Ex-Cal players rank No. 2 in NFL earnings

Cal has been unable to match the likes of Alabama, LSU, Ohio State and other big-time programs on the college football field in recent years, but there is one important category in which the Golden Bears are superior to those football powers: NFL earnings.

Believe it or not, the combined earnings of all former Cal players active in the NFL exceeds that of the active alumni of all other colleges except one, Georgia. At least that is what 247Sports.com reports in its article “Top 25 college programs ranked by active NFL earnings.”

Cal alumni, including high-income quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Jared Goff and wide receiver DeSean Jackson, have earned more money than active NFL players from LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida, Notre Dame and any other school you can name outside of Athens, Ga.

Active former Cal players have made nearly twice as much as alumni from any other Pac-12 school, with the $682,608,791 earned by ex-Cal players dwarfing the $353 million earned by former USC players, who rank second among Pac-12 alums.

Here is what 247Sports.com had to say about the Cal products in the NFL:

You probably did not expect to see the Cal Bears anywhere near the top 25, let alone the No. 2 spot. Sure Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers takes up a sizable chunk of the $682 million in active earnings. However, eight other former Cal stars will have earned at least $30 million by the end of the season. Rodgers, the future Hall of Famer, has certainly cashed in during his 16-year NFL career, as he is on pace to rack up $219 million in earnings. But don’t forget Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jakson, who for a time, was considered the league’s most dangerous downfield threat in the passing game. Jackson will have made $77.9 million since coming into the league in 2008. But how about these other former Cal standouts: Alex Mack ($69 million), Cameron Jordan ($67M), Jared Goff ($49M) and Keenan Allen ($42M). There are just 30 former Cal players in the league currently, so the Bears are most definitely a case of quality over quantity.

Could this be a recruiting tool for Cal?

Here are the top 25 active alumni in terms of money earned in the NFL, according to 247Sports.com:

1. Georgia

2. Cal

3. Alabama

4. LSU

5. Miami

6. Oklahoma

7. Ohio State

8. Florida

9. Michigan

10. Florida State

11. Purdue

12. Texas A&M

13. Notre Dame

14. Wisconsin

15. South Carolina

16. North Carolina State

17. Nebraska

18. USC

19. Stanford

20. Mississippi State

21. Boston College

22. Clemson

23. Pittsburgh

24. Tennessee

25. Penn State

Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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