MAC football may not get the same national coverage that other mid-majors receive, but the conference showed its impact on the NFL this weekend.

Garrett Wolfe recorded his first career rushing touchdown. Sam Hurd hauled three receptions for 62 yards. Larry English picked up his first sack and forced fumble of his young professional career. Michael Turner didn’t play because of the Falcons bye, but after 1,699 rushing yards in 2008, we can imagine the impact if he had.

And that’s just naming former NIU Huskies.

In the 2009 NFL draft, the MAC had 12 players’ names called. Only the Mountain West Conference had more players taken from a mid-major.

The conference that has never attended a Bowl Championship Series bowl game has become a breeding ground for NFL talent.

Eight quarterbacks from MAC schools are currently active on NFL rosters including Ben Roethlisberger (Miami (OH)), Chad Pennington (Marshall, before it joined C-USA), Daunte Culpepper (Central Florida, before joining C-USA) and Byron Leftwich (Marshall).

Then Randy Moss (Marshall), Greg Jennings (Western Michigan), Kevin Walter (Eastern Michigan) and Domenik Hixon (Akron) all make an impact at the receiver position.

Quarterback and wide receiver are the two positions the MAC is most famous for, but many other players are making a splash in the NFL.

James Harrison (Kent State), the 2008 defensive player of the year, and Asante Samuel (Central Florida) are just a couple making plays on the defensive side of the ball.

According to the MAC yearbook, the conference currently has 91 players active in the NFL. Seven of them are from NIU.

This recognition isn’t because the talent in the MAC suddenly increased. The talent has been there for several years now.

The conference is just stealing a play out of Boise State’s and Utah’s playbook — scheduling BCS opponents. There isn’t a better way to draw attention to your program and simultaneously showcasing your talent for NFL scouts.

It’s often a long road, but upsets over teams such as Maryland and Purdue start to build upon each other, as high-level recruits start looking at the MAC as their gateway to the NFL.

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