There have been a number of players from small schools that have gone on to careers as Pro Football Hall of Famers.
Buck Buchanan
Eddie Robinson, Buck Buchanan’s coach at Grambling, where he had been an NAIA All-America in 1962, called him “the finest lineman I have seen.” Buchanan was extremely durable. He played in 182 career games that included a string of 166 straight. After dabbling briefly at defensive end as a rookie, Buchanan settled down to his permanent job as the Chiefs’ defensive right tackle. He was named to his first AFL All-Star game after his second season in 1964. It was the first of an eight-season period during which he played in either the AFL All-Star game or the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl.