What if: Which UNI players deserve to have a jersey retired?

In the decades that the University of Northern Iowa has fielded football and men's basketball teams, dozens of successful and talented athletes have come through Cedar Falls and left their mark on students and fans.

But in the 120 years from when the Iowa State Normal School (then Iowa State Teacher's College, then University of Northern Iowa) started football to now, no player has had his jersey retired in either football or men's basketball. But after UNI Athletics Director Troy Dannen recently made reference to hanging a certain basketball player's name in the rafters, some began wondering: if UNI did retire jerseys in either sport, who would qualify?

'Do you retire a jersey because of what they did here, or because of what they did as a professional?' said UNI football coach Mark Farley. 'I think the only types of people you should retire is someone who's so elite and only come around once in a great while. Otherwise you'll run out of numbers.'

With that said, there are eight former UNI athletes in football and men's basketball who clearly merit consideration for the honor, should the school ever choose to hang up a few numbers.

THE CRITERIA

There are three things a player who would have his jersey retired should fulfill: career individual statistics at UNI, postseason (conference and/or national tournament success) and professional success.

The players may still merit consideration without high marks in one of the three categories, but their merits take a hit without significant results in all three areas.

So, without further ado, the candidates:

NO-DOUBTER

Bryce Paup, linebacker, No. 55

The case for: The current Panthers defensive line coach is one of the best defensive players to have ever played at Northern Iowa. His time stalking the UNI-Dome turf as a linebacker was highlighted by his ability to force fumbles and his punishing tackles. He finished his UNI career with 298 total tackles — 10th all-time — and with 11 forced fumbles, which is tied for the all-time record. He also blocked four kicks on special teams, which is tied for fourth all-time.

UNI teams he was a part of went 30-16-1 from 1986-89, highlighted by one Missouri Valley Football Conference (then Gateway) championship and FCS (then Division I-AA) Playoff appearance in 1985. The Panthers reached the national semifinals that season, where they lost to eventual national champions Georgia Southern, 40-33.

After he left Cedar Falls, Paup had an 11-year NFL career with the Green Bay Packers (who drafted him in the sixth round), Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings from 1990-2000.

Most famously, Paup was the 1995 NFL Defensive Player of the Year while with the Bills. He had 70 tackles, 17.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions that season. He was a four-time Pro Bowler (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997) and was All-Pro in 1995. He finished his career with 444 career tackles, 75 sacks, 15 forced fumbles and six interceptions with one returned for a touchdown in 148 career games. He made seven playoff appearances, his best team finish being in 1995 with the Bills, who lost to the Houston Oilers in the Divisional round.

The case against: This won't be lengthy. The biggest knock on Paup would be his overall production and results at UNI. His stats for sacks, tackles for loss, and QB hurries don't land him in the top 10 on any of those all-time lists. Additionally, just one FCS playoff appearance is tied for fewest among the contenders on this list. He also never won a championship at the pro level.

Not a great case to not hang his No. 55 jersey in the rafters of the UNI-Dome.

SERIOUS CONTENDERS

Kurt Warner, quarterback, No. 13

The case for: Before we get to all the things you already know about the most famous UNI alum in its history (sorry, Chuck Grassley), let's touch on what he did while wearing a Northern Iowa uniform. Warner waited his turn to become the starter until his senior year, when he threw for 2,747 yards and 17 touchdowns on a MVFC (then Gateway) championship team that lost in the first round of the FCS Playoffs to Boston University.

After UNI, Warner had a tiny bit of success as a professional — the highlight being his three-year stint as the quarterback for the Iowa Barnstormers. OK, OK, fine.

Warner's 12-year NFL career with the St. Louis Rams, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals will likely land him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, given his Super Bowl win with the Rams in which he was named Super Bowl MVP, his two other Super Bowl berths in the 2001 and 2008 seasons and his two NFL MVP trophies. He finished his career with 32,344 yards passing at 65.5 percent completion, 208 touchdowns, 128 interceptions and a passer rating of 93.7. He holds 16 NFL records, including the three highest passing totals in Super Bowl history — the best being 414 yards in his triumph with the Rams over the Titans. He also shares six more records. He was a four-time Pro-Bowler and a two-time first team All-Pro.

While his UNI career was brief (see below), what he's done as a professional athlete and humanitarian are beyond anything any UNI alum has done.

The case against: Even Warner himself has tempered fans who have brought this up in the past, citing his one season as the starting quarterback for the Panthers in 1993. He also didn't win an FCS Playoff game, which is one of just four times the Panthers made the playoffs and didn't win at least one game.

He went undrafted in the NFL Draft and made his mark well after he'd graduated. Of all the athletes on this list, his UNI contributions are by far the fewest.

