25 for 25: The Best Players in Troy FBS History, Part 3

October 16, 2025 Thomas Gleaton

I cannot tell you how difficult this list was to put together. Troy has had so many great players across these 25 season that I could fill this entire website with lists upon lists of players.

The story of Troy is incomplete without the names of players like Rayshun Reed, Bear Woods, Demontray Carter, Will Goggans, Johnny Faulk, Junior Louissant, Gary Banks, Brannon Condren, Greg Whibbs, DuJuan Harris, Eric Thomas, Teddy Ruben, Jabir Frye, Rashad Dillard, Jordan Chunn, John Johnson, Hunter Reese, BJ Smith, Tyler Sumpter, Reddy Steward or Dell Pettus to name more than a few.

Editor’s Note: That’s why we split this article into three parts. Each entry gets his own chance to shine.

#8) DeWhitt Betterson Sr. – Running Back – 2001-2004

Understandably, when the name of DeWhitt Betterson gets brought up, the name of Junior Louissaint is not far behind. But Betterson was so much more than one part of possibly the most memorable play in Troy’s FBS history.

Until someone I will mention later came along, I assumed that DeWhitt Betterson was the greatest running back that would ever come through Troy.

He rushed 653 times for 3,441 total yards at 5.3 yards per carry. He had 24 touchdowns and 76.5 yards per game. Betterson was selected to the 2004 1st Team All-SBC.

He earned Co-MVP in the 2004 Silicon Valley Classic—Troy’s first bowl game—despite the fact Troy lost.

Betterson still holds the record for the most rushing attempts in a game with 46. He is tied for the most 100 yard rushing games in a season with 7 and the most Career 100 yard rushing games with 14.

DeWhitt Betterson was elected to the Troy Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.

#7) Corey Robinson – Quarterback – 2009-2013

A debate can clearly be had on who is Troy’s greatest quarterback, but in its FBS history, the debate is not a long one. Corey Robinson is, simply put, the best.

The 2025 Troy University Sports Hall of Fame inductee completely changed what it means to be a quarterback at Troy.

His career started off leading Troy to its 5th straight SBC Championship, before earning 2010 SBC Freshman of the Year, 2nd Team All-SBC, and the 2010 New Orleans Bowl MVP. He also earned 1st Team All-SBC in 2013.

While in Troy, Robinson was 1,179-1,823 for a 64.7% completion rate. He netted 13,477 yards, with 81 touchdowns to 41 interceptions. He threw for 7.4 yards per attempt and had a 136.2 QB Rating.

On the ground, Corey rushed 150 times for -336 yards (-2.2 yards per carry), but scored 3 touchdowns.

I could spend tons of time waxing poetic about Corey Robinson and what it was like to see the Bazooka from Paducah sling it, but I’ll instead let his impact on Troy’s record book do the talking:

1 Most Plays in a Season – 554
1 Career Most Plays – 1,973
1 Most Career Total Offense Yards – 13,141
1 Most Attempts in a Season – 508
1 Most Career Attempts – 1,823
1 Most Completions in a Game – 46
1 (tied) Most Completions in a Season – 321
1 Most Career Completions – 1,179
1 (tied) Most Consecutive Completions in a Game – 20
1 Highest Single-Game Completion % – 93.8% (30-32)
1 Career Completion % – 64.7% (1,179-1,823)
1 Career Passing Yards – 13,477
1 Most Yards per Game – 280.8
1 Most Career 300+ Yard Games – 24
1 (tied) Most Career 400+ Yard Games – 3
1 Most Career TD Passes – 81
1 (tied) Most Consecutive Games w/ a TD – 13
1 (tied) Most Career Consecutive Games w/ a TD – 16
1 Most Career Interceptions Thrown – 48

As I said, there has been no one better under center than Corey Robinson.

#6) Marcus Jones – Cornerback – 2017-2018

I intended to make the top half of this list players who either played their entire career with Troy or at least finished here. Call me jaded, but I didn’t like the idea of a player who left Troy being this high, but Marcus Jones is inevitable.

If you watched Troy during his time, you saw one of the most explosive, game-changing players during Troy’s FBS era.

Jones had 83 combined tackles (58 solo & 25 assisted), 2 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 15 pass deflections, and one fumble recovery. But much like Leodis McKelvin before him, Jones’ true impact was in the return game.

He returned 52 kicks for 1,463 yards (28.1 YPR) and 4 touchdowns. He also returned 20 punts for 164 yards and an 8.2 yards per return.

