NFL franchises can trace Super Bowl championships to the athleticism and bravado of SEC players, who have made their professional marks for decades in a variety of dynamic ways.

You could probably put together a dazzling NFL all-time team or five using only SEC players. And in that Southeastern Conference spirit, we’ve taken each pro franchise and attached one all-time SEC hero as the best to ever put on that professional team’s uniform.

The two stipulations to our list are that the player must have spent at least five years with that franchise and the player must have shined in the SEC and with that pro team, meaning conference legends like Bo Jackson and Herschel Walker won’t be appearing. We’ll take our journey of all-time greats by division.

AFC East

New England Patriots — Stanley Morgan, Tennessee

Morgan set the Volunteers’ record for most all-purpose yards, a mark he still owns, and then he went up to Foxborough in 1977 and made four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams during a 13-year run that earned him a spot in the Patriots Hall of Fame. Morgan finished his career with 557 catches for 10,716 yards, and he never had the benefit of Tom Brady throwing spirals to him.

Buffalo Bills — Cornelius Bennett, Alabama

The three-time first-team All-America linebacker at Bama became the heart and soul of a defense that helped the Bills reach four straight Super Bowls, and the fact that the Bennett-led defense kept coming back for more after each Super Bowl loss speaks volumes about Bennett’s heart and resilience. Bennett was a five-time Pro Bowler, a three-time All-Pro and a two-time AFC Defensive Player of the Year. Mississippi State product Kent Hull was stellar at center on those same Bills teams, but we give Bennett the slight nod.

Miami Dolphins — Jake Scott, Georgia

The College Football Hall of Fame safety was stellar in Athens, then moved on to Miami and became a key part of a back-to-back Super Bowl champion that included the perfect season in 1972. Scott made five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams, but it’s his two rings that give him the tiebreaker here over Alabama product Dwight Stephenson.

New York Jets — Joe Namath, Alabama

This wasn’t a difficult one at all. The Jets have one championship in their tortured history, and Broadway Joe was at the center of it all, with his famous guarantee that New York was going to upset the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Namath starred for Bear Bryant, then became a New York sports legend. Not a bad career path.

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers — Hines Ward, Georgia

The first-team All-SEC receiver at Georgia was only a third-round pick in 1998. Then he spent the next 14 seasons, all with the Steelers, proving that he should have gone much higher. Ward could do it all and he did it all, winning two Super Bowl titles. He caught exactly 1,000 passes, and his superior blocking skills led the way for countless other big plays and touchdowns.

Cleveland Browns — Ozzie Newsome, Alabama

The fearsome tight end was one of those rare gems who made the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a first-round pick out of Bama who made three Pro Bowls and was named to the NFL’s 1980s All-Decade Team.

Cincinnati Bengals — James Brooks, Auburn

The first-team All-SEC running back in 1980 was traded to the Bengals after three years in San Diego and went on to make four Pro Bowls in Cincinnati. The shifty Brooks narrowly beats out three-time All-Pro receiver Cris Collinsworth, a former Florida great who played with Brooks on those dynamic 1980s Bengals teams.

Baltimore Ravens — Jamal Lewis, Tennessee

Lewis rushed for 2,677 yards in Knoxville, then went to Baltimore and rushed for 2,066 yards in one magical 2003 season. Lewis won a Super Bowl, and made the Ravens Ring of Honor and the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts — Peyton Manning, Tennessee

Could it have been anyone else for Indy? Manning capped his breathtaking career with a Super Bowl in Denver, but he will forever be a Colt. Manning helped deliver the Colts their first championship in Indianapolis and had a 14-year record-breaking run in Indy that made jaws drop and defensive coordinators dizzy.

Houston Texans — Arian Foster, Tennessee

Foster made four Pro Bowls with the Texans and was an All-Pro pick in 2010 when he led the NFL in rushing. Foster also led the league in rushing touchdowns twice during his sterling seven-year run in Houston.

Tennessee Titans — Jevon Kearse, Florida

The Gators’ great lived up to his nickname, “The Freak.” But he was that and more, with absurd speed, a ridiculous wingspan and a general ferociousness that made him a dominant defensive end in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when he went to three straight Pro Bowls for a powerhouse Tennessee team.

Jacksonville Jaguars — Fred Taylor, Florida

The University of Florida Hall of Famer toiled in obscurity during a decade of quiet excellence in Jacksonville, and when he was all done, Taylor had piled up 11,695 yards rushing and 66 touchdowns to go with 2,384 receiving yards.

AFC West

Denver Broncos — Terrell Davis, Georgia

T.D. narrowly beats out fellow Bulldog Champ Bailey for the Broncos’ honor because he turned out to be the man who finally put John Elway over the top at the end of Elway’s epic but championship-less career. Davis only needed seven seasons to become a Broncos legend, racking up over 7,000 yards and helping Elway win those two Super Bowls.

Oakland Raiders — Ken Stabler, Alabama

The Snake joins Broadway Joe on our list of Alabama quarterbacks to make it on the big stage. He was a four-time Pro Bowler for those nasty Raiders teams of the 1970s, won the NFL MVP in 1974 and led the Silver and Black to the Super Bowl title in 1976.

Kansas City Chiefs — Derrick Thomas, Alabama

Like the Colts, this was another no-brainer. Thomas, taken from us way too soon at age 33, became a Kansas City sports treasure with his decade of dominance starting in 1989, when he began a run of nine straight Pro Bowls. The Bama legend was relentless and stunningly consistent.

