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Top 5 New Mexico Lobos football players of all time
Brian Urlacher, one of the greatest linebackers to ever play in the NFL, is far and away the best to ever suit up for the New Mexico Lobos football program. (Credit: Mike Morbeck/Flickr, CC-BY-SA-2.0)

Top 5 New Mexico Lobos football players of all time

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (BVM) — The University of New Mexico isn’t known for producing NFL-caliber talent on a yearly basis like some other college football programs, but there have been plenty of Lobos who have had productive professional careers on the gridiron after starring for UNM, including one of the best to ever play his position.

Here are the top five football players in Lobos history.

5. Robin Cole
An All-American linebacker/defensive end at UNM, Cole became the first Lobo to ever be drafted in the first round when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him 21st overall in 1977. He went on to play 11 NFL seasons and won a pair of Super Bowl rings with the Steelers in 1980 and 1981 and was the runner-up for the game’s MVP award in 1981. Cole was an All-Pro and a Pro Bowl selection for Pittsburgh in 1984 and played his final season with the New York Jets in 1988.

4. Glover Quin
After finishing his three-year Lobo career as an All-Mountain West first team cornerback, the Houston Texans picked Quin in the fourth round (112th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft. Quin would play 10 seasons in the league, the first four with the Texans before signing a five-year free-agent contract with the Detroit Lions in 2013. He made the Pro Bowl and was named second team All-Pro his second season with the Lions after leading the league with seven interceptions. Quin retired in 2019 with 24 career interceptions and 737 tackles.

3. Don Perkins
Perkins, a two-way threat who played halfback and defensive back, set a dozen records while with the Lobos and was a three-time All-Skyline selection who became a third-team All-American as a senior in 1959. He was the first UNM player to have his jersey number (43) retired after he left the college for the pros in 1960. He was originally drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the ninth round (106th overall) of the 1960 NFL Draft, but he would begin his career with the Dallas Cowboys in 1961 after sitting out his first year with an injury, and he would thrive in eight seasons as the Cowboys’ fullback. Perkins made six Pro Bowls and was named a first team All-Pro in 1962 when he rushed for a single-season high of 945 yards and seven TDs. The UNM Hall of Honor and New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame inductee retired at the end of the 1968 season with 6,127 rushing yards, which ranked fifth in NFL history at the time.

2. Terance Mathis
Mathis played football and basketball for the Lobos, but he shined on the gridiron, becoming the school’s first consensus All-American in 1989 when he set a Division I record for career receiving yards (4,254). The New York Jets took a chance on the 5-foot-10 wideout by drafting him in the sixth round (140th overall) of the 1990 NFL Draft, and while it didn’t pay big dividends for New York during his four years with the team, Mathis would break out after signing with the Atlanta Falcons in 1994. Mathis made the Pro Bowl that year after hauling in 111 receptions for 1,1342 and 11 touchdowns. After eight seasons in Atlanta, Mathis played one more with the Pittsburgh Steelers before retiring with 689 receptions, 8,809 yards and 63 TDs.

1. Brian Urlacher
Before becoming one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history, Brian Urlacher left his mark at UNM where he not only made a name for himself as an All-American defensive back/linebacker, but he also made an impact on offense as a wide receiver and on special teams as a return specialist, catching six touchdown passes and returning five kicks for TDs. After leading the nation in tackles (178) his junior year, Urlacher declared for the 2000 NFL Draft where the Chicago Bears would make one of their best picks in franchise history by taking him No. 9 overall in the first round. The 2000 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year went on to become an eight-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All-Pro during his 13 seasons, all of which were with the Bears. Urlacher had 1,361 career tackles, 41.5 sacks, 22 interceptions and four defensive TDs before retiring in 2013. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a first-time nominee in 2018.