. Road to the pros:Following high school, Butler attended Hinds Community College in Goodman, Mi s. -- twice, in fact (he reportedly was dismi sed from the program and returned) -- and was before landing at Division II West Alabama. There, he was a two-time all-conference player, with a three-interception game as a junior and league-high 18 pa s breakups as a senior. The picked him up about a week after the and he played sparingly as a reserve this season., WR, impact:Amendola caught five pa ses for 48 yards, including that pulled the to within 24-21 in the second half. Perhaps just as important as his score, all four of Amendola's other receptions resulted in New England first downs.Road to the pros
espite a decorated career as a receiver at Texas Tech, Amendola went undrafted and spent the early part of his NFL career between the practice squads of the and . He finally Danny Santana Jersey got his break for playing time with the in 2009, as a receiver, punt returner and kick returner. His career flourished from there, though he mi sed most of the 2011 season with an elbow injury. The picked up Amendola as an unrestricted free agent in 2013., DE, impact:From start to finish, there wasn't a more dominant defensive player on either team Sunday than the ' defensive lineman. Though he was credited with only two tackles, he beat the ' offensive line on a regular basis and caused as much disruption in the New England backfield as anyone.Road to the pros:The former Texas A&M defender entered the Atlanta Braves Jersey NFL with the as an undrafted free agent, but was claimed by the midway through his rookie season in 2009. He blo somed with the Bucs and peaked with nine sacks in 2012 before returning to Seattle in 2013. Bennett started every game for the this season and notched seven sacks., WR, impact: Kearse made the most spectacular catch of with on what could have been Seattle's game-winning drive in the final minutes. The catch set up a first-and-goal situation for the with the game on the line. Kearse finished with three catches for 45 yards.Road to the pros: Kearse posted some big numbers at the University of Washington, with 180 career catches and 29 touchdowns. But stats weren't enough to catch Sean Newcomb Jersey any club's attention on draft day, and Kearse had to make the NFL through undrafted free-agent status with Seattle in 2012. Kearse's role has been increasing ever since, as he posted a career-high 38 catches for 537 yards in 2014. against the in helped earn Seattle its trip to the ., WR, impact:Had the won the game, Matthews might well have been the MVP. He made four catches for 109 yards and , in the Seattle pa sing game that was much-needed after the offense's early struggles. Incredibly, he hadn't caught a pa s all year until Sunday.Road to the pros:After a stint in junior college, Matthews caught 93 pa ses over two seasons at Kentucky before the signed him as an undrafted free agent. He was cut at the start of the 2011 season and spent a couple of years with Patch Stitched Jersey the CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers, while reportedly . Seattle picked up almost exactly a year ago.*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter *.
espite a decorated career as a receiver at Texas Tech, Amendola went undrafted and spent the early part of his NFL career between the practice squads of the and . He finally Danny Santana Jersey got his break for playing time with the in 2009, as a receiver, punt returner and kick returner. His career flourished from there, though he mi sed most of the 2011 season with an elbow injury. The picked up Amendola as an unrestricted free agent in 2013., DE, impact:From start to finish, there wasn't a more dominant defensive player on either team Sunday than the ' defensive lineman. Though he was credited with only two tackles, he beat the ' offensive line on a regular basis and caused as much disruption in the New England backfield as anyone.Road to the pros:The former Texas A&M defender entered the Atlanta Braves Jersey NFL with the as an undrafted free agent, but was claimed by the midway through his rookie season in 2009. He blo somed with the Bucs and peaked with nine sacks in 2012 before returning to Seattle in 2013. Bennett started every game for the this season and notched seven sacks., WR, impact: Kearse made the most spectacular catch of with on what could have been Seattle's game-winning drive in the final minutes. The catch set up a first-and-goal situation for the with the game on the line. Kearse finished with three catches for 45 yards.Road to the pros: Kearse posted some big numbers at the University of Washington, with 180 career catches and 29 touchdowns. But stats weren't enough to catch Sean Newcomb Jersey any club's attention on draft day, and Kearse had to make the NFL through undrafted free-agent status with Seattle in 2012. Kearse's role has been increasing ever since, as he posted a career-high 38 catches for 537 yards in 2014. against the in helped earn Seattle its trip to the ., WR, impact:Had the won the game, Matthews might well have been the MVP. He made four catches for 109 yards and , in the Seattle pa sing game that was much-needed after the offense's early struggles. Incredibly, he hadn't caught a pa s all year until Sunday.Road to the pros:After a stint in junior college, Matthews caught 93 pa ses over two seasons at Kentucky before the signed him as an undrafted free agent. He was cut at the start of the 2011 season and spent a couple of years with Patch Stitched Jersey the CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers, while reportedly . Seattle picked up almost exactly a year ago.*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter *.
