From Ellis Island to the Jersey Shore to Asbury Park and the Stone Pony, the very town where Bruce Springsteen first lit up the stage, New Jersey is home to many things.
It’s also home to a deep roster of NCAA programs, including eight Division I universities, an Ivy League lacrosse powerhouse in Princeton and the "Birthplace of College Football" at Rutgers in New Brunswick. Two of its mid‑majors, St. Peter’s and Fairleigh Dickinson, have etched their names into March lore as unforgettable tournament Cinderellas.
And that’s only the surface of the state’s athletic legacy. Some of the nation’s top professional stars first built their careers at colleges across The Garden State.
So, here is the 100%, completely definitive (and surely unanimous) top
10 athletes to compete in college sports in New Jersey:
10 greatest college athletes from New Jersey
Bill Bradley, Princeton
Bradley is considered one of the greatest athletes in Princeton athletics history and one of the most prolific men's basketball players of his time. A three-time All-American, Bradley is the program’s all-time points leader with 2,503 career points scored, a record he set without making a single 3-point shot and in just three years with freshmen ineligible to play. He’d also captain the United States Olympic men’s basketball team at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, where they won gold, while still in college. Highlights of his career include leading Princeton to its only Final Four in 1965 when he scored 58 points against Wichita State in the third-place game, which remains the second-highest total in tournament history. After completing his player career, he was a Rhodes Scholar, member of two New York Knicks championship teams and a U.S. Senator for the state of New Jersey.
Carli Lloyd, Rutgers
Lloyd wasted no time becoming one of the best collegiate women’s soccer players in the country during her time at Rutgers, a path that led her to becoming one of the most decorated United States women's national team players. The New Jersey product led the Scarlet Knights to the Sweet 16 as a freshman in what was the program's second-ever tournament bid. while setting program's single-season points record as a freshman at 37, with 15 goals and seven assists leading the way. A two-time All-American and the 2004 Big East midfielder of the year, Lloyd finished her career as the program’s all-time points (117) and goals scored (50) leader. Both records remain today. She is also tied for third with 15 game-winning goals scored.
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Dick Kazmaier, Princeton
Dick Kazmaier is not Princeton’s only Heisman Trophy winner but is the last player from the Ivy League to receive college football's highest individual honor. Known to be a weapon in the Tigers’ single-wing offense, Kazmaier, who played halfback, kicker and quarterback, finished his career as Princeton’s all-time rushing leader (1,950 yards) and ranked second in passing (2,404 yards). In his Heisman Trophy season in 1951, Kazmaier led the Tigers to a perfect 9-0 season and No. 6 national ranking while rushing for 861 yards and nine touchdowns and throwing for 966 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Ray Rice, Rutgers
Rice is not only one of Rutgers' greatest running backs, but one of the top players the program has ever produced. Coming off a standout freshman season with just over 1,110 rushing yards, Rice exploded for 1,754 yards and 20 touchdowns on 335 carries the next season. That’d earn him a seventh-place finish in the Heisman Trophy race. He led the nation the following season with 2,012 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns, earning first-team All-America honors and being selected as a Doak Walker Award finalist. He finished his Rutgers career with three consecutive 1,000‑yard seasons — a first in program history — and totaled 4,926 rushing yards and 50 touchdowns (49 rushing).
Phil Sellers, Rutgers
If Bradley was the greatest to step on the court for Princeton, then Sellers certainly was that for Rutgers. While Dick Vitale was an assistant and head coach at the school, he averaged 21.0 points and 9.8 rebounds in four seasons with the Scarlet Knights. He led Rutgers to its first ever NCAA Tournament and Final Four appearance his junior and senior seasons, respectively. Sellers averaged 19.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game and was a second-team All-American in his senior season in 1976, the same year the Scarlet Knights finished with a 31-2 record after winning their first 31 games. Sellers would complete his career as Rutgers' all-time scoring and rebounding leader with 2,399 points and 1,115 rebounds. He was also a third-team All-American in 1975.
PROGRAM RANKINGS: Top 25 | Big Ten | SEC | ACC | Big 12
Alexi Lalas, Rutgers
One of the more recognizable United States men’s national team players from the 1990s, Lalas serves the same recognition amongst former Rutgers athletes. A third-team All-American as a sophomore and junior, he won the Hermann Award — soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy — during his senior season as he helped Rutgers to a 15-match unbeaten streak and the program's first No. 1 ranking. He led Rutgers to a combined record of 71-15-8 in his four seasons "On The Banks." He also led the program to three NCAA tournaments, which included appearances in the national semifinal in 1989 and the national championship game in 1990.
Craig Biggio, Seton Hall
Known primarily as a second baseman in his Hall-of-Fame Major League career, Biggio spent three seasons as Seton Hall’s catcher and helped the program to a 121-55 overall record and a Big East title in 1987. A two‑time All-Big East first‑team selection and All‑American as a senior, Biggio hit .342 for his career and still holds the program record for triples (18). He also ranks second in runs scored (194) and is tied for fifth in home runs (27).
Jesse Hubbard, Princeton
Hubbard is one of the greatest to ever put on the Princeton lacrosse jersey and one of the best goal scorers in college lacrosse history. A three‑time All‑American, Hubbard delivered one of the program’s defining moments in its rise to a national powerhouse with his overtime game‑winner in the 1996 NCAA title against Virginia, giving Princeton its first national title. He’d then help lead the Tigers to the next two Ivy League and national championships, strengthening their rise and dominance in the sport under Bill Tierney. Hubbard finished his career as Princeton’s all-time leading goals scorer with 163 goals and is now second all‑time in career goals and sixth in points (211).
Todd Frazier, Rutgers
Todd Frazier was a productive bat for the Scarlet Knights from the moment he arrived on campus, Frazier drove in 36 runs and hit nine home runs as a freshman. His best season came as a junior in 2007 when he blasted a program single-season record 22 home runs, drove in 65 runs, while leading Rutgers to a Big East tournament title and an NCAA berth. He went 13-for-25 at the plate with 12 runs scored, five walks and three home runs in six games at the Big East tournament that season. Just the third Rutgers player taken in the first round of the MLB draft, he ranks second in career home runs (42) and first in runs scored (210).
Christie Pearce, Monmouth
A multi-sport athlete, Pearce, who later changed her surname to Rampone, showcased her versatility at Monmouth, where she played soccer, basketball and lacrosse. It was on the soccer pitch where she quickly became her signature. Pearce dominated the Northeast Conference, a four-year career with the Hawks that helped her eventually make the U.S. women’s national team and, ultimately, win four Olympic medals. A two‑time Northeast Conference player of the year winner, she still owns the school career records for goals (79), assists (54), and points (212).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA250: The 10 greatest New Jersey college athletes ranked