Marcus led the SBC in kickoff return yards, interception return yards, and interception return touchdowns in 2017. He also led the SBC in kickoff return touchdowns in 2018.

In 2017, he was named SBC Freshman of the Year and was selected to the 2nd Team All-SBC as both a return specialist and defensive back. Jones was also a 2017 3rd Team All-American pick. In 2018, he was the 1st Team All-SBC pick for return specialist and was 2nd Team as a DB.

As a returner, Jones did his best to rewrite Troy’s record book in only 2 years. He tied the NCAA record for most kick return touchdowns in a game with 2, however, I believe Marcus is the only one to do it in the same quarter.

He also holds the Sun Belt and Troy marks for most career kickoff return yards per return (28.1) and most career kickoff return touchdowns (4). Jones tied the Troy mark for kickoff returns in a game with 7. He has the highest average per return in a game with 64.7 yards.

He has the most kickoff return touchdowns in a game with 2. He has the most kickoff return touchdowns in a season with 3. He also has the longest interception return in Troy history at 100 yards.

#5) Osi Umenyiora – Defensive End – 1999-2002

Osi Umenyiora was one of the foundational players of the FBS transition era, entering Troy just before the move up and staying for the first two years at FBS. At Troy, Osi had 278 tackles (128 solo & 150 assisted), 38.5 tackles for loss, and 24 sacks. He earned a 2nd Team All-Southland Conference selection in 2000 and made the All-Independents Team in 2003.

Umenyiora was selected by the New York Giants in the 2nd Round of the 2003 NFL Draft with the 56th pick overall. During his time in The League, Osi tallied 450 tackles, 85 sacks, 35 forced fumbles, 14 fumble recoveries, 1 interception, and 5 defensive touchdowns.

He tied the NFL record for the most forced fumbles in a season with 10. Umenyiora was a 2 time Pro Bowler (2005, 2007), a 2005 First Team All-Pro, a 2010 2nd Team All-Pro, and a 2-time Super Bowl Champion.

Osi was inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 and was inducted into the New York Giants Ring of Honor the following year. In 2024, as a part of the 100th Anniversary of the team, the Giants selected their Top 100 players in franchise history. Osi Umenyiora was #32.

#4) Jerrel Jernigan – Wide Receiver – 2007-2010

Inarguably, the greatest wide receiver to ever wear cardinal, silver, and black is Jerrel Jernigan. If you have any doubts before I dive into his resume, please go watch any game while he was at Troy. The man was a baller.

He caught 262 passes for 3,128 yards and 18 touchdowns. That was good for 11.9 yards per catch and 62.6 yards per game.
On the ground, he rushed for 892 yards on 132 attempts for 6.8 yards per carry, 17.8 yards per game, and 5 touchdowns.

Jernigan could return the ball too. He returned 96 kicks for 1,580 yards and 1 touchdown. That was good for 23.6 yards per return.

On punts, he took 29 returns for 372 yards (12.8 ypr) and scored a touchdown.

He could even throw the ball when called upon. He was 7-10 for 43 yards, 2 touchdowns and a 172.1 QB Rating.

That makes Jerrel one of, if not the only Trojan to score a touchdown in 5 different ways.

While at Troy, Jernigan was a 3-time 1st Team All-SBC selection (2008, 2009, 2010). He had 2 200+ receiving yard games and 6 100+ games. He led the SBC in receptions and receiving yards in 2009.

In 2010, he led the conference in receptions, punt return yards, punt yards per return, and punt return touchdowns.

As is the case of a couple of other players on this list, Jernigan rewrote the Troy record book in his image. He is #1 in Career All-Purpose Yards (5,985), Career Pass receptions (262), and Career Receiving Yards (3,128). I

n 2009, Jernigan set single-season marks for kick returns (39), kick return yards (897), all-purpose yards (2,264), and all-purpose yards per game (174.2). In 2010, he continued his dominance, setting single-season records for receptions (84), receptions per game (6.46), and even taking the #2 spots in all-purpose yards (2,080) and all-purpose yards per game (160).

He also set the single-game record for all-purpose yards with 311.

Jernigan would be drafted by the New York Giants in the 3rd Round of the 2011 NFL Draft with the 83rd pick. He would also win a Super Bowl with the team at Super Bowl XLVI. Jernigan would be inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.

#3) Carlton Martial – Linebacker – 2018-2022

I don’t know that I have ever seen a player in my time around the Troy program with as much heart as the one contained within Carlton Martial. From walk-on to the greatest tackler in FBS history, it was truly special to watch Carlton’s journey in real time.

