Matt Birk entered the 1998 NFL draft after four years at Harvard and was thought to be one of the best prospects to emerge from the Ivy League in years. But when the Minnesota Vikings drafted him in the sixth round, no one figured he'd become the kind of hometown success story he turned out to be.
The St. Paul, Minnesota, native -- who attended the same high school as Arizona Cardinals receiver Michael Floyd, Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor and Twins first baseman Joe Mauer -- became a Pro Bowler by his third season in the league and wound up going to six Pro Bowls in his 10-season run with the Vikings, before signing with the Baltimore Ravens and winning a Super Bowl at age 36.