5 College Football Stars Who Also Played in the NCAA Tournament

College football and March Madness might be thought of as opposite ends of the college sports spectrum, but there are plenty of two-sport stars who can prove that it just isn't true. Here's a rundown of five college football stars who also managed to play in the NCAA Tournament.

Julius Thomas, Portland State

Thomas is an unusual case as he didn't play both sports at the same time. He started in hoops, The 6'5" forward from Portland State played in 121 college basketball games, averaging 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He played in the 2008 and 2009 NCAA Tournaments, scoring four points against Kansas in '08, but seeing his team lose both games.

Thomas then played football in 2010 and caught 29 passes for 453 yards and showed enough skill to get picked by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the NFL Draft. A two-time Pro Bowl pick in the NFL, Thomas knows ball.

Jimmy Graham, Miami

Another two-sport tight end, Graham also started in basketball, playing four years at the U and averaging 4.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 120 contests. The 6'7" Graham played in two NCAA Tournament games in 2008, scoring nine points in a win over St. Mary's and then six more in a second-round loss to Texas.

He played one college football season, catching 17 passes for 213 yards and five scores. Those red-zone skills got him a shot with the New Orleans Saints as a third-round pick and a two-time All-Pro career followed with 719 catches for 8,545 yards and 89 touchdowns.

Julius Peppers, North Carolina

Peppers, on the other hand, was all football. A stud defensive end at North Carolina, he got permission to walk on to the school's basketball team. He played two seasons as a 6'7" forward, averaging 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Peppers reached the Final Four in 2000, scoring 29 points in five NCAA Tournament games. In the Elite Eight, Peppers had nine points, eight rebounds, and two steals in a 59-55 win over Tulsa.

Peppers is the only man ever to play in the Final Four and a Super Bowl. The second overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, Peppers was a six-time NFL All-Pro and retired with 159.5 career sacks.

Ronald Curry, North Carolina

The 6'2" Curry came from Hampton, Virginia, just like another two-sport talent named Allen Iverson. Curry picked UNC to play both sports. In basketball, he had 4.2 points per game in 54 career games played. He started on UNC's 2001 NCAA Tournament team, scoring 16 points while dishing 11 assists and grabbing 11 rebounds in two games with the Heels.

His stardom came in football, where Curry passed for 4,987 yards and 28 touchdowns. He was a 7th round NFL Draft pick and moved to wide receiver in the pros. In seven NFL seasons, Curry caught 193 passes for 2,347 yards.

Charlie Ward, Florida State

A two-season star at quarterback for Florida State, Ward passed for 5,747 yards and 49 touchdowns, winning the 1993 Heisman Trophy. Ward was also a four-year starter at point guard for the Seminoles, scoring 8.1 points and dishing 4.4 assists per game.

Ward played in the NCAA Tournament three times, reaching the Elite Eight in 1993. In eight career NCAA Tournament games, Ward scored 57 points and accumulated 36 assists as well as 20 steals. Ward was good enough in hoops that he was a first-round pick of the New York Knicks. With his football skills in doubt because of FSU's offense and his relatively dimunitive size, Ward picked hoops. He played for 11 seasons in the NBA, averaging 5.5 points and 3.7 assists per game.