Dedric Ward, wide receiver, No. 29

The case for: If there's a runner-up to Paup in the 'no-doubt' category, Ward has the strongest case of any UNI football player. The electric wide receiver was an essential part of four straight MVFC (then Gateway) championships and FCS Playoff appearances (the final four years of teams led by Terry Allen, too), highlighted by trips to the national quarterfinals in 1995 and the national semifinal in 1996.

He finished his UNI career with 208 catches (good for third all-time) and as the all-time leader in receiving yards with 4,539 and 50 touchdown catches — both of which still stand as MVFC records as well. He also sits fourth all-time in total points scored with 304. Teams he played on won 36 games in his UNI career.

Ward was drafted in the third round by the New York Jets in the 1997 NFL draft, and he had an eight-year career with the Jets, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens. He finished his career with 167 catches for 2,307 yards and 12 touchdowns. He made three playoff appearances — 1998 with the Jets, 2001 with the Dolphins, and won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2003, though he didn't have a catch in the game. His career-best year was in 2000 with the Jets, in which he started all 16 games and caught 54 passes for 801 yards and three touchdowns.

The case against: Though he had nearly a decadelong stint in the NFL, and did win a ring, he only had one season in which he was a major contributor — the aforementioned 2000 season with the Jets. He also started 10 games the season before in 1999, but only had 22 catches for 325 yards.

Of the NFL players on this list, his individual success doesn't stack up — though he does match his one-time teammate in Warner with one ring.

Eric Sanders, quarterback, No. 12

The case for: By nearly every measure, Eric Sanders is the most prolific and successful quarterback — or player, for that matter — to ever play football at Northern Iowa. The obvious highlight of the Sanders era at quarterback was the run to the FCS Championship game in 2005, where the Panthers lost to then-FCS power Appalachian State.

He is the all-time FCS record-holder for season completion percentage (75.2 percent in 2007) and career completion percentage (69.6 percent) — though oddly enough is second all-time at UNI in the latter category to Dana Deines (who was 55 of 77 on passes from 1976-79) due to a different minimum attempt requirement. He finished his career with 9,012 yards (third all time), 70 touchdowns and 23 interceptions as a Panther, with 9,579 total offensive yards and 83 total touchdowns. Sanders is the UNI all-time leader in total offensive yards, touchdowns responsible for and completions. He's second in the aforementioned completion percentage, pass efficiency and passing touchdowns; fourth in total offense per game; sixth in offense per play and pass yards per game.

He was the Walter Payton Award runner-up in 2007 (given to the top player in FCS each year — the FCS version of the Heisman) and was the MVFC (then Gateway) Player of the Year in 2007. He was a two-time MVFC champion and consequently FCS playoff qualifier (reaching the FCS quarterfinals in 2007), and had a 37-11 record as the starting quarterback.

After college, Sanders spent some time in OTAs with the New Orleans Saints, working with Drew Brees in his short time there, but never spent time on an NFL roster. He was also briefly on staff at UNI as an assistant coach.

The case against: Like Warner, Sanders only really qualifies in two of the three criteria categories to be on this list. Sanders didn't take a snap in the NFL, or anywhere else professionally. Not having a professional career is a big hit to his case, especially because everyone else on this list (except the two who haven't had a chance yet) got a paid to play after they left UNI.

The case could also be made his teammates at UNI propelled him to such success as an individual, having the benefit of a great team around him — plus played in a system in which he was given the chance to have the offense flow through him.

The reasons aren't lengthy (though none should be if they get to be considered), but it was only because of his vast accomplishments

Jason Reese, forward, No. 00

The case for: The three men's basketball players on this list are the no-brainers among basketball players, and have a pretty wide margin on the rest of the Panther alumni — and Reese is likely the one with the best case among them.

Reese averaged 17.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game throughout his career, and remains UNI's all-time leading scorer with 2,033 points. He's second in field goals made (764), third in free throws made and attempted (504/670) and seventh in rebounds (773).

Teams he was on went 65-51 during his four-year stretch as a Panther, but most importantly, he and his era made UNI history. The 1989-90 team was the first UNI team to win their conference tournament (the Panthers played in the Mid-Continent Conference from 1981-82 through 1989-90) and subsequently the first to play in the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers won one game in that tournament, losing in the second round.

Beyond UNI, Reese was a standout as a professional in Australia, averaging nearly 30 points as a pro in the early 90s. He was invited to training camp with the Boston Celtics, but did not end up making the team. He came as close as anyone from UNI to time in the NBA.