He became the FBS Tackle King with an astounding 577 tackles (255 solo & 322 assisted). He also had 51 tackles for loss in that total.

In addition to his tackles record, Carlton has the Sun Belt and Troy records for career tackles. He has the Troy record for the most assisted tackles in a career (322) and the most assisted tackles in a game with 16. He led the SBC in forced fumbles in both 2018 and 2019 with 3.

Carlton was a four-time 1st Team All-SBC Selection (2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022). He was a Freshman All-American in 2018 and was named to the 2021 and 2022 All-America teams for different selectors.

Martial was also a two-time finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, which goes to the best player who started their career as a walk-on. Carlton was named the 2022 SBC Defensive Player of the Year and Sun Belt Male Athlete of the Year.

The helmet he was wearing when he set the Sun Belt Career Tackles record (against Marshall) resides in the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame, where no doubt Carlton Martial will join it.

#2) Kimani Vidal – Running Back – 2020-2023

I mentioned this earlier, but I truly didn’t think there would be any running back who could match the talent level of DeWhitt Betterson Sr. Then Kimani Vidal showed up.

From the moment he got his first few touches, I could tell something special was on the horizon. Boy, was it.

Vidal finished with 781 carries and 4,010 yards, the only Trojan to ever break that mark in their career. He had 5.1 yards per carry and 33 touchdowns. Kimani also caught 92 catches for 700 yards (7.6 ypc) and a touchdown.

No one in Troy history has had more 200 yard rushing games in a season (3) or in a career (5) than Kimani Vidal. He is tied for 100-yard rushing games in a season (7) and career (14). He is tied for the most points scored in a game (30), when he became the first player in FBS Championship Game history (1992-present) to score 5 touchdowns in a game.

That was a single-game record for rushing touchdowns and he tied the overall touchdowns in a game mark too.

Kingmani set the single season rush attempts in 2023 with 297, which led all of FBS. His 1,661 yards rushing in 2023 was the most by a Trojan by over 300 yards and he finished second in the country to Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon. Vidal also set career marks for rushing attempts (781), rushing yards (4,010), and rushing yards per game (83.5).

He finished 2023 as the SBC Championship Game MVP, SBC Offensive Player of the Year, and a member of the AP All-America Team.

He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the 6th Round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the 181st pick. If given the chance, I feel certain he will accomplish as much if not more in the pros than he did at Troy.

#1) DeMarcus Ware – Defensive End/Linebacker – 2001-2004

You knew this was coming. A small part of me considered putting Martial or Vidal in the #1 spot, but I knew that I just couldn’t do it. What DeMarcus Ware meant to Troy during his playing days and after cannot be quantified.

He proved that you can get to the league from Troy—not just to be a practice player, but to be one of the all-time greats in football.

At Troy, Ware had 201 tackles, 55 tackles for loss, 27.5 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, and 1 interception. His tackles for loss total was good enough to set the Troy record.

He was an All-Independent selection in 2002 and 2003 and was a 1st Team All-SBC Selection in 2004. He also took home the 2004 SBC Defensive Player of the Year for his troubles.

In the 2005 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys saw that something special that Troy already knew and took Ware with the 11th pick overall in the 1st Round, tied now with Leodis McKelvin for the highest pick.

Ware would make sure they didn’t regret the pick. In his NFL career with the Cowboys and the Broncos, he would amass 657 tackles, 138.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 35 forced fumbles, 9 fumble recoveries, and 3 touchdowns.

Ware is still the Cowboys’ leader in career sacks (117), career forced fumbles (32), career tackles for loss (145), and career QB hits (185). He would eventually be a 4-time 1st Team All-Pro selection, 3-time 2nd Team All-Pro, and be picked for 9 Pro Bowls. He led the NFL in sacks twice and won the Pro Butkus Award twice.

He also helped lead the Broncos to a victory in Super Bowl 50.

Ware was named to the Sun Belt’s All-Decade Team in 2010 and the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team as well. He would be added to the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame in 2014, and the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2023.

In 2023, he would receive his most lasting honor, induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Not only is he the first Trojan in Canton, he is the first player or coach directly associated with the Sun Belt enshrined there.

There were any number of iterations that this list could have gone in and honestly, I understand that it is probably not a perfect one, but it was the one that made the most sense to me. Let me know in the comments or on Twitter (@benonsports) what you think and how your Top 25 Players in Troy’s FBS History would look.