No doubt about it, it’s hard to make it to the NFL. Every year we see players at the college ranks play exceptionally well, yet never quite pan out or get a chance in the NFL. Some are even historically good — like Easton Stick was for North Dakota State — and have to wait five years before getting a starting chance in the NFL.
Such is the case for Stick. He’s in line to make his first NFL start for the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15. In college, Stick was outstanding during his time with the Bison and won four FCS championships during his time there, adding to the school’s rich history.
With all the program’s success, you would think that the NFL would be filled with former Bison quarterbacks. But that’s not actually the case.
Easton Stick Joins Small List of NDSU QBs in NFL
There has been no college more dominant in the last decade in the FCS world than North Dakota State. Since 2011, the Bison have won nine FCS championships, starting with five in a row from 2011 to 2015, then slipping in 2016 before adding four more.
The latest championship coming in 2021 has further proven NDSU’s absolute dominance over their counterparts for almost a decade and a half. However, through all this success, the Bison only have had three quarterbacks make it to the NFL in their history.
Probably not surprising is the fact that all three have come during this era, and all are actively still in the NFL today.
Carson Wentz
The first of the three is former No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and current Los Angeles Rams QB Carson Wentz. Wentz had played well at times during his career, even being in the MVP conversation in 2017 before suffering a knee injury that derailed his season personally.
MORE: Why Did the Rams Sign Carson Wentz?
After bouncing around a few different teams and being out of the league for most of 2023, Wentz finds himself as the backup to Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles and has not thrown a pass in a game this season.
Trey Lance
The second quarterback to make it to the NFL from NDSU is also another high draft pick that hasn’t panned out quite as many had hoped.
Trey Lance was taken third overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2021 NFL Draft and looked to be the future of the 49ers at that point.
Lance is currently the third QB on the Dallas Cowboys after being traded by the 49ers before the start of this season. He, just like Wentz, has not thrown a pass in a game this season.
Easton Stick
This brings us back to Stick, the third and final quarterback from the Bison’s historic program to make it to the NFL. The former fifth-round pick has largely been a nonfactor to this point. Despite it being his fifth season in the NFL, Week 15 represents Stick’s first real chance to prove he belongs in the league.
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