The case against: While Reese played professionally in Australia and did participate in an NBA training camp, he never logged any minutes in the NBA. He also played on two teams at UNI that had losing records. And while that certainly can't be blamed on him, a prerequisite for being honored as an all-time elite player carries with it the assumption that he made teams better and helped them win.

That said, it would be hard to tell where UNI would've been at that time without him.

Ben Jacobson, guard, No. 12

The case for: No, this is not the straight-faced coach Panther fans know and love. This is the other Ben Jacobson so many loved and rooted for during the most collectively successful era in UNI men's basketball history.

Jacobson's teams may not have won as many games in his four-year span as others (we'll get back to this), but he and the Panthers went to three straight NCAA Tournaments from 2003-04 through 2005-06, losing in the first round each year. They also did so as an at-large twice, having won the MVC Tournament in 2003-04 — a tournament in which Jacobson was named the Most Outstanding Player.

He finished his career averaging 14.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists. He's UNI's all-time leader in 3-pointers made, second in 3-pointers attempted and 10th in 3-point percentage. He ranks third all-time in scoring, field goals made and games started, fourth in steals and seventh in assists.

Professionally, Jacobson spent time in the NBA D-League and also in Europe.

The case against: Like Reese — and every other UNI men's basketball player — he did not see any time at the NBA level. He also got the benefit on playing for UNI in the stretch of the most sustained success in program history.

He got to play alongside Eric Coleman, Erik Crawford and Brooks McKowen, for three years. Being able to have teammates to help shoulder the load is a circumstance many great players never got to experience.

TO BE DETERMINED

These two UNI athletes have been fixtures the last four years in Cedar Falls, and have led their teams on and off the field. At the risk of being prisoner of the moment, and because we don't know what kinds of pro careers they might have, they're no sure thing — even if their production on campus is collectively better than just about anyone in their respective sport.

David Johnson, running back, No. 7

The case for: UNI fans were treated to two all-time greats at the school in their respective sports over the last four years (we'll get to the other in a minute), and David Johnson is far and away the most decorated and successful individual in the history of Northern Iowa football.

Johnson finished his career with 15 individual career or single-season records, including the career rushing leader at 4,687 yards, rushing touchdowns at 49, all-purpose yards at 6,753 and touchdowns scored with 64 — among others. He's in the top five (two of which he's top two) of four more individual records. Maybe most impressive was his performance against FBS opponents during his time as a Panther, with highlights being a 203-yard receiving day against Iowa last fall and a 199-yard rushing day against Iowa State in 2013.

Teams he was on went 31-19 while he was at UNI, with two FCS Playoff appearances in 2011 (lost in FCS quarterfinals) and 2014 (lost in second round).

He's currently getting a ton of attention and praise from NFL Draft experts after his standout performance at the NFL Combine, and is widely considered a second or third-round selection.

The case against: It's hard to look at what David Johnson did at UNI and find a case against him being honored with a jersey retirement, but the easiest to look at would be that the Panthers were only in the playoffs his freshman and senior seasons, and in the two seasons in between, UNI won a combined 12 games.

Additionally, being a running back it's hard to tell how he'll pan out in the NFL — even if all the evidence suggests he'll have a solid pro career.

Seth Tuttle, forward, No. 10

The case for: The most recent and obvious star for the Panthers just wrapped up a career in which he averaged 12.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He and UNI won the MVC Tournament in March — in which he was named Most Outstanding Player — for just the fourth time in school history, and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. He started all 136 games in which he played, and the Panthers were 88-48 in that span. Those 88 wins are just behind the 91 for Marc Sonnen and Jake Koch, who overlapped with Tuttle for two seasons. He was also named a second-team All-American by multiple outlets and committees, and finished in the top 10 of the Naismith Award (season's most outstanding player) and was seventh in the Wooden Award voting in his senior season. He was also named the MVC Player of the Year, joining Jason Daisy and Adam Koch as Panthers to achieve that honor.

He finishes fourth on the all-time scoring list, fifth in field goals made and field goal percentage (57.6 percent) and second in free throws made and attempted (508/675). He's in the top-10 all-time in nine different statistical categories.

His versatility and leadership were remarked by his coaches as some of the best ever seen at UNI, and he's the most decorated men's basketball player in program history.

The case against: Tuttle might be the easiest player to get caught on being prisoner of the moment. While his accomplishments are many, the fact remains teams he was on only went to one NCAA Tournament and failed to win a game at the MVC Tournament until his senior season.

And like so many before him, it's hard to see Tuttle as an NBA player with his specific skill set. He appears destined for a successful career in Europe or the NBA D-League instead.

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Agree or disagree with this list? Feel free to chime in on Twitter by tweeting to @jeremiahdavis10 or using the hashtag #UNIretiredjersey.

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com