Los Angeles Chargers — Wes Chandler, Florida

Another UF Hall of Famer, the acrobatic Chandler was part of the epic Air Coryell offensive attack in San Diego in the early 1980s. Chandler was a four-time Pro Bowler who is also in the Chargers’ Hall of Fame for a franchise that has moved to Los Angeles.

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles — Reggie White, Tennessee

The Minster of Defense, gone way too soon like Thomas, won his championship in Green Bay but made his illustrious pro mark in Philadelphia with those intimidating Gang Green defenses. White made the Pro Bowl in every season except his rookie year in Philly and led the NFL in sacks twice in becoming one of the best defensive players of all-time.

New York Giants — Eli Manning, Ole Miss

Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

LSU’s Y.A. Tittle had a nice run in New York, but he only played four seasons there and didn’t win a title. Manning (above) has won two crowns, besting Brady twice on the biggest stage, and he’s been a model of durability during his long run as a Giant that’s still going strong. He’s a four-time Pro Bowler whose New York legend is already secure.

Washington Redskins — Wilber Marshall, Florida

The ferocious Gators’ pass-rushing linebacker could have been the Bears’ pick, but he only played four years in Chicago. Marshall qualifies as a Redskin though with five incredible years of service, during which he was named to two All-Pro teams and added a Super Bowl title to the one he won with the Bears. Marshall edges out Tennessee great Raleigh McKenzie.

Dallas Cowboys — Emmitt Smith, Florida

Another no-doubter, as Smith was the master of patience behind a stellar offensive line during the Cowboys’ dynasty of the 1990s. Eight Pro Bowls. Three Super Bowl titles. And, of course, 18,355 yards rushing, the most in NFL history.

NFC North

Chicago Bears — Neal Anderson, Florida

Yet another Gators running back makes our elite list, as Anderson is the choice with Marshall missing the cut with only the four years in Chicago. We thought of Rex Grossman but then thought better of it and went with Anderson, who is the answer to the trivia question of who was the Bears’ regular running back after Walter Payton. Well, it was Anderson, and he wasn’t Payton but he did just fine with four straight Pro Bowl trips.

Minnesota Vikings — Fran Tarkenton, Georgia

Tarkenton never won a Super Bowl in Minnesota but did seemingly everything else during his two stints with the team. He drove defenses wild with his mad scrambling ability, twisting and turning until he found open space. He  earned a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and his No. 10 jersey has been retired by the Vikings.

Green Bay Packers — Bart Starr, Alabama

Joining Namath and Stabler on the Bama quarterback list, Starr seemingly did nothing but win championships during his 16 legendary seasons in Green Bay. He was the MVP of the first two Super Bowls to cap the Packers’ decade of glory in the 1960s under Vince Lombardi.

Detroit Lions — Matthew Stafford, Georgia

The Athens gunslinger has survived and thrived for nearly a decade now with a franchise that’s not easy to have success with. With and now without Calvin Johnson, Stafford has put up majestic numbers, with 187 touchdowns to just 108 interceptions and over 30,000 yards passing already in a career that has many years left in it.

NFC South

Carolina Panthers — Cam Newton, Auburn

The flashy, wildly entertaining quarterback won a national title at Auburn and got the Panthers to a Super Bowl a few years ago. He’s already made three Pro Bowls in his first six years, and won the NFL MVP in 2015 when he led Carolina to the big game. He’s done so much already but you get the feeling he’s far from done.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Cadillac Williams, Auburn

Another Auburn-NFL South connection comes with Williams, who rushed for over 4,000 yards in six years with the Bucs. Ex-Texas A&M star Mike Evans doesn’t qualify here since he’s only been in Tampa Bay for three years. So we’re left with Williams, who was AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2005 after being the fifth pick in the draft.

New Orleans Saints — Archie Manning, Ole Miss

All three Mannings make our list with Archie following his sons as the Saints’ representative. Manning didn’t win many games with those terrible 70s Saints teams, but he never gave in, and he ended up going to two Pro Bowls later in his career and getting named to the Saints Ring of Honor.

Atlanta Falcons — Julio Jones, Alabama

Six seasons. Four Pro Bowls. Two All-Pro selections. And a dynamic outside weapon who appears to be on the fast track to Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame if he just stays healthy and plays long enough. Jones already has 497 catches. Five more years like this should get him to Canton.

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers — Patrick Willis, Ole Miss

The tackling machine didn’t play for very long but was he ever great. Willis was picked 11th overall in 2007 out of Ole Miss, played eight seasons, made seven Pro Bowls, was a five-time All-Pro and helped lead this proud franchise back to prominence.

Arizona Cardinals — Patrick Peterson, LSU

Peterson might be the best cornerback in football, with six Pro Bowl trips in his first six years in the desert. He’s also made three All-Pro teams already and has 20 interceptions in another case of an SEC player seemingly on the fast track to the Hall of Fame. Did we mention he has thrived on special teams?

Seattle Seahawks — Shaun Alexander, Alabama

Before there was Beast Mode in Seattle there was a bull named Alexander. He became one of the league’s elite backs (if not the best) during an eight-year run with the Seahawks when he went to three Pro Bowls and was the NFL’s MVP in 2005 in leading Seattle to the Super Bowl. Alexander finished with 9,453 yards rushing.

Los Angeles Rams — Jack Youngblood, Florida

We end our journey with a defensive end so incredibly tough that he played in a franchise-record 201 straight games despite a broken leg and many other injuries. Youngblood only missed one game during his 14-year Hall of Fame career with Los Angeles, and he made seven Pro Bowls and was a five-time All-Pro. He famously played the 1979 playoffs with that fractured